Photo via Getty Images
June 20, 2024 By John J. Ciafone, Esq.
A few years ago, Long Island City won a national competition to house the corporate headquarters of Amazon. Amazon promised tens of thousands of jobs, from technical employment for workers to local student graduates, deliverers, contractors, laborers, construction union jobs, Porters and Superintendents. Also, not to mention the economic boom in Queens, New York City, and the boost to small businesses in the area, including housing, restaurants, bars, cafes, hair salons, laundromats and livery cabs. The plans were for a new public school, parks and upgrades for public transportation, sewer and electric systems.
However, an array of politicians, whose arrogance matched their ignorance, all but killed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They failed to realize that the tax credits would come back a hundredfold over the next generations.
Now, we are in the midst of another opportunity for western, northern and eastern Queens by developers, who are promising an $8 billion investment, and unfortunately, again, we are seeing the same elected officials in the area either attempt to kill or fail to have the courage to support Metropolitan Park, near Citi Field.
Again, this will create thousands of permanent union jobs, create parklands, green spaces, bike lanes and athletic fields, improve transportation and include entertainment, concert and food venues, which is much better than the current eyesore of dilapidated buildings and asphalt parking lots.
While we really don’t need another gambling facility, the State will grant a license to a venue in Queens, and why not make it in our area? This would have a net gain in improving the lives of residents and businesses in Queens.
Hopefully, we have all learned a lesson from this. Let’s not have another Amazon disaster in our borough.
*John J. Ciafone, Esq. is an award-winning Attorney with practices in NY, NJ and Washington DC and was awarded the NYC Health and Hospital Healthcare Hero Award for his volunteering as an EMT during COVID-19 at Elmhurst – the epicenter of the disaster.
