My grandparents moved to Flushing in 1951, shortly after my dad was born, and my family has proudly called Flushing, and Queens, our home ever since. Yet the borough we love has long been underserved when it comes to good local jobs and opportunities.
The result has been too many young people being forced to commute to other boroughs or, worse, move away, in order to find good jobs. This loss isn’t just economic. When we lose the next generation of our community, we lose the lifeblood of our neighborhoods.
That’s why I’m proud to support Metropolitan Park. After decades of false starts, we finally have a project that puts our community first.
COMMUNITY FIRST – that’s a concept that resonates with me on a higher level. I inherited my love for community from my family. My grandmother, Lucy Cohen, was a den mother for the Cub Scouts as well as a foster mother to many young boys. My father, Ken Cohen Sr., began serving his community in the early 90s by waking up at 4 a.m. to clean our neighborhood playground before going to work so that the children of the community would have a safe space to play. He continued his service to the community by joining civic associations, running for the school board, joining the community board and leading our local NAACP branch.
I followed in my dad’s footsteps and became an IBEW Local 3 Electrician, and got involved wherever I could in the community. I have the opportunity to raise my family in the beautiful neighborhood of Electchester, right up the block from my family home.
I witnessed, firsthand, the constant hustle to rally support for community efforts and be met with disappointment when promises are broken or when local voices simply aren’t being heard.
I support Metropolitan Park because they made a commitment to put the entire Queens community first! I’ve participated in discussions about many projects in the area, and Metropolitan Park is the only one that has truly listened to the needs, wants and concerns of the community. Through numerous visioning sessions, Metropolitan Park created this project through the eyes of Queens residents. They truly changed the game on how projects can and should collaborate with the community.
Metropolitan Park will deliver over 23,000 high-quality union jobs. What’s even more promising is that this project is committed to Queens-first hiring – putting my local union brothers and sisters front and center. This means that younger generations of Queens residents will have the opportunity to live, work and raise their families right here at home.
They’re even partnering with local organizations to offer robust training programs and professional development opportunities. As a third-generation union member, I know how important it is to make sure these aren’t just temporary positions, but real opportunities for meaningful, life-changing work.
Helping the next generation of our community thrive in Queens takes more than good jobs. We also need to make a difference when it comes to life outside of work.
Currently, what surrounds our beloved Mets stadium is acres of asphalt that offers nothing to do before or after a game, and brings nothing to the community when the Mets aren’t playing.
Metropolitan Park will convert this wasted space into 25 acres of green public park space, complete with athletic fields and playgrounds. This will be a place where families can gather, children can play and neighbors can connect.
And when it’s time to relax and have fun, Metropolitan Park will offer a concert venue, restaurants, bars, a food hall and a casino and sportsbook – bringing much-needed entertainment options to the area.
As a lifelong Queens resident, I am excited and inspired by the potential Metropolitan Park offers. This project gives us the chance to build a better future right here in our own backyard and honor the hard work of those before us. Let’s come together to support Metropolitan Park. In the words of my fellow Metropolitan Park supporters, Queens deserves nice things!
Kenny Cohen II is a former member of the NAACP National Board of Directors and member of Queens Community Board 8
