Downtown Jamaica street clock restored
GJDC also announces grant program to help small businesses with pandemic recovery
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | DEC. 24 - DEC. 30, 2021 9
BY BILL PARRY
The downtown Jamaica
business community celebrated
the completed restoration
of the historic, century-old Jamaica
Street clock on the corner
of Union Hall Street and
Jamaica Avenue.
The iconic timepiece,
which was erected in 1900 and
hadn’t worked for many years,
was removed from its longstanding
spot in early June
and transported to Massachusetts
where the Electric Time
Company restored the antique
street clock.
Craftsmen repaired the
rust base, post and dented
head; restored the double-face
to a style closer to the original
when it was first installed;
and inserted new electronic
mechanisms to propel the
hands. The clock will now be
able to reset itself for daylight
savings time without regular
servicing.
“The clock hasn’t worked
for many years. The face
was grimy and covered with
stickers and the door to the
mechanical section was held
together with duct tape,” Jennifer
Furioli of the Jamaica
Center Business Improvement
District said. “I hadn’t been in
my seat as director of the BID
more than a couple of weeks
before I started receiving regular
inquiries about the clock
and whether our organization
could do something about it.”
The BID worked with the
Greater Jamaica Development
Corporation (GJDC) to manage
the restoration project
which was Self-Winding Clock
Company, a major manufacturer
of electromechanical
clocks founded in 1886 that
closed its doors in the 1970s.
“While it took a village to
restore this piece of Jamaica
and American history, we are
here today due to the tenacity
of the late Thomas Crater, who
was the most vocal and wellknown
advocate for our neighborhood,”
GJDC Interim President
and CEO Justin Rodgers
said. “Tom felt this clock was
symbolic of the area. If no one
cares to fix the clock, no one
cares to fix Jamaica. All the
people involved with the restoration
proves that Jamaica
is in the hands of caring stewards
and stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, GJDC announced
it has launched
the Entrepreneurs of Color
Bounce Back Grant Program,
created for businesses located
in southern Queens that represent
the Black, Indigenous,
People of Color (BIPOC) community.
The qualifications to
receive an award have been
tailored to businesses that
have had trouble accessing financial
support from previous
COVID-19 pandemic-related
funding.
“It is going to take years
for businesses in Jamaica and
southern Queens to fully recover
from the effects of the
pandemic, and it’s great to
have this additional program
as we continue to support local
entrepreneurs be successful,”
Rodgers said. “I look forward
to seeing the grants put
to good use and would like to
thank all of the organizations
who made this opportunity
possible.”
Business owners have the
opportunity to apply for grants
of up to $2,500 that can be used
toward reopening their businesses,
covering much of their
needs including supply and
payroll. This opportunity was
made possible by Wells Fargo’s
Open for Business Fund, with
additional support from JFKIAT,
ConEd and Verizon.
The grant program will be
open for as long as funds are
available, and business owners
can visit the application
form to learn how to apply by
visiting the gjdc.org.
The downtown Jamaica business community celebrates the
restoration of its historic street clock. Courtesy of GJDC
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