Stories to follow in SE Queens
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Cleanup continues for
families affected by sewage
backup in South Ozone
Park
South Ozone Park residents
affected by the major
sewage backup that flooded
about 80 homes during the
Thanksgiving holiday weekend
are continuing to pick up
the pieces following the disaster.
On Dec. 16, the Department
of Environmental Protection
(DEP) submitted a report to
the Comptroller’s Office with
the results of the investigation
into the incident, which
concluded that a portion of
the 42-inch sewer that runs
under the Belt Parkway and
the Conduit had collapsed,
causing the sewage backup
into the south Ozone Park
neighborhood.
Meanwhile, though Comptroller
Scott Stringer granted
an emergency procurement
of funds in order to clean residents’
basements of sewage
and replace damaged boilers,
residents have had to file additional
claims for other resulting
personal expenses.
The DEP/OEM/Comptroller
have had staff on the
ground to help residents fill
out the claim forms. Residents
have 90 days from the
date of the incident to file a
property damage claim with
the Comptroller.
“There have been no sewer
backups since a robust,
and with redundancy, pump
around system was put in
place in the days after the initial
blockage,” a DEP spokesman
said. “This system will
remain in place until the new
sewer is constructed.”
Success Academy Parents
and educators continue
to rally for new Middle
School
Southeast Queens parents
of Success Academy scholars
are continuing the fight
against Mayor Bill de Blasio
demanding a proposed location
for a new middle school.
Success Academy had rejected
the mayor and the Department
of Education’s proposed
location for a middle
school in South Jamaica at
125-18 Rockaway Blvd., after
touring what they called a
“small” and “aging” building.
The 70-year-old building
used to house Our Lady’s
Catholic Academy students
until 2016, and it would require
a complete renovation
in order to fix electrical and
water damage that would cost
several millions of dollars, according
to Success Academy.
Although Mayor de Blasio
had announced at a Nov. 13
town hall meeting that the
location would be permanent
and can house up to 500
students, Success Academy
said the building can only accommodate
330 students, according
to building capacity
guidelines of New York State
Education Department.
Success Academy officials
also said there is no multipurpose
room, gym or auditorium,
and transportation
to and from the school doesn’t
serve most families.
Success Academy has
asked for the mayor’s help in
finding a permanent home for
their middle school in southeast
Queens for more than
two years now. Students, their
parents and educators have
held protests on the steps of
City Hall and at Roy Wilkins
Park in recent months to
ask the mayor to keep his
promise.
TIMESLEDGER |14 QNS.COM | JAN. 3-JAN. 9, 2020
Jamaica Co-working and
Training Facility breaks
ground
A new development in the
heart of downtown Jamaica is
currently in the works that is
expected to support 255 jobs in
the local community.
The Greater Jamaica Development
Corporation’s
Downtown Jamaica Co-Working
and Training Facility at
The Moda Building, located at
89-14 Parsons Blvd., will provide
room for up to 80 local entrepreneurs
and independent
professionals.
The project is supported by
a $1.65 million performancebased
grant from Empire
State Development, which was
awarded as part of Jamaica’s
selection as a Downtown Revitalization
Initiative winner
in 2016. By providing New
Yorkers with access to affordable
flexible workspaces and
business equipment, the project
will support Gov. Andrew
Cuomo’s efforts to further
build Jamaica into a major
economic hub.
In the coming months,
GJDC will invest $5.1 million
towards the development. The
shared workspace will provide
flexible workspaces and other
business equipment to entrepreneurs,
startups, freelancers
and others at affordable
rates — helping foster a community
of ingenuity and business
growth in Jamaica.
JFK Redevelopment Project
to bring jobs, business,
and resources to
the community
Thousands of jobs will be
coming to southeast Queens
as part of the $13 billion JFK
International Airport redevelopment
among a series of initiatives
targeting employment
opportunities, business opportunities,
and training and
education resources that will
benefit local neighborhoods.
The JFK Redevelopment
Community Advisory Council,
co-chaired by Congressman
Gregory Meeks and Queens
Borough President Melinda
Katz, will launch a major job
recruiting program for the
15,000 jobs at the airport and
the 4,000 construction jobs that
will be created by the five-year
construction program which is
scheduled to begin next year.
The JFK jobs program will
enhance outreach to underserved
neighborhoods in Jamaica,
Far Rockaway and the
surrounding communities.
Additionally, a new Far
Rockaway office at the Rockaway
Development and Revitalization
Corporation will
open in the spring and will
have four dedicated staff
members focused on connecting
local residents to new
employment opportunities.
Additional outreach and recruiting
support staff will
be based at the Council for
Airport Opportunity’s main
Jamaica office.
Other programs will include
a second chance employment
initiative will be targeted
toward formerly incarcerated
people, a new science and technology
program for 300 local
students to steer them toward
careers in aviation, and concession
opportunities for local
retailers and restaurants. Plus,
the Port Authority and JFK
Airport will roll out extensive
training programs to enable
small businesses to qualify
and compete for other future
concession opportunities.
2020 PREVIEW
Queens Success Academy Charter School students protest at St. Albans’ Roy Wilkins Park calling for
Mayor Bill de Blasio to build a new middle school.
The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation joined by Empire
State Development, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and local elected officials
at The Moda Building, located at 89-14 Parsons Blvd., which
will be transformed into a 12,000-square-foot work space and will
provide up to 255 jobs in the community.
/QNS.COM
