16 THE QUEENS COURIER • FEBRUARY 14, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
in Queens
Positive poll
gives Amazon
encouragement
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Amazon is feeling “validated”
aft er a new poll showed New
Yorkers continue to support the
e-commerce giant’s plan to build
its HQ2 campus in Long Island
City.
Th e new Siena College Research
Institute poll released Tuesday
morning showed that 58 percent
of New York City voters approve
of the deal that promised to bring
25,000 over 10 years, with a plan
to grow to 40,000 over 15 years
to a complex that would be built
along Anable Basin. Statewide, the
poll showed voters approved the
Amazon deal, 56 to 36 percent.
“Even as Amazon is said to be
reexamining the deal with New
York to locate in Queens, by 20
points New York voters approve of
the deal,” Siena College Research
Institute Director Don Levy said.
“Upstate voters are evenly divided
but suburban voters strongly
approve and in New York City,
where some local activists have
voiced opposition, voters approve
of the deal by 23 points.”
Th e Siena poll was conducted
Feb. 4 to 7 by telephone calls conducted
in English to 778 New
York state registered voters.
“Th is is yet another clear validation
that New Yorkers want
25,000 great jobs, with great benefi
ts, that Amazon is ready to deliver
to the community,” an Amazon
spokesperson said. “From construction
jobs to soft ware engineer
positions, the tens of thousands
of jobs we plan to create
will be available to residents of all
education levels and professional
backgrounds, and our new headquarters
will help improve the
city’s economy for generations to
come.”
Th e poll was released the morning
aft er Mayor Bill de Blasio
defended the deal during more
than two hours of testimony at a
state budget hearing in Albany.
Th e mayor and Governor Andrew
Cuomo brokered the Amazon
deal off ering nearly $3 billion in
state and city tax incentives and
subsidies.
Th e deal is projected to deliver
more than $186 billion in economic
impact to New York over
the next 25 years. Amazon was
reportedly reconsidering the
project due to opposition from
Democratic leaders in Queens,
according to the Washington
Post.
Queensbridge to Amazon critics: ‘You can’t speak for us’
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Bishop Mitchell Taylor and
Queensbridge residents rallied on Monday
to support employment opportunities that
the online retail giant could possibly provide
to Long Island City and beyond.
Taylor told reporters that negativity
from opponents of the proposal does not
represent the wants or needs of NYCHA
residents or the involvement of their leaders
in discussions about Amazon coming
to their community. But more than anything,
they spoke out against perceived
outsiders stoking discontent within the
confi nes of the housing complex.
“I’m incensed when I see people from
Connecticut, from other boroughs, from
other places, convene upon Queensbridge,
knocking on doors telling people because
of Amazon, because of this, you’re going
to lose your apartment,” Taylor said. “Let
me tell you something: if you’re concerned
about gentrifi cation, that happened 15
years ago … You cannot speak for us. You
haven’t lived here.”
Taylor’s roots in Queensbridge go deep
with his father, also a pastor, fi rst serving
a northwest Queens congregation in
1960 and Taylor himself leading worship
for 28 years. He is a founder of Urban
Upbound, an organization which works
to break cycles that keep families in poverty
and serves on the Community Advisory
Committee for the implementation of
Amazon.
Th e bishop challenged the protests
of Donnelly Rodriquez, who spoke out
during the rally that 400 people had signed
a petition against Amazon over the weekend.
“It’s amazing to me how people like this
don’t even live here and they want to come
to a press conference that we’re trying to
have peacefully and they want to heckle,”
Bishop Mitchell Taylor slammed the opposition to Amazon for allegedly overstepping boundaries at a
rally on Monday.
Taylor said.
Claudia Coger, president of the Astoria
Houses Tenants Association and a resident
of 60 years, claimed there had been misinformation
circulated through the NYCHA
complex in an eff ort to “stir up” residents
against Amazon, but that it was her job as
a community leader to dispel rumors and
hype.
“One of the things that bothers me the
most, is that people do not have the correct
information to take into the community
or they come in to stir up people and
force accusations, we’re not going to stand
for that,” Coger said. “You should not go
into a community and tell people they’re
going to lose their homes unless you have
documentation. We need to stop that nonsense
now.”
April Simpson, the president of
Photo: Mark Hallum/THE COURIER
Queensbridge Tenants Association, said
she was born in her parent’s bed in the
NYCHA development she still calls home
aft er 57 years.
“I’m not going to allow anyone to come
into my community and disrupt and deny
them the opportunity for a better life,”
she said.
Elizabeth Lusskin, the president of
the Long Island City Partnership, and
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney also
spoke in favor of Amazon at the rally while
a small group of detractors booed.
“We face probably the most important
economic decision in generations for our
city,” Maloney said. “What the residents of
this community are telling me is that they
want jobs. Th ey want training. Th ey want
opportunity.”
Read more at QNS.com.
Vernon Blvd. businesses show strong support for Amazon HQ2
BY MORGAN CHITTUM
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
A vast majority of employees and
business owners in the area of Vernon
Boulevard in Long Island City remain supportive
of Amazon’s new headquarters in
Queens.
Announced last November, Amazon,
the world’s largest retailer, announced
their potential move to Long Island City.
However, aft er backlash from several elected
offi cials and community groups, the
company has reassessed their decision,
according to the Washington Post.
Th e Courier interviewed 15 business
owners and employees on Feb. 11 in the
vicinity of Vernon Boulevard between
44th Drive and 51st Street, and 13 of
them agreed with the new location. One
remained open to the idea, while the other
opposed the tech giant’s plan.
“Yes, I personally think it would be great
for business,” said Chelsea Houston, an
employee for NY Kids Club.
Some agreed due to the economic development
that it could bring to the area.
“I don’t know if it would benefi t the
community, but it will provide jobs for a
lot of people,” said Long Island native and
MiMi and Mo employee Nyasia Smitt.
Some remain skeptical on the impact it
could have on under-resourced areas.
“I’m sure it will create employment,
but they will be dead-end jobs. Long
Island City will be fi ne. I’m not so sure
about the low-income neighborhoods
though,” European Wax Center employee,
Marlenny Figaro said.
Some business owners are open to the
idea, but they want more answers.
Carlos, the owner of Spokesman Cycles
in Queens, wants to know how this will
aff ect the community.
“Are they just hiring here or are they
hiring abroad? Are they hiring 50 percent
local and 50 percent imported? And rent
File photo
The Vernon Boulevard streetscape
is going to go up a lot. Ten years ago, it
used to be $800, and now it’s $3,200,” the
owner said.
/QNS.com
link
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
