FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com JULY 11, 2013 • THE COURIER SUN 11 DEVELOPING DOWNTOWN SHERATON COMING TO JAMAICA BY MAGGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com Downtown Jamaica development is under way with the offi cial announcement of a Four Points Sheraton hotel headed to the area. After the economic downturn of a few years ago, development and investment interest is at long last picking back up, said Laurel Brown, executive director of the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District (BID). “There is a lot of untapped potential down here. We’re seeing people latch onto that,” she said. “Having Sheraton invest in Jamaica just underscores exactly what we’re saying.” The 150-room hotel is expected to go up on 94th Avenue near 147th Street, one block away from JFK International Airport’s AirTrain and the Long Island Railroad transportation hub. Groundbreaking is projected for later this year or early 2014, according to Andrew Levenbaum, A 150-room Four Points by Sheraton hotel will be built in downtown Jamaica. P.E., the architect for the project. Community leaders hope that the addition of a well-known name such as Sheraton will bring fl iers as well as a more diverse crowd to the area. Simone Price, executive director of the Sutphin Boulevard BID, said it also had the potential to elevate interest for other businesses to plant roots in Jamaica. “People always want to see someone else come into the district fi rst,” she said. The Sheraton “will be a great launching pad.” Price added the hotel will give PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW LEVENBAUM, P.E. southeast Queens its fi rst meeting and event space as well as job opportunities. The BIDs and the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (GJDC) are still in talks with various businesses in hopes of getting them to lease space in the area, Brown said. CityRib, a new Manhattanbased barbecue eatery, is slated to open in the neighborhood as well. Brown said the high-end restaurant will give residents and visitors a different option in a community dominated by fast-food chains. Security cameras to be installed in NYCHA complexes BY MAGGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com Big Brother is watching in NYCHA complexes across Far Rockaway. Security cameras are set to be installed in various housing projects, intended to curb violence, particularly gun violence, in troubled areas. “I’m tired of hearing the stories – our seniors and our children not being able to play outside because they’re afraid of getting struck by a stray bullet,” said Councilmember Donovan Richards. After the City Council passed its budget, Richards allocated nearly $2 million for closed-circuit security cameras in the Ocean Bay Houses and Beach 41st Street Houses. “Public housing is regularly left underfunded with no real consideration given towards necessary improvements,” Richards said. “You have to prioritize where you want your budget money to go. I felt that was an area that needed it the most.” Carleton Manor will also receive funds for community room upgrades for residents to enjoy, Richards said. The camera design will be fi nished within eight to 10 months and installation is expected within a year-and-a-half. Richards’ predecessor, current State Senator James Sanders, allocated funds for security cameras in the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway during his tenure. Richards said that since then, it is “like day and night.” “I can’t remember the last time I heard of a shooting in that development,” he said. “I want to make sure they’re carrying that across the board. Make sure our children and seniors and their families are safe.”
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