$3.8 billion JFK Terminal 4 expansion approved as
Port Authority looks to fi ll 800 new jobs at LaGuardia
First-ever guidance offi ces open at York Early College
Academy in Jamaica for students to seek counseling
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | FEB. 21-27, 2020 5
BY BILL PARRY
JFK International Airport’s busiest
terminal is set to be dramatically
expanded after the Port Authority
board members gave the green light to
a nearly $4 billion renovation project.
The 500,000-square-foot expansion
at Terminal 4 will allow Delta Airlines
to consolidate and operate under one
roof.
“The Terminal 4 expansion will be
another milestone in the transformation
at JFK Airport, with upgrades
that will give passengers a world-class
experience they expect when flying
into New York,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo
said. “When completed, our $13 billion
project to modernize JFK will create a
more unified airport and solidify New
York’s position as the premier entry
point to our country.”
The modernization project at the
country’s busiest airport will add two
new terminals, a simplified roadway
system, an expansion of the Van Wyck
Expressway and modernization to the
JFK AirTrain.
“The core principles behind JFK’s
modernization are to bring our airport
into the 21st century, simplify
and enhance air travel for fliers, and
do this all with the local communities
needs in mind,” Congressman Gregory
Meeks said. “Terminal 4 redevelopment
continues on the guiding ethos,
consolidating Delta’s flights all into
one terminal and maintaining the 30
percent commitment to MWBEs.
Meanwhile, as the $8 billion redevelopment
project at LaGuardia Airport,
the Port Authority hosted a job
fair at Elmcor Wednesday looking to
fill 800 new positions that are available
at the new Terminal B and Departures
Hall set to open by mid-year.
Nearly 450 Queens residents have
been hired at LaGuardia in the last 18
months.
“We are making tangible progress
in building a completely new LaGuardia
Airport and are delighted to seek
job applications from Queens to fill
hundreds of new jobs at the new LGA,”
Port Authority Executive Director
Rick Cotton said. “The Port Authority
remains focused on helping to match
job seekers in Queens with exciting
new opportunities as the airport
redevelopment advances.”
If you were unable to join the several
hundred job seekers that attended
the job fair you can utilize the LGA Redevelopment
Community Information
Center located at 98-12 Astoria Blvd. in
East Elmhurst, or the CAO’s LGA Career
Center located at 33-16 108th St. in
Corona.
Since Dec. 2018, 140 Queens residents
have been hired through CAO’s
LGA Career Center at Elmcor. Both offices
are dedicated to offering the local
community job training programs and
educational opportunities. They will
continue to be a central resource for
information on jobs and contracting
opportunities as part of the redevelopment
project at LaGuardia Airport.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail
at bparry@schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
The Port Authority approved the $3.8 billion expansion project at JFK’s Terminal 4.
Courtesy JFKIAT
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Students at the York Early
College Academy in Jamaica
unveiled a new guidance suite
on Feb. 13 to support its peer
mediation program and expand
guidance and mental
health services for students
thanks to a $42,000 donation
from a Queens real estate
firm.
The first-ever office suite
features brand-new space for
counseling sessions and enables
students to seek critical
mental health resources
confidentially. Previously,
students had to go into classrooms
filled with their peers
to access these services.
Zara Realty, based in Jamaica,
donated the funds to
build the new office suite —
the first dedicated space for
guidance counselors located
on the fourth floor in the colocated
school at 108-35 167th
St.
“This donation is part of
an ongoing relationship we
have with schools throughout
Queens,” said Tony Subraj,
vice president of Zara Realty.
“Supporting the education
of our students requires so
many different components,
and none is more important
than ensuring young people
receive the mental health and
counseling they need. I want
to thank Principal Noah Angeles
and his faculty for partnering
with us on this key
project.”
Zara also announced it is
providing three students each
with a $1,000 scholarship for
college annually, beginning
this school year.
“Mental health support for
students is so important because
it provides the basis that
enables them to achieve their
dreams and thrive in whatever
endeavor they choose,”
said Jay Sobhraj, principal of
Zara Realty. “Unfortunately,
some young people are reluctant
to speak about this issue
or to seek the help they need.
We hope that with this new
state-of-the-art office suite,
students at York Early College
Academy will feel comfortable
accessing these critical services.”
Amir Sobhraj, financial
controller at Zara Realty,
said their company believes
strongly in investing in the
communities where they live
and work.
“That is why we have always
made supporting education
a priority. From the SAT
and SSHAT prep classes we
sponsor, to the technology labs
we have helped open throughout
Queens, to the scholarships
we announced today,
helping young people prepare
for their futures is one of the
most valuable commitments
we can make,” Sobhraj said.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–4526.
(From l. to r.) Jay Sobhraj, York Early College Academy Principal
Noah Angeles, Amir Sobhraj, Jasmine Subraj, and Tony Subraj
receive thank you gifts for donating the guidance office suite.
Photo courtesy of Zara Realty
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