Chamber Building Awards 2022 ................................................... 12, 13

QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS

Chamber Building Awards 2022

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Chamber saw the architectural qualities of the facade in conjunction with the context with the area,” Caliendo said regarding the location at 31-05 21st Street, which is eight stories with 23 units.

“It’s a wide street, with numerous additional new apartment buildings.”

With all the new buildings on 21st Street, the question lied with what made their building stand out.

Aron Chang, the project’s manager, shared his opinion on how 31-05 21st Street shines among the others.

“We have the duplex on the upper floors and an outdoor recreation space on the seventh floor,” Chang said. That’s our advantage.”

The project at 25-28 30th Drive bgan construction in 2020, project manager Rachel Bahn shared. It is a seven story building.

The buildings are energy efficient, with extra insulation with the state energy code.

They are also “solar ready,” which refers to designing and constructing a building in a way that facilitates and optimizes the installation of a rooftop solar photovoltaic system at some point after the building has been constructed.

“Everything [we do] is state of the art,” Caliendo shared with a laugh. “We have no choice but to do state of the art.” Maspeth Federal Savings offers upgraded banking experience

By Jessica Meditz

Maspeth Federal Savings continues to live up to their well-known motto, “We treat you like family, ” by making further improvements to the services offered to customers.

Honored in the category of Rehabilitation, Readaptive Use, Alteration or Addition, Maspeth Federal’s Forest Hills location on Metropolitan Avenue contributes to the community atmosphere the historic neighborhood has to offer.

Their Forest Hills branch has changed a lot since its grand opening in 1974 and grand reopening in 2011.

Its most recent improvements include the relocation of outdoor drive-up lanes, the addition of a 24-hour drive-up ATM with an overhead canopy and the installation of two electric vehicle charging stations.

In addition, the bank opted to remove fencing, upgrade existing utilities, install a generator, repair the roof, add an additional egress, install new, larger second-floor windows and a new clock, as well as beautify the grounds.

Architect Michael Macaluso of MJM + A and builder Vincent Massina of HM Hughes were instrumental to the process.

“These new additions contribute to the customer experience of Maspeth Federal because it adds increased convenience and accessibility for the customer. The drive-up ATM and generator provide uninterrupted service,” said Jill Nicolois, Community Affairs Director.

“The enhancements put in place with this project enable us to offer an upgraded banking experience to the Forest Hills community,” she continued. “Plus, it looks amazing.”

The additions and improvements took about nine months to complete, which was a major accomplishment, especially during the pandemic.

“It’s absolutely amazing to get this recognition because it’s always our goal to contribute to the communities that we serve,” Nicolois said.

“I can’t tell you how many people from other businesses have said, ‘You guys did some job over there.’ It’s really noticeable, so we really elevated our exposure,” she continued. “I feel like we did make a positive impact on the existing footprint.”

The interior of Caliendo’s 25-28 30th Dr. apartment building.

QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS Queeens Chamber, Councilmember Won and Brook Jackman Foundation give away 1,000 free backpacks

One thousand children in Western Queens headed back to school with new backpacks and school supplies, thanks to the Queens Chamber of Commerce, New York City Councilwoman Julie Won and the Brooke Jackman Foundation.

Council Member Won reached out to The Queens Chamber of Commerce, the borough’s oldest and largest business association, for help getting supplies to students in her district ahead of the school year. The Chamber connected Council Member Won to the Brooke Jackman Foundation, who were able to donate 1,000 backpacks for back-to-school drives across Won’s district, which covers the neighborhoods of Long Island City, Sunnyside, Astoria, and Woodside.

Students also received back to school supplies thanks to donations.

“Thank you to The Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Brooke Jackman Foundation for providing 1,000 backpacks for our kids in Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, and Astoria,” said Council Member Won. “With your partnership, we were able to host backpack giveaways at our schools, family shelters, and community events, and ensured that our students were ready for a successful school year!”

The Brooke Jackman Foundation sponsors programs that promote literacy and learning for children-in-need in the name of Brooke Jackman.

Brooke lost her life at the age of 23 in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

“We were proud to partner with the borough of Queens to ensure that 1,000 children were able to start school with the necessary tools and supplies needed to have a successful school year.” said Erin Jackman, Executive Director of The Brooke Jackman Foundation.

“Supporting our borough’s children in their educational pursuits is imperative to building strong communities,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “We are so happy that we were able to partner with Council Member Won and the Brooke Jackman Foundation to help ensure that students in Queens feel prepped and prepared as they head back to school.”

About the Brooke Jackman Foundation:

The Brooke Jackman Foundation was established by family and friends after Brooke lost her life at age 23 in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11th. The Foundation was created in Brooke’s memory to sponsor programs that promote literacy and learning for childrenin-need. Since 2002, over 70,000 Brooke Packs, backpacks filled to the brim with school supplies and reading books, and over 650,000 books have been distributed to date to disadvantaged children not only in the Tri-state area, but also to Florida and beyond.