This Is Queensborough - March 2019 by BQE Media - Queens Ledger Brooklyn Star Newspaper Group

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March 2019 . Volume 15 . Issue 3

IRISH

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ADVOCATE TO DELIVER KEYNOTE SPEECH AT ANNUAL ST. PAT’S LUNCH

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March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

YOUR VOICE CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE

There are few opportunities you real change in your community. have as business owners to sigWith 90 percent of our memnificantly impact not only your bership having fewer than ten organization, but the employees, the impact communities you serve of this day in Albany in one singular act. can change the health As we approach our and well-being of our Annual Queens Day in members. Albany on March 19, I Last year, over 200 look forward to seeing members joined the our business communiQueens Chamber of ty meet one on one with Commerce in Albany, elected officials to let spending hours meeting their voices be heard. face to face with the There are so many TOM SANTUCCI borough’s legislators challenges facing busi- CHAIRPERSON in both the State Senness owners today. This ate and Assembly. We unique opportunity allows mem- were joined by their staff, elected bers of the business community officials from other boroughs, and to advocate, educate and network friends and colleagues. with individuals who can affect Later this month, there will be

another opportunity to spend time community in the United States. with an elected official. On March I mention these two events 28, newly elected State Senator because they provide a higher level John Liu will be keynote speaker of engagement for our members. for Queens ChamIt’s through these Be proactive, get ber of Commerce kinds of events Eat-and-Greet lun- involved, and participate you as a member cheon hosted by when you’re afforded contribute greatly Ben’s of Bayside. to the economic the opportunity to Senator Liu will well-being of affect change. discuss his vision Queens. for Queens, and Be proactive, this is a tremendous opportunity get involved, and participate when for you as a business owner to you’re afforded the opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas for affect change. improving the community. Contact the Chamber staff to be As chairman of the Board of kept apprised of upcoming events, Directors, I have the pleasure of development strategies, and busiwatching the Queens Chamber of ness information. Thank you for Commerce foster economic growth being a member and supporter of and prosperity in the most diverse the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

THIS MONTH, ALL ROADS LEAD TO ALBANY Spring is just around the corner, the day with an evening food tastand the Queens Chamber’s March ing gala, a unique Taste of Queens calendar is packed where numerous purwith opportunities for veyors will showcase engagement. their finest foods and On March 13, we beverages. return to Antun’s in Believe me, this Queens Village for is always the most our 2019 St. Patrick’s anticipated part of the Day Annual Lunday. cheon. This is always We’re always a great time filled excited to bring you with wonderful food opportunities to see a and opportunities to THOMAS J. GRECH return on your investnetwork with other PRESIDENT & CEO ment in the Queens members of the busiChamber. On March ness community. Our 26, Nadir Jones will honoree this year is attorney Brian share his expertise on how you can O’Dwyer. tap into the transportation market On March 19, we are taking and other business opportunities the show on the road again for with the MTA. Queens Day in Albany. Don’t miss Be sure you reach out to our staff this chance to let your voice be for these and all the events schedheard while you meet and greet the uled. Visit our website at queenQueens Assembly and State Senate schamber.org for details, and turn Delegation at the Capitol. to page 21 for more events. These are your representatives, After several months of anticipaand the Queens Chamber is proud tion, Amazon made the decision to offer this unique experience. to withdraw plans to develop a After a special lunch and tour of new campus in Queens and, with the Capitol Building and Legisla- it, at least 25,000 jobs to the comtive Chambers, we’ll wind down munity.

This opportunity would have month to bring awareness to this brought an estimated $27 billion devastating subject. in economic revenue over the next As a member, you’re invited to 25 years. An entire generation join any one of our nine industrywill look back at these last few focused committees. Our co-chairs months and ask bring their “why?” We are taking the show on expertise as The Borough the road again for Queens leaders to eduof Queens is members Day in Albany. Don’t miss cate strong and and the comresilient, and this chance to let you voice munity on topbe heard while you meet ics that impact the pro-business environyour lives. and greet the Queens ment this entire Assembly and State Senate The Queens city has will be Chamber is Delegation at the Capitol. the strength about involveneeded to ment, and you move forward. as member must take advantage This spring expect to see a great of every opportunity afforded for deal of activity among our Mem- your business to grow and thrive, ber Committees. Last month, our from your Member Benefits to Real Estate Committee hosted the event participation to submitting first of many events, “Opportu- editorial for this monthly publicanity Zones and Queens Economic tion. Development.” There’s no better time than These zones represent tremen- now to get actively involved with dous economic development Queens Chamber. Contact us by growth throughout various com- phone or email to begin making munities in Queens. a difference in your business and And the Healthcare & Wellness community. We are always availCommittee will tackle the opioid able to assist with your needs. Your crisis in a panel discussion next membership is greatly appreciated!

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QUEENS QUICKLY HALF OF TERMINAL B HIRES FROM QUEENS More than half of the new hires at LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B Concourse project are Queens residents, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. Between August and December, Terminal B’s concession partners hired 374 employees; 55 percent of them are from Queens. “The redevelopment at LaGuardia is transforming the airport into a modern, global gateway for New York, and is providing meaningful jobs to Queens residents at the world-class concessions servicing the new gates,” Cuomo said. “The airport is a critical engine for New York’s economy, and is now translating into local economic opportunity as well.” The new Terminal B houses 18 gates and other amenities. It’s the first part of the airport’s $8 billion redevelopment. The governor also announced that the project has given 849 total contracts, with a combined value of nearly $1.15 billion, to minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs). The local hiring resulted from outreach efforts by the Port Authority and the LaGuardia Redevelopment Community Outreach team, which has hosted or participated in more than 25 job fairs across the borough. Last July, Cuomo also announced $1.4 million for the Council for Airport Opportunity (CAO) to build a new office in East Elmhurst to work with local organizations like Elmcor and NHS of Queens on local hiring. Delta Air Lines, which is now building the new Terminal C, is also collaborating with CAO and concessions partners on local hiring targets. “The $8 billion development of a Whole New LGA presents Queens residents a wide variety of opportunities to advance their careers,” said

Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority. “Queens residents will get many more opportunities to begin or continue aviation careers at the new LaGuardia as the ongoing redevelopment continues to hit key milestones.” Many of the new hires work as managers, supervisors, sales associates, cashiers, cooks and bartenders, according to the Port Authority. New employees will also earn more. Last September, the Port Authority adopted a new $19 an hour minimum wage that will be phased in by 2023. Up to 40,000 airport workers will see their wages go up. Local elected officials praised the local hiring initiative by the airport redevelopment team. “The impact of LaGuardia Airport’s redevelopment on the local community is significant,” said Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry. “One of the positive elements is the jobs local residents have accessed. The partnership between Elmcor and NHS with the Council for Airport Opportunity is working.”

JFK’S T4 NOW OFFERS TASTE OF MEXICO

JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 recently wel-

comed Mi Casa Cantina, a restaurant offering passengers authentic Mexican cuisine. Operated by SSP America, the exclusive food and beverage purveyor of Terminal 4, Mi Casa serves fast, freshly made Mexican street food with traditional flavors. Mi Casa also features a cocktail menu handcrafted by Lynnette Marrero, a pioneer mixologist and founder of the all-female speed bartending competition “Speed Rack.” The beverage menu includes an array of tequila and mescal-based creations, a rotating offer of agua frescas, and more than 12 selections of Mexican, Latin and southern Californian beers. Mi Casa Cantina, located near gate B23, joins more than 25 other restaurants in Terminal 4’s expansive retail program, including Danny Meyers’ Blue Smoke on the Road, The Palm, Shake Shack, and a number of other unparalleled restaurant concepts. “At Terminal 4, we pride ourselves in providing exceptional and diverse food and beverage options for our passengers,” said Roel Huinink, president and CEO of JFKIAT, the company that operates Terminal 4. “With Mi Casa’s opening, we are providing a memorable dining experience featuring unique and authentic Mexican dishes to the 21.6 million annual travelers who pass through our terminal.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS Promotions, Announcements & Appointments .......................................6

Chamber Real Estate Committee Discusses Opportunity Zones ...................18

Small Cell Tech and the Borough of Queens, Part Three .....................7

NEW IN THE HOOD: Elected Officials Welcome One Flushing ................28

NONPROFIT NEWS: Adams Takes Over at Armstrong House .......8

Chamber Welcomes New Members .........................................................................29

EXPERT ADVICE: Digital Signage for Your Business ......................10 COVER STORY: Brian O’Dwyer to Keynote St. Pat’s Event ...........12 Chamber Hosts Annual Borough President Breakfast .........................14 Chamber, BQE Media Mix Hoops & Networking ................................21 4

PUBLISHER Walter H. Sanchez

MANAGING EDITOR Shane Miller

MARKETING DIRECTOR John Sanchez BQE Media, 45-23 47th St., 2nd Floor, Woodside, NY 11377 Phone: (718) 426-7200 Fax: (347) 507-5827

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

QUEENS QUICKLY NORTHWELL, CITY OPEN JOINT LAB

love WHERE YOU

Northwell Health and NYC Health + Hospitals last week celebrated the opening of a $47.7 million shared, centralized laboratory in Little Neck. The new Clinical Laboratory of New York – the largest nonprofit, hospital-operated lab in the nation – will enhance quality and patient services, while reducing costs for both health systems and their hospitals. “This state-of-the-art facility shows what’s possible when two mission-driven organizations collaborate,” said Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO at Northwell Health. “Northwell Health’s laboratory expertise, along with exciting new technology deployed here, will help turn tests around faster and more efficiently.” The centralized laboratory, located at 59-25 Little Neck Parkway, primarily performs microbiology tests, including molecular diagnostics, from local hospitals, clinics and physician offices, incorporating the latest technology and advanced robotic testing systems. The facility is administered by Northwell Health Labs, which performs more than 30 million tests each year between its Core Lab, hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing homes and clinical trials, and handles more than 200,000 surgical pathology specimens annually. In addition, some six million nonurgent tests from NYC Health + Hospitals will be processed at in

Little Neck and Northwell’s Core Lab in Lake Success, enabling all public hospital laboratories to focus on urgent testing. The project is expected to save NYC Health + Hospitals more than $20 million annually. The 36,000-square-foot, twostory lab is part of the Clinical Laboratory of New York (CLNY) Alliance formed in 2014 by Northwell and the city to integrate laboratory services through a shared reference lab. The facility, which began operations earlier this month with 176 employees, will eventually grow to include 210. The lab’s opening represents the culmination of a years-long effort to standardize information systems and equipment and establish joint standards committees. To handle additional volume generated by the new Little Neck and Lake Success labs, Northwell has hired about 90 new employees over the past year. In total, Northwell Health Labs has a workforce of more than 1,300. “This is an exciting time as Northwell Health Laboratories takes a step forward with new equipment and facilities to match our already excellent staff,” said Dwayne Breining, MD, executive director of Northwell Labs. “Our partnership with the city, along with the Core Lab expansion, is an investment in the health of all New Yorkers.”

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PROMOTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & APPOINTMENTS Siegel joins Commonpoint

Commonpoint Queens, which was formerly known as the Samuel Field Y and Central Queens Y, has announced Paul Siegel will join its Board of Directors. “As someone who is highly invested in improving both Jewish life and his surrounding communities, we’re incredibly excited to welcome Paul to our leadership team,” said CEO Danielle Ellman. “As our newest Board member, he embodies the spirit of community, commitment, and energy that is the mission of Commonpoint Queens.” Paul Siegel is a cofounder and the managing principal of Emet Capital Management, which specializes in distressed and special situation real estate SIEGEL opportunities within the municipal marketplace. He has spent his entire career in municipal finance and has more than 18 years of relevant experience in the municipal, special situations, and distressed asset investment arena. He received his B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts, the Municipal Analysts Group of New York, the Urban Land Institute, and the Turnaround Management Association Mr. Siegel is actively involved with UJA-Federation of New York, where he is on the Board of Directors, and a member of both the Jewish Communal Network Commission Cabinet and Caring Commission Cabinet. Siegel is on the Board of Directors of the Hebrew Free Loan Society, an organization that provides interest-free loans to New Yorkers unable to access traditional capital sources for housing, special educa-

tion, fertility, microenterprise ventures, and emergency needs. He is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program.

QC president to head CUNY

The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York unanimously voted today to appoint Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, an accomplished scholar, teacher, administrator and public servant who has been president of Queens College since 2014, was named the eighth Chancellor of CUNY. MATOS He will be RODRIGUEZ both the first Latino and minority educator to head the university when he assumes the post on May 1. “This would be an extraordinary opportunity for anyone who is passionate about the role CUNY plays in the lifeblood of the world’s greatest and most important city,” said Matos Rodríguez. “For me, this appointment is particularly special because CUNY is home.” The 56-year-old Matos Rodríguez has drawn national recognition as a trailblazer in higher education. He holds a degree from Yale University, where he was a cum laude graduate, and a doctorate in history from Columbia University. As president of CUNY’s Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, he gained acclaim for engineering a double-digit increase in the school’s retention rate, leading Hostos to become a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Best Community College prize in 2015. He is one of a select few U.S. educators who has served as president of both a baccalaureate and community college. Since Matos Rodríguez took office as the tenth president of Queens College in August 2014,

the school has been recognized for its success at propelling students into the middle class. A 2016 study by the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked Queens College in the top 1 percent of all colleges in moving students from the bottom fifth to the top fifth of the country’s income distribution, and The Chronicle of Higher Education in August 2018 ranked the school 11th of all U.S. colleges for upward social and economic mobility. Matos Rodríguez has also been an aggressive fundraiser. During his tenure, the Queens College Foundation has nearly doubled in value. As he led Queens College, Matos Rodríguez also pushed to increase diversity college-wide. Nearly half of the current members of the college’s Cabinet are people of color, a marked change from its composition when he was appointed. Under his Presidential Hiring Initiative, 48 percent of faculty hires have been from underrepresented groups.

Two join New York Edge board New York Edge, which was formerly known as the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation, recently appointed Laurie Erlandson and Rashid Silvera to its Board of Directors. As members of Woodside-based organization’s Board of Directors, their roles will include working with the Development Committee, as well as Budget and Finance. A former CPA, Erlandson worked as a community volunteer and philanthropist SILVERA for the past 25 years. She currently works as a business development advisory with luxury fashion

brand Isoude, and serves on the boards of a wide range of nonprofit organizations. “I’m thrilled to join New York Edge, an organization that is at the forefront of afterschool programming and educational innovation,” said Erlandson. Silvera was a former his- ERLANDSON tory teacher, and has a master’s degree from The Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was a member of the Scarsdale High School History Department for 36 years, and has worked as a fashion model for over three decades. He has appeared on the cover of GQ, Essence and Code magazines. Silvera was also the first AfricanAmerican male to model for a Polo Ralph Lauren advertisement campaign. Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140 Jackson Heights, N.Y. 11370-1131 Entire Contents Copyright 2019 by Queensborough. All letters sent to the QUEENSBOROUGH should be brief and are subject to condensation. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of the QUEENSBOROUGH. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to the QUEENSBOROUGH within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. Schneps Communications assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold the QUEENSBOROUGH and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.

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March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

TECHNOLOGY

HOW SMALL CELL TECH WILL BENEFIT QUEENS GROW THE ECONOMY WITH SMALL CELL INFRASTRUCTURE Editor’s Note: This is Part Two of a three-part series on how small cell technology will benefit Queens. Part One (The Benefits of Small Cell Technology in Queens’ Education System) and Part Two (Small Cell Technology Will Transform Transportation) were published in the January and February issues, and can be read at thisisqueensborough.com. Technology innovates our lives – no city knows this better than New York where our wireless devices are vital in our everyday lives. 5G networks are expected to enhance mobile connectivity by offering unbelievably fast speeds no other network has offered before. Except, Queens will need small cell networks to provide these reliable connections. Typically installed on pre-existing infrastructure, like light posts or telephone poles, small cell technology is wireless infrastructure that transfers data to and from our wireless devices. Small cells quickly provide reliable wireless connectivity that families and businesses need every day. There are many new economic opportunities coming to Queens, like technology start-ups, emerging local businesses, and online vendors. Our borough needs small cell technology to support growth and prosperity because our merchants and consumers rely on connectivity to promote and discover businesses every day. If Queens wants to continue attracting and retaining top-level jobs and businesses, it is critical for the borough to advocate for a more comprehensive small cell network. Small cell infrastructure will encourage business growth by stimulating Queens as a technology hub, supporting the expansion

of small businesses, and providing the network capacity that tourists need while visiting Queens. Small cell infrastructure is necessary to provide the connectivity that is essential for a competitive economy, but it is also essential to launch Queens into the smart city it is anticipated to become. A smart city is a municipality that uses technology and data to create efficiencies, and spurs economic development in the community. Transforming Queens into a smart city has the potential to increase our GPD per capita by 21 percent. According to 2016 data, there are about 7,300 small businesses in Queens that will all benefit from small cell infrastructure because of their online presence. As a Chamber, we want our businesses to continue using mobile capabilities to help them prosper. Except, our borough needs small cells to help businesses to consistently stay connected. With new technology innovations, businesses are more likely to use mobile transactions and social media as marketing strategies. Businesses are increasingly taking advantage of the mobile application economy by exploiting their businesses on mobile applications or mobile-friendly websites. By 2019, 94 percent of American businesses are expected to be mobile friendly. Businesses capitalize on mobile outreach because it is appealing to their consumers. As more businesses become mobile friendly, they will need small cell infrastructure to consistently stayed connected to their customers. The growth in tourism is benefitting Queens workers more than any other borough. The Center for an Urban Future reports that the increase in New York City tourism has created thousands of jobs

in Queens over the past 20 years, meaning that our borough’s local attractions are continuous economic factors in Queens and provide reliable jobs within our community. To continue fostering economic growth in Queens, investing in small cell infrastructure will provide the network capacity tourists needs to continue looking up restaurants, stores, events or directions. According to Yelp data, 34 million people use its mobile application to connect consumers to local businesses. Smart phones help tourists retrieve information on Queens attractions, which makes reliable wireless connectivity in our borough a necessity. It is our goal as a Chamber to continue attracting tourists to our borough. We need to capitalize on small cell infrastruc-

ture because dependable networks lead to growing tourism. Out of all five of New York City’s boroughs, Queens has the second-largest, most diversified, and fastest-growing economy. It is our goal as a Chamber to continue encouraging economic growth in Queens. As our borough continues to grow with technological advancements, we need the network capacity for Queens to become a smart city, continue attracting talented employees, support small business prosperity, and continue increasing tourism in the borough. Small cell infrastructure will support our mission for economic growth because reliable and robust wireless infrastructure will help us stay on the cutting edge of economic expansion.

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NONPROFIT NEWS ADAMS WANTS TO BRING ARMSTRONG INTO 21ST CENTURY BY BENJAMIN FANG When the Louis Armstrong House Museum opens its new education and performance center in 2020, it will have a new leader at the helm. Despite being on the job for just over a month, Kenyon Victor Adams already has a grand vision for the future of the museum, including bringing artists to see the archives and engaging local Latino communities. The new $23 million facility on 107th Street in Corona will include a state-of-the-art exhibition gallery, a 68-seat jazz club and museum store. It will also be the new home of the Louis Armstrong Archives, which are currently housed at Queens College. “I hope that we can construct a future for his legacy,” Adams said. Adams, 40, grew up in the Orlando area, which he described as “very multicultural, but very segregated historically.” His family is from North Carolina and Georgia, but moved to Orlando, where his grandfather was a pillar in the community. He spent his formative years singing gospel music in church. His family was part of a mass gospel choir in Florida, which is why music became such a big part of his life. Because of his ability to sing, Adams later got into theater. At 16 years old, he performed at the Edinburgh Festival, an experience he described as “eye-opening.” He was later recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation and received the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award. Adams attended Dr. Phillips High School, a visual and performing arts school just across the street from Universal Studios. He described it as a vigorous and serious environment, one that set him up for a life in the arts. “I remember people thought Universal was building the sets for its theaters,” he said, “but it was actually the students.” These experiences expanded

Kenyon Victor Adams is the new director of the Louis Armstrong House in Corona.

his artistic purview. Not satisfied with one single discipline, Adams explored not just theater, but musical performance, songwriting and being a vocalist. “All of these felt native to me,” he said. As a graduate student at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where he later became an artist-inresidence, and at the Yale Divinity School, Adams further expanded his interdisciplinary artwork and thinking. He was surrounded by a community of poets, painters, philosophers, social critics, black liberation thinkers and Afrofuturists. While working as a musician and actor at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut, he met artistic legends who challenged him to be better. He learned from Willie Ruff, an accomplished jazz musician who specialized in the French horn and double bass. “Willie Ruff really was a big influence in terms of how I imagine jazz histories,” Adams said. “Everytime I’m with him, I learn

some new corner or story that is absolutely essential.” Perhaps the most impactful encounters were with playwright August Wilson, who “knocked the course of my life by challenging me in a very devastating way.” Although he only met Wilson twice in his life –– the second time at the opening of the play “Radio Golf” –– the playwright pushed him back into music and the blues. “He challenged me to basically take my own Great Migration, if you will, out of my southern sensibilities and southern purity about how I was imagining black music,” Adams said. “I felt that the southeast is where all AfricanAmerican music began, in a way, so the music there felt old to me, something I could trust.” Instead, Wilson told Adams to take his “imaginative journeys” to the cities, to places like Chicago. “He did this in a very stern way,” Adams said. “I still actually wince from it, but it was definitely loving. He obviously cared about my formation. And to take the time

with someone that he could’ve ignored was beautiful.” Taking up the challenge, Adams ended up in New York City for eight years, where he took part in the “artist hustle.” He played music as both a solo artist and a band leader, while working in theater to pay the bills. He also briefly worked in film, collaborating with the director Lee Isaac Chung. “Again, the interdisciplinary nature of film expanded my whole purview,” he said. “I started to become really much more interested in the visual than I had been.” But in the end, Adams said he was drawn back to folk singing and music again. At the same time, the Orlando native was starting to think about role of art and theology in society. His grandfather was a minister, so Adams said he always had a “theological bent.” “I tried to find every kind of community where I could have those conversations, every kind of artist, space, conference or book,” he said. “I was chasing it down.”

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

NONPROFIT NEWS

The Capital You Need. The Attention You Deserve.

Work is in full swing on the new Education and Performing Arts Center. It sits across the street from the Armstrong House.

In 2014, that chase took him back to Connecticut at the Grace Farms Foundation. A project led by Sharon Prince, Grace Farms was, in equal parts, a park, architectural site, social justice proposal, convening space and art space. It offered the type of interdisciplinary work that Adams was always interested in. As a consultant, he led the foundation’s arts initiative. In 2018, Michael Cogswell, the longtime executive director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, stepped down. The vacancy presented the “opportunity of a lifetime” that Adams could not pass up. He accepted the job earlier this year. Approaching his new role, Adams said he thought deeply about how to bring a towering figure of the 20th century into the 21st century. He said it required an “utterly contemporary approach.” “People are just thinking a whole new way,” he said. “Technologies have changed ways of constructing. Knowledge has changed, memory has changed.” When the Education and Performing Arts Center opens, Adams said, it will incorporate innovative technology and interactive exhibitions like touch-

tables and voice interactions. One of his top priorities will be making the museum and education center a neighborhood place, much like the house where Armstrong lived quietly all those years. He wants families and children to be drawn in, which isn’t always easy for a cultural center in a neighborhood where people are constantly working and moving. Part of that engagement is making sure the growing Latino community is part of the experience as well. “You’re not going to come here and somehow not be engaging Latinx histories,” he said. Adams’ other goal will be to invite great artists and innovators to see the archives for themselves. He noted that the country is the the midst of a renaissance for AfricanAmerican art, literature, dance and more. “This is an unprecedented time for black art,” he said. “And towering in the midst of it, fittingly, is the Louis Armstrong center.” He imagines when then visitors interact with the archives, they will glean from it the long histories of Louis Armstrong and what his life represented. “If you can just pick up one object, it’d be worthy of half a lifetime of reflection,” Adams said.

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EXPERT ADVICE

HOW CAN MY BUSINESS USE DIGITAL SIGNAGE?

FROM HOSPITALS TO HOTELS, THE TECHNOLOGY IS EVERYWHERE BY JEFF SCHICK Maybe you haven’t heard the phrase digital signage, but you have certainly seen it everywhere. It is the screens you see in your favorite fast food restaurants that tell you what’s on the menu. They are the building directories that help you find which office you need. They announce who won the latest game and alert you to potential hazards in public places. They also keep customers entertained while waiting in line and let them know who is next to be helped. They are in churches, syna-

gogues, hospitals, and hotels, they are in banks, airports and even at Little League games. So why is digital signage so popular? Because not only does it get your attention, it is easy to see and keep up to date with the most current information. They can be custom-designed and are environmentally friendly: no paper, no printing, no fuss. Because of all of this, they are the right choice for many businesses. So how do you get started? While many have access to a computer and PowerPoint, or some may buy or lease do-it-yourself software, digital signage is more

EDUCATION NETWORKING AT ENERGY TECH Energy Tech High School in partnership with Long Island City Partnership hosted its Annual Networking Fair on February 12 Now in its third year, the networking fair has become a milestone event for both students and businesses alike. Marshall Haimson, who chairs the Queens Chamber’s Energy Committee, was also in attendance. Laura Miller, manager of Industry & Business Initiatives at Energy Tech, along with students and staff, hosted a wide array of professional guests and organizations in the areas of engineering, architecture, construction, energy and technology. The morning began with a networking breakfast where guests learned about Energy Tech’s

unique model and ways to become involved with the school. Following a brief program, 400 students and guests enjoyed a 90 minutes of discussing career opportunities and entry-level focused programming. Students had the option of visiting a particular company’s booth or participating in “speed networking,” which allowed engagement with numerous organizations in a short period of time. This purpose of the event is to enable students to begin realizing the importance of professional networks to ensure their successful transition from high school to the real world. For more information or ways to get involved, visit energytechschool.org.

Digital signage is becoming increasingly popular for restaurants with a constantly rotating menu of daily offerings. complicated than simply using a program. To be effective, efficient and usable, it requires expertise in the technology as well as a strategic plan and the right information. Your tailored signage and media platforms responds to your specific needs. This is Sprite Media’s business. Not only do we provide the best technological products, but we know what to ask and how to accomplish your goals. Whether you need a menu board for your restaurant, want to provide entertainment in your waiting room, need a more accessible business directory, or want to provide up-todate information and news for your customers, we can help you accomplish your goals in the most attractive and effective ways possible. Additionally, if you want to change the signage and information regularly but are not on site, we can develop a product that lets you do it remotely. Whatever your specific needs, we can develop the digital display, signage, and media platforms that are right for you. Once upon

a time, high-quality digital signage was only accessible to very large companies. However, times and technology have changed, and equipment has gotten more reliable and less expensive. Sprite Media is on the cutting edge of the latest technology, so that we can serve every business, be it small or large, local or global, allowing them to have access to the best digital signage and high-end media platforms. As long-time experts in these fields, we also know that cost efficiency is important to all businesses, so you will find our pricing reflects our appreciation of keeping costs manageable. We at Sprite Media are happy to meet with you to discuss what kind of digital signage and media platforms will work best for your business, as well as the most efficient and cost-effective way to accomplish your goals. In addition, in this age of everchanging technology, we understand relationships matter and we value and serve all our customers with the view of maintaining longterm connections.

Jeff Schick is director of Technology at Sprite Media, Inc. Reach him at JeffSchick@Sprite-Media.com or (646) 893-8040. Sprite Media is located in Forest Hills, learn more at Sprite-Media.com.

St. Patrick’s Day

annual luncheon Celebrate Celtic traditions with great food and entertainment, corned beef and cabbage, live band, Irish step dancers, great networking and more…

Join Us For A Fun Filled Luncheon with Special Keynote Wednesday, March 13, 2019

LOCATION

Brian J. O’Dwyer is a native New Yorker who comes from a legendary New York Irish American family.

Antun’s

96-43 Springfield Blvd Queens Village, NY 11429

TIME

He is the son of the late Paul O’Dwyer, civil rights activist and President of New York City council from 1974 to 1979 and the nephew of The Honorable William O’Dwyer, former Mayor of New York.

11:30 am

Registration & Networking

12:00 Noon

Luncheon & Program

REGISTRATION AND SPONSORSHIP Emerald Isle Sponsor

$7,500

Pot of Gold Sponsor

$5,000

Four-Leaf Clover Sponsor

$2,500

Green Sponsor

$1,000

(20 Tickets and Remarks) (10 Tickets) (5 Tickets) (2 Tickets)

Individual Leprechaun Table of Ten Leprechauns

Dr. Brian John O’Dwyer, Esq.

$80

Dr. O’Dwyer was educated in the New York City public school system and graduated from the High School of Music and Art, now known as LaGuardia High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from The George Washington University and a Masters of Arts degree from Middlebury College in Madrid. He has Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University and a Masters degree in Law from The George Washington University. In July 2013 he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Dublin City University.

$750

Registration and Sponsorship 718.898.8500 ext 123

jpersad@queenschamber.org www.queenschamber.org

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COVER STORY IRISH-AMERICAN ADVOCATE TO KEYNOTE LUNCHEON BY BENJAMIN FANG Irish-American lawyer and advocate Brian O’Dwyer holds many titles and wears many hats. He’s a senior partner at O’Dwyer & Bernstein, LLP, a Manhattan law firm founded by his late father that focuses on personal injury, labor relations, commercial litigation and immigration. O’Dwyer is the founder of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, a Woodside-based organization that advocates for and serves immigrants in the area. In 2011, he was appointed as a commissioner of the United States National Commission for UNESCO by Hillary Clinton. He served as national president of his college fraternity, Kappa Sigma, and will soon chair the board of the CUNY Law School Foundation. On March 13, he will deliver the keynote speech at the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon at Antun’s in Queens Village. Three days later, O’Dwyer will walk down Fifth Avenue as the grand marshal of New York City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “It is the greatest honor that any Irish-American can have in this town,” he said. O’Dwyer is well known for his advocacy of immigrant causes. In addition to creating the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, O’Dwyer,

Attorney Brian O’Dwyer will be the featured speaker at the Chamber’s Annual St. Patrick’s Luncheon.

who has a master’s degree in Spanish-language literature, was a former chairman for the organization Asociación Tepeyac, which serves the city’s growing Mexican community. One of his most memorable achievements was convincing former Mayor Edward Koch to allow all immigrants, regardless of documentation status, to enroll in the city’s public university system.

O’Dwyer said immigrants rights are important to him because he comes from a family of immigrants. “They came here, worked hard, did well and availed themselves of the support systems that were around them,” he said. “They made a better life for themselves, and made this city and state a much better place.” His father, Paul O’Dwyer, served in the City Council and was the Democratic nominee for the Senate in 1968. His uncle, William O’Dwyer, was New York City’s 100th mayor. “It’s a passion of mine to understand that immigrants deserve not just to be tolerated, or certainly not discriminated against,” he added, “but we ought to celebrate our immigrant heritage in this town.”

“IMMIGRANTS THESE DAYS DON’T HAVE

JUST ONE PROBLEM. IF THEY’RE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THEIR STATUS, THEY’RE ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR JOBS. AND IN MANY CASES, THEY’RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ANXIETY.

”

While the general debate about immigration in the country largely focuses on Latin America or Asia, O’Dwyer wants to change that perception to include immigrants from all parts of the world, including Ireland. Irish immigration to the United States has almost “shut down,” he said, with less than 500 visas issued annually over the last few years. “We’re losing, in a lot of ways, this interchange between Ireland and the United States that has enriched both countries,” he said. “We need to change that dramatically.’ Many Irish immigrants living in the country are now undocumented, having overstayed their visas. Before the election of Donald Trump, they were mostly able to get by and make a good living. “Lately though, like every other immigrant group, they’ve been feeling the lash of the Trump administration,” he said. That’s why the Emerald Isle Immigration Center is so important. Located in the heart of a predominantly immigrant neigh-

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

COVER STORY borhood, the organization provides citizenship classes, legal counseling and even social work. O’Dwyer describes the center as a “one-stop shop” for all immigrants. “Immigrants these days don’t have just one problem,” he said. “If they’re having a problem with their status, they’re also having problems with their jobs. And in many cases, they’re having problems with anxiety. “We can’t just deal with one facet of their problems, we have to deal with the whole person,” O’Dwyer added. “The community has changed, but the problems haven’t.” In addition to his advocacy on immigration, O’Dwyer has played an important role pursuing peace and diplomacy for the Irish people. He was a member of the delegation under the Bill Clinton administration that brokered the Good Friday Agreement during the late 1990s in Northern Ireland. As a liaison between the White

House and the Irish-American community, O’Dwyer said his job was to meet with community leaders and assure them that the Clinton administration had their best interest at heart. It wasn’t easy, considering that the peace accord had facets that were “difficult for this community to deal with.” “Like all compromises, you have to give up something,” he said. “There’s nothing perfect about it, but the two communities are living peacefully and co-existing.” O’Dwyer said those trips and meetings were “probably the most exciting part” of his life. Looking back two decades later, he can see the impact of the peace agreement. “The most tangible result is that every single night, an Irish mother can go to bed knowing that her son is going to come home that night,” he said. As grand marshal, O’Dwyer has the platform to speak out about issues he cares deeply about. Other than immigration, he has also dis-

cussed the impact of Brexit on Irish-British relations. O’Dwyer recalled that when he traveled to Ireland during the conflict, there was a “big, ugly guardpost” at the border. He remembered being stopped, and a soldier pointing a gun to his head before he even had a chance to explain himself. After the Good Friday Agreement, those measures were removed. But now that Great Britain is threatening to leave the European Union, O’Dwyer said there’s a chance that border is restored. If there is a Brexit, he said the next step would be for the British to negotiate trade agreements with various countries, including the United States. “We made it very clear that the full force of Irish America is going to come down on them,” he said. “And there will be no trade agreement with Britain unless, and until, they make sure that border is gone.” Since he was named grand marshal, O’Dwyer said he’s already attended about 30 St. Patrick’s Day

events, including meet-and-greets with various county and Irish organizations throughout the tristate area. He expects to do another 40 events leading up to the parade. Although he will be marching in the front with elected officials, clergy leaders and other dignitaries, he will have a “Family and Friends” contingent as well. That group includes about 100 family members flying in from Dublin to join the festivities. The only downside of being grand marshal, O’Dwyer said, is that he won’t get to march with his nine-year-old granddaughter. He’s made it an annual tradition to walk side-by-side with her every year. “If there’s one person terribly unhappy in this town, it’s her,” he said. But as the big day approaches, O’Dwyer is excited to represent the Irish-American community at one of the most celebrated events in New York City. “I’m having the time of my life,” he said.

Event Spaces Carnesecca Arena

Marillac Auditorium

Special Pricing for QCC Members!

“Modern Spaces, Easy Parking, Attentive, Caring Hosts”

Call Cheryl for a quote today!

718-990-2027 stjohns.edu/conference-services

Taffner Field House

D’Angelo Center Ballroom

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KATZ TALKS BIG PROJECTS AT BREAKFAST BY BENJAMIN FANG The Queens Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual breakfast with Borough President Melinda Katz and members of the Queens Borough Cabinet on February 13 at Antun’s of Queens Village. Over 400 attendees had the chance to speak with key administrators and members of the borough president’s team, as well as meet the district managers of the 14 community boards in the borough. Katz spoke about several economic development projects taking root in Queens, including the $153 million Jamaica Now Action Plan and the $13 billion overhaul of John F. Kennedy International Airport. The borough president said the economic activity and potential of the Rockaways is “great,” and attributed part of that success to the expansion of the ferry system. She also touched on the long-term development of a new neighborhood at Willets Point, which is being planned by a task force headed by Katz and Councilman Francisco Moya. “At the end of the day, we are making progress,” Katz said. The first six acres will be affordable housing, and the next 17 acres will be for mixed-use pur-

PHOTO: DOMINICK TOTINO

poses, including a potential new soccer stadium. “They’re working with the developers right now to figure out what the best path is,” she said. “We hope to have an update on that soon.”

The remaining 38 acres in the 61-acre neighborhood have not been bought by the city yet, the borough president said. “Stay tuned on that,” Katz said.

March 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Volume 15 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 3

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Pictured at the Borough President Breakfast event are (1) Mike Pitera of Weeks Lerman Group, Jill Kaye; (2) Neil Levin, Salvatore Crifasi; (3) Marita Neyra, Richard Samuel Ortiz; (4) Brian Browne, Ray Irrera; (5) Odysseas Odysseos, Florence Koulouris; (6) Michael Wang, Lourdes Villanueva Hartrick; (7) Officer Martin Morales, Officer, Ben Marino; (8) Anabelle Acosta, John M. Comack of JGM Construction; (9) Ruby Muhammad and Malikah K. Shabazz.

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5 15

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QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS

MIXING BUSINESS WITH COLLEGE HOOPS BY BENJAMIN FANG Nearly 100 business and community leaders gathered at St. John’s University for a networking event on the night of February 28. The convening took place prior to St. John’s men’s basketball team’s final home game of the season against Xavier. Hosted by BQE Media in connection with the Queens Chamber of Commerce and This Is Queensborough magazine, the networking event was sponsored by Maspeth Federal Savings, Zara Realty and Petro Home Services. Chip NYC and Aigner Chocolates provided desserts for attendees. The Johnnies’ new athletic director Mike Cragg, spoke about his recent move to Queens four months ago. Cragg spent 31 years at Duke University. “This is an extremely welcoming and inclusive community,” he said. “That’s what appealed to my wife and I from the beginning.” Cragg lived on campus for the first three months, with his home literally facing the Grand Central Parkway. Now he lives in Forest Hills. “I got used to the noise of the traffic,” he said. Cragg said St. John’s is on the brink of a special season, particularly after beating

Villanova in Madison Square Garden earlier this year. They’re strong contenders to enter the NCAA Tournament in March. “That’s the dream,” he said. “That’s what we want at St. John’s want, playing in MSG, playing in the Big East and the ultimate dream of playing for a national championship.” He praised the team for playing hard and being good teammates. “They have fun playing,” Cragg said. “That’s been part of the growing maturity of this group.” Several business leaders from Maspeth Federal Savings, Colliers International and Petro Home Services spoke at the networking event as well. Thomas Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, shared with attendees that a coalition of business and civic leaders has been working behind the scenes to get Amazon to revisit its recently dropped proposal to open a new headquarters in Long Island City. Governor Andrew Cuomo been quoted in the press as saying that he’s been talking to Amazon executives about making a possible return to Queens. Grech said the 25,000 jobs that Amazon would have created is too good to pass up. “My members were dying for this opportunity,” he said.

Pictured is Tom Rudzewick of Maspeth Federal Savings and (left column, from top) St. John’s Athletic Director Mike Cragg, John Plotka from Colliers International, and Rob DiBona of Petro Home Services.

Join the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the business community for Queens Day in Albany 2019! Media Sponsor

Tuesday, March 19, 2019 Bus transportation provided from Queens Chamber of Commerce, Bulova Corporate Center

75-20 Astoria Boulevard Jackson Heights, NY 11370

Full day agenda includes • Transportation, Breakfast, Lunch & Food tasting included • Meet and Greet the Queens Assembly and Senate delegation

6:30 AM: Check in and board buses with complimentary continental breakfast served en route 10:00 AM: Arrival and meetings with Legislators 1:00 PM Complimentary Lunch with remarks by special guest speaker 2:30 PM Introduction on the Assembly and Senate floor by Queens delegation Leadership 4:00 PM Group photos in Capitol 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Reception in Hart Lounge in the Egg provided by Queens food & drink purveyors with remarks by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz 7:30 PM Buses Depart for Bulova Corporate Center QCC is a 501 (c)(6) organization. See tax consultant if a portion of your contribution is-tax-deductible

• Tours of the majestic Capitol Building and Legislative Chambers • Sample some of the finest of Queens’ food and drink purveyors

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Presenting Sponsor..............................$10,000 includes remarks, inclusion in swag bags, 20 bus tickets

Platinum Sponsor...................................$7,500 inclusion in swag bags, 15 bus tickets

Gold Sponsor..........................................$5,000 inclusion in swag bags, 10 bus tickets

Silver Sponsor........................................$2,500 5 bus tickets

Bronze Sponsor......................................$1,000 2 bus tickets

Bus Ticket....................................................$25 1 bus ticket with breakfast, lunch and all events

Space is limited; RSVP a must! Register Online

718.898.8500 ext 123 jpersad@queenschamber.org | www.queenschamber.org

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QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS

EXPERTS DISCUSS OPPORTUNITY ZONES BY BENJAMIN FANG When the Trump administration passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, lawmakers included in the legislation a new program meant to spur investments in low-income areas. Known as Opportunity Zones, the program incentivizes investors to invest any type of capital gain into qualified projects in a census tract with an individual poverty rate of at least 20 percent. In exchange, investors can receive certain tax benefits. On February 28, the Queens Chamber of Commerce assembled a panel of real estate experts at SpringHill Suites by Marriott New York in East Elmhurst to discuss the implications of the program. According to Brad Polizzano, senior manager at Baker Tilly, the tax benefit depends on how long investors hold their investment in the opportunity zone. Investors can receive a temporary deferral of tax on capital gains

if they reinvest the funds into a qualified Opportunity Fund within 180 days of the sale. The deferral on that capital gain ends on December 31, 2026. If the investment in the project is held for five years, 10 percent of the original capital gain is eliminated. If the investor holds onto it for seven years, 15 percent of the gain is eliminated. The ultimate goal, however, is for investors to keep their investments for at least 10 years. When that happens, any appreciation on the capital gain is “fully tax free,” Polizzano said. Rubin Isak, partner at Goldenwood Property Advisors, said the program opens up investment opportunities for those who don’t already own real estate. “It just opens it up to a whole slew of new investment strategies,” he said. New York State recommended 514 census tracts to be designated as Opportunity Zones, including 63 in Queens alone. Those areas

include parts of Astoria and Long Island City, Flushing, Jamaica, Far Rockaway and the communities surrounding JFK Airport. “Willets Point is not in it,” noted Sean Crowley, a partner at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP. “You would think it is.” Despite being rolled out less than a year ago, investors don’t have much time to invest in an Opportunity Fund. They have until just the end of 2019 to meet the seven-year holding period to receive the 15 percent reduction. The experts also expressed hesitation on moving forward until the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues more guidance. According to Crowley, more details are expected to come out in March. “There’s a lot of pause to jump in right now because the IRS hasn’t finalized the regulations,” Polizzano said. For example, there are penalties involved in the legislation, but that hasn’t been clarified yet.

Isak said he has seen at least three significant sales in Opportunity Zones so far, all of them in Long Island City. But he noted that the western Queens neighborhood has seen an “uptrend” anyway, with or without the program. “No real significant impact yet,” he said. The panelists said investment decisions should be made based on the real estate deal first, and the tax consequences second. “Developers will still build their buildings if they make sense,” Isak said. Crowley said many Queens elected officials, including Congress members Gregory Meeks, Carolyn Maloney and Hakeem Jeffries, need to hear constituents’ thoughts on enhancing the program. In particular, panelists said they federal government should move the dates back. “If you have some ideas, now is the time to raise them,” Crowley said, “especially about time flexibility issues.”

The panelists for the event were (left to right) Rubin Isak from Goldenwood Property Advisors, Sean Crowley of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, John Petras of RockFarmer, Brad Polizzano of Baker Tilly, and Michael Wang of Politan Real Estate.

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

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July 2018 . Volume 14 . Issue 7

MASPETH FEDERAL

BANKING IN ...AND ON...

COMMUNITIES

MARKETING THE EXPERIENCE AT QUEENS CENTER MALL “We’re really a community company that happens to do some banking.” PRESIDENT & CEO THOMAS RUDZEWICK

PAGES OF COVERAGE OF THE QUEENS CHAMBER BUSINESS EXPO

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August 2018 . Volume 14 . Issue 8

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METTLE

THE WOMAN BREAKING GENDER STEREOTYPES AT CITY SCRAP METAL IN LONG ISLAND CITY CHAMBER TAKES TO THE SEAS FOR ANNUAL NETWORKING EVENT

OWNER AND PRESIDENT MICHELE ROTHMAN

Profiling Queens’ Most Dynamic People. They read it.... so should you!

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To subscribe to this monthly, glossy magazine, visit thisisqueensborough.com or call BQE Media at 718-426-7200. To place an ad, call BQE Media at 718-426-7200 19

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MARCH ON: TEN FUN THINGS TO DO IN QUEENS THIS MONTH It’s March, a month named after the Roman god of war. There’s not much hostility in Queens, though the borough is playing host to an international film festival, a Chinese circus, a Beethoven fest, a unique Peter Pan, and some mystical dance. And in a clear sign of the times, NYC Audubon comes to town to watch birds. 10. March 16, Beethoven Meets Stradivarius, 2 pm. Violin, cello, and piano for an all-Beethoven program featuring his beloved “Spring Sonata” and “Archduke Trio.” The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills, musicareginae.org. 9. March 30, Bird Walk with NYC Audubon, 9:30 am. Join NYC Audubon experts as they spot and identify creatures of flight. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, queensbotanical.org. 8. March 17, Tales from the Shed, 1 & 3 pm. Lion Down and his puppet friends take the audience on an epic journey with stories, songs, and dancing. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, queenstheatre.org. 7. March 31, From W.C. Fields to Goodfellas, 2:30 pm. Jason Antos, the author of six books on the borough, lectures on the KORESH DANCE COMPANY

motion picture industry in Queens. Since 1900, the borough has hosted various movie studios. Some of Hollywood’s earliest superstars lived here before the days of Beverly Hills and Malibu. Queens Historical Society, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, queenshistoricalsociety. org. 6. March 16-17, Koresh Dance Company. This troupe presents “Inner Sun,” which illuminates the stage with joy as the dancers move from sweeping circles to strong stage formations using body percussion, gestures, and rhythms. Schedule: March 16 at 2 pm (audience talkback) and 8 pm; and March 17 at 3 pm (audio description). Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, queenstheatre.org. 5. March 31, The Platters with Special Guest Bradd Marquis, 3 pm. One of the most successful vocal groups of all time with 40 Billboard Hot 100 singles, The Platters are as popular today as they were when they first burst onto the world stage 50 years ago. Special guest Bradd Marquis presents a tribute to Sam Cooke by doing a selection of his songs, including “You Send Me” and “Twistin’ The Night Away.” Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, 34-24 203rd

PETER PAN

St., Flushing, visitqpac.org. 4. March 23, New Shanghai Circus, 3 pm. Acrobats, jugglers, and contortionists defy gravity, shock the senses, and stretch the limits of human ability in a show that draws on 2,000 years of circus traditions. Queens College’s Colden Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing, kupferbergcenter. org. 3. March 8-17, Island of the Hungry Ghosts. Various screenings of the exclusive New York engagement of Gabrielle Brady’s debut that won Best Documentary at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Therapist Poh Lin Lee supports

asylum seekers in a high-security detention center in the Australian territory of Christmas Island. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District, movingimage.us. 2. March 24, Peter Pan, 1 pm (workshop) & 2:15 pm (show). The British companies tutti frutti and the York Theatre Royal offer “Underneath a Magical Moon: A Reimagining of Peter Pan.” Told through the eyes of Wendy Darling, this version transports the audience into a Neverland filled with live music, intricate dance movements, and beautiful visuals. Wendy and her brothers fly, fight, swim, and sail, while contemplating childhood, growing up, and the future. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., flushingtownhall.org. 1. March 21-31, Queens World Film Festival. This ninth annual extravaganza screens more than 200 movies from 31 nations. The lineup includes 16 world premieres, 79 films by women, 14 with LGBTQ themes, 15 by Asian filmmakers, and six by children. Two locations in Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District: Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave.; and Zukor Theatre, 35th Street between 34th and 35th avenues, queensworldfilmfestival.com. The monthly “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council. More info at www.itsinqueens.com.

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

QUEENSBOROUGH CALENDAR OF EVENTS MARCH 3/5, 5 PM

FIRST-HAND BUSINESS RESOURCES

Learn about special assistance to nonprofit organizations, Small business owners, home and commercial buyers, as well as finance fundamentals for your small business in Queens. FREE Register at queenschamber.org Investors Bank 103-42 Lefferts Boulevard Richmond Hill, NY 11419 3/7, 9 AM

OPEN HOUSE AND BUSINESS BREAKFAST

Enjoy breakfast and learn about a large selection of construction training programs. Meet and greet other members of the construction industry FREE Register at queenschamber.org Andromeda Academy of Construction Trades 49-27 31st Street Long Island City, NY 11101

City agencies offering valuable information on new regulations. FREE Register at queenschamber.org Aloft New York LaGuardia Airport 100-15 Ditmars Boulevard East Elmhurst, NY 11369 3/26, 2 PM

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE MTA

Learn how to enroll in the awardwinning MTA Small Business Development Program with program manager Nadir Jones. FREE Register at queenschamber.org Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Boulevard Jackson Heights, NY 11370 3/29, 9 AM

JOB FAIR

If you are looking for a career in healthcare, finance, IT, education, social services, hospitality, or the culinary arts this event is for you. Commonpoint Queens 67-09 108th Street

APRIL Forest Hills, NY 11375 4/3, 2 PM

MICRO-LOANS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Come and learn how you can get loans from $10,000 to $100,000 with low interest rate for your business with Paolo Garcia, vice president for the New York Business Development Corporation. FREE Register at queenschamber.org Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Boulevard Jackson Heights, NY 11370

MAY 5/8, 10 AM

WORKSHOP: HOW TO RAISE MONEY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Improve your knowledge to make better revenues and expose your product to a bigger clientele. FREE Register at queenschamber.org Business Center for New Americans 78-27 37th Avenue, Suite 1 Jackson Heights, NY 11370 5/16, 10 AM

QUEENS CHAMBER BUSINESS EXPO

Meet decision makers, generate leads and develop prosperous business relationships. Citi Field 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue Flushing, NY 11368

3/13, 11:30 AM

2019 ST. PATRICK’S DAY LUNCHEON

Celebrate Celtic traditions in New York City with keynote speaker Brian O’Dwyer. Register at queenschamber.org Antun’s 96-43 Springfield Blvd. Queens, Village, NY 11429 3/19, ALL DAY

QUEENS DAY IN ALBANY

A meet-and-greet with the Queens Assembly and Senate delegation, tours of the Capitol and Chambers, and a cocktail reception/food sampling of the finest Queens’ food and drink purveyors. Register at queenschamber.org State Street Downtown Albany 3/21, 11 AM to 2 PM

BALANCING LIFE AND BUSINESS

Light luncheon and a selected group of exhibitors and New York

Early-bird registration is already underway for the Queens Chamber Business Expo, which will take place on May 16 at Citi Field. Learn more at queenschamber.org.

For any registration or more information on these events or any other events please call us at 718.898.8500 or visit us on the web queenschamber.org

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Business Expo BIGGER BOLDER BETTER Queens QUEENSand CHAMBER & AFFILIATES LuncheonPARTNERS 2019 Chamber Thursday May 16, 2019 Citi Field 123-01 Roosevelt Ave Queens, NY 11368 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE Don't miss this opportunity to have your company at the biggest event in Queens County! T housands of people attend this show every year to exhibit and meet the companies that call the world's borough home.

Space is limited so book your table today!

To request an invoice e-mail jpersad@queenschamber.org

Queens Business Expo and Luncheon 2019 Business Expo Table

(Member Rate)...........................................................$695

Business Expo Table (Future-Member Rate).................................................$795 Non-Profit Organizations Table ..............................................................$245 Electricity (If your table requires electricity an additional fee is required) ............... $75 Luncheon ...................................................................................................$125 You may charge $ _

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_ to my

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- Enclosed is a check for$_______ _ _ _

Please make checks payable to :Queens Chamber of Commerce Mail to: Queens Chamber of Commerce, 75-20 Astoria Blvd. Suite 140 Jackson Heights, NY 11370

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Call: 718.898.8500 I Email: jpersad@queenschamber.org I Register: www.queenschamber.org

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS

PUSH FOR LIRR STATION IN SUNNYSIDE BY BENJAMIN FANG With Long Island City growing at a rapid pace and Amazon potentially on its way, elected officials and community leaders are calling on the state to open a new Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station in western Queens. On Monday, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney requested that the MTA follow through on its promise of creating a transportation hub in Long Island City. According to the congresswoman, a LIRR station at the Sunnyside rail yard was supposed to be part of the original East Side Access proposal. The MTA even completed an environmental impact statement on the project in March 2001 that said it would include the station, she said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Queens Chamber CEO & President Thomas Grech with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney in Sunnyside.

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QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES 82ND STREET PARTNERSHIP

37-06 82nd Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Executive Director: Leslie Ramos 718.335.9421 82ndstreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $224,000 with more than 200 businesses under its umbrella. The district is on 82nd Street from 37th Avenue to Baxter Avenue. The board meets quarterly with the annual meeting in June. There are free immigration services every Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 71-29 Roosevelt Avenue. All services are free, confidential and open to any member of the community. Some of the services include DACA, TPS and document replacement and renewal. Call (212) 652-2071 with any questions. Recently, Queens Council on The Arts commissioned eight Queens-based artists to create temporary public artworks throughout Jackson Heights through their first ever, public art commissioning program, ArtSite.

BAYSIDE VILLAGE BID

213-33 39th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11361 Executive Director: Christine Siletti 718.423.2434 info@baysidevillagebid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $218,000 and over 350 members. Founded in 2007, the BID includes commercial property owners and residents on Bell Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, as well as a block east and west on 41st Avenue.

BUSINESS CENTER FOR NEW AMERICANS (BCNA)

78-27 37 Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Business Development: Tshering Gurung 347.730.6468 tgurung@nycbcna.org QUICK GLANCE: Since 1997, BCNA has been serving New York City entrepreneurs. BCNA is an approved Small Business Administration Intermediary Lender and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). BCNA’s Microloan program is the cornerstone of its services. They provide small business loans and microloans to business owners who are not able to obtain loans from traditional lenders.

FOREST HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PO Box 751123, Forest Hills, NY 11375 President: Leslie Brown 718.268.6565 FHChamber11375@gmail.com FHChamber@aol.com QUICK GLANCE: Re-formed in 1995, the group has over 225 members. Chamber meetings are held on the last

Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. at the West Side Tennis Club, 1 Tennis Place, in Forest Hills. This month’s meeting will take place on March 27.

GATEWAY JFK

Executive Director: Scott Grimm-Lyon info@GatewayJFK.org GatewayJFK.org QUICK GLANCE: Formerly the Greater JFK Industrial BID and founded in 2016, the group seeks to provide support to the off-airport air cargo and services district through supplemental services and improvements, technical and professional services for its members, and advocacy and administration. In January, members of the Queens Community Board 13 Economic Development Committee took a tour of GatewayJFK. Topics discussed included beautification efforts and the new sanitation contract. In January, GatewayJFK partnered with engineering firm Philip Habib & Associates to being work on Phase 1 in the development of a comprehensive transportation plan. The plan will evaluate the ways in which businesses, employees and residents use local streets then will make recommendations on how to improve mobility, alleviate traffic congestion, improve safety, find solutions for truck circulation and overnight parking and develop more parking for employees and residents. The firm will conduct a survey to gain input from people who live, work and own businesses around the area. GatewayJFK is seeking sponsors for banners on Rockaway Boulevard. Participating sponsors will have their logo displayed on the lower portion of the banners for one full-year. Sponsoring the banner will cost $1,000, but sponsoring three or more banners costs $750 per banner. Sponsors have the chance to make 57,000-plus daily impressions if located in the southern section of the district, and 24,000-plus in the northern section. If interested, contact GatewayJFK at 516-730-3400 or scott@gatewayjfk.org.

GREATER FLUSHING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

39-01 Main Street, Suite 511, Flushing NY 11354 Executive Director: John Choe john@flushingchamber.nyc 646.783.8985 flushingchamber.nyc QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 2014 and representing over 200 businesses. Upcoming Events include: • March 6 at Noon - Google Livestream Viewing Party: Give Your Website a Refresh - The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce will partner with Kenvic Training to host a livestream workshop on refreshing your website as part of your spring clean-

ing to-do list. Kenvic Training, 36-57 Main St., 2nd Floor. • March 28 at 5 PM - Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Membership Meeting - The annual meeting will consist of networking with Chamber members, elected officials, and business leaders. During this meeting, the Chamber will provide any updates, review our agenda, elect new board members, and approve our advocacy agenda. St. George’s Church, 135-32 38th Ave.

GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

90-04 161st Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 President: Hope Knight 718.291.0282 gjdc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1967, the group has 75 members. GJDC’s work expands economic opportunity and improves quality of life for the ethnically and economically diverse residents of Jamaica and for the region at large, which benefits from rational, wellplanned, and sustainable metropolitan growth.

GREATER WOODHAVEN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WOODHAVEN BID

84-01 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven NY 11421 718.805.0202 gwdcbid@hotmail.com woodhavenbid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $257,000 with more than 350 businesses under its umbrella. On Jamaica Avenue from Dexter Court to 100th Street, the BID features six supermarkets. They are providing free benches for store owners along Jamaica Avenue. They also provide 2.5 and 5 percent home improvement loans.

JAMAICA CENTER BID

161-10 Jamaica Avenue, Suite 419 Jamaica, NY 11432 Executive Director: Whitney Barrat 718.526.2422 jamaica.nyc @JamCenterBID (Twitter) @jamcenterbid (Instagram) @Jamaica Center BID (Facebook) QUICK GLANCE: Budget of over $1 million. Founded in 1979, the Jamaica Center BID serves over 400 businesses on Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 169th Street. The BID’s goal is to promote and maintain Downtown Jamaica as a thriving business hub and an enjoyable destination to shop, work, live and visit. The BID’s sanitation team is out on Jamaica Avenue 360 days a year. The BID offers marketing and promotion for the district, including a value card program, banner and rubbish bin sponsorship opportunities, and supports business own-

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES ers in opening or expanding their operations. The BID is the proud recipient of a three-year, $300,000 Avenue NYC grant and is currently conducting a Commercial District Needs Assessment (CDNA), which will inform future programing.

JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

616 Duke Street, Westbury, NY 11590 Executive Director: Mercedes Altman 516.492.0513 jfkairportchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the group has over 200 members. JFK Airport is the only airport in the country to have its own chamber of commerce wholly dedicated to the airport business community, which employs 35,000 people. The airport handles more than 50 million passengers a year, using almost a half-million square feet of warehouse space to handle more than a million tons of air freight cargo a year. Upcoming events include: • March 13, 8:30 to 10 AM - JFK Chamber of Commerce General Monthly Meeting - Monthly meeting with light breakfast to be served. Guests are welcome, but must RSVP to JFKCoCExec@ gmail.com. JFK International Airport, Building

14, Conference Room A. • March 20, 11:30 AM to 2 PM - JFK Chamber of Commerce Luncheon - Join guest speaker Eli Dourado, head of Global Policy and Communications at Boom Supersonic. RSVP required. Russo’s on the Bay, 162-45 Cross Bay Blvd.

LONG ISLAND CITY PARTNERSHIP

President: Elizabeth Lusskin 718.786.5300 longislandcityqueens.com Founded in 1979, the Long Island City Partnership advocates for economic development that benefits LIC’s industrial, commercial, cultural and residential sectors. The goal is to attract new businesses to the neigh-

borhood, retain those already here, welcome new residents and visitors, and promote a vibrant and authentic mixed-use community. The LIC Partnership operates the LIC Business Improvement District and the LIC Industrial Business Zone. The Partnership is already planning its Annual Real Estate Breakfast. This year’s event will take place on April 4 and will be moderated by David Brause of Brause Realty. And on May 12, the partnership will host LIC Springs! Celebrate the best of Long Island City at this annual street fair that spreads through almost six blocks. Vendors, booths, performances and more are planned!

MASPETH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. Box 780265, Maspeth, NY 11378 President: David Daraio 718.335.1300 maspethchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1953, they have 120 members and a budget of $115,000. Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 12 p.m. - Maspeth Chamber of Commerce’s monthly meeting will take place at Connolly’s Corner at 71-15 Grand Avenue.

Continue a Chocolate Tradition, or Start a New One

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QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES MASPETH INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (MIBA)

BOC: 96-11 40th Road, Corona, NY 11368 Coordinator: Quincy Ely-Cate 718.205.3773 qelycate@bocnet.org mibanyc.org QUICK GLANCE: Roughly 600 businesses with 30 active members. The Maspeth Industrial Business Association, a project of the Business Outreach Center Network, provides a collective voice in advocating the needs and interests of industrial and manufacturing businesses in Maspeth. They help companies in the Maspeth Industrial District in developing workforce, accessing tax credits, obtaining financing, navigating government regulations and, in some cases, finding real estate.

MIDDLE VILLAGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

79-47 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village, NY 11379 President: Salvatore Crifasi 718.894.8700 Sal@Crifasi.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $8,000 with 35 businesses under its umbrella. Formed in 1929. MVCC meets annually and focuses on the Metropolitan Avenue shopping district between 69 and 80th streets. Annual membership fee is $150, and they are looking to gain momentum through attracting new members. The mission is to improve the area and assist local businesses if they have any concerns or needs.

MYRTLE AVENUE BID

62-14 Myrtle Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385 Executive Director: Ted Renz 718.366.3806 QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $500,000 with over 300 retail and service businesses under its purview. Board meetings are held four times a year with the annual meeting in June. The district includes Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood between Fresh Pond Road and Wyckoff Avenue. Program support is provided by the Ridgewood LDC. One of the longest running BIDs is also one of the more innovative in its approach to helping maintain an active business corridor by helping landlords rent vacant properties. The website ridgewood-ny.com shows properties that are currently for rent in the district. The BID has also been involved in a zoning initiative for Myrtle Avenue. Executive Director Ted Renz is working with, and has the approval of the community board, to preserve the integrity of the business feel of Myrtle Avenue by making it a special zoning district. City Planning is looking at the request now. The plan seeks to keep the look of the

two- and three-story commercial infrastructure in tact. From March 14 to 17, the BID will host Spring Sidewalk Sale Days. BID merchants on Myrtle Avenue and adjacent side streets from Fresh Pond Road to Wyckoff Avenue will display their merchandise in front of their businesses.

QUEENS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

12-55 Queens Boulevard, Room 309 Kew Gardens, NY 11424 Executive Director: Seth Bornstein 718.263.0546 queensny.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $1.5 million and a resource for over 2,000 businesses in the borough of Queens. Funded by Department of Small Business Services, they strive to create and retain jobs via programs that grow neighborhoods and assist small businesses. QEDC assists by providing one-on-one consultations, hosting workshops, operating training courses and networking events. Upcoming events include: March 5, 6-7:30 PM - New Idea to New Venture Workshop - This workshop helps participants develop their business idea, organize their start-up process and create a strategy to launch their business. It also covers key elements of how to start a business including: financing, business registration, permit & licenses, and tax related issues. Learn how to setup a company and avoid missteps that can cost you time and money. WeWork, 27-01 Queens Plaza N, 13th Floor. • March 5, 6:30 PM - I Have a Food Product. Now What? - This is the second of six classes which focuses on branding essentials and finding your niche and creating a brand experience. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th St. • March 13, 6:30 PM - I Have a Food Product. Now What? - This is the third of six classes which focuses on packaging essentials showing how your product looks is an extension of your brand. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th St. • March 15, 8-10 AM - Business Forum Breakfast: Communication, Technology, and the Law - A panel discussion including moderator Judith MassisSanchez of Queens College and speakers including Sara Radicati, Founder and CEO of Radicati Group INC. Queens College Student Union Ballroom, 65-30 Kissena Blvd.

• March 20, 6:30 PM - I Have a Food Product. Now What? - This is the fourth of six classes which focuses on sales and marketing essentials including key elements to a profit-generating website and more. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th St. • March 25, 6-8 PM - Spring Networking Event - Come enjoy a great night with great company. In honor of Women’s History Month, female entrepreneurs will be highlighted while fostering connections with businesses in the community. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave. • March 27, 6:30 PM - I Have a Food Product. Now What? - This is the fifth of six classes which focuses on exhibiting essentials and how to get offline and meet customers in real life at markets and shows. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th St. • March 28, 10 AM - 12 PM - Doing Business With The Government: Getting M/WBE Certified with NYC & NYS - Learn about getting certified as a Minority/Woman Business Enterprise with NYC & NYS, what you will need to do to obtain government contracts, and how you can leverage your certification to get more business. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th St.

ROCKAWAY BUSINESS ALLIANCE

info@rockawaybusinessalliance.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $40,000 and a resource for over 200 businesses. The Rockaway Business Alliance was founded in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. RBA’s vision is to create business corridors that are clean, safe, and welcoming, with shopping, dining, attractions, and engagement for the local community and the visitors drawn to Rockaway’s beaches and open spaces. RBA seeks to create and curate an inviting atmosphere for all to enjoy year round.

ROCKAWAY DEVELOPMENT & REVITALIZATION CORPORATION

1920 Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 President: Kevin Alexander 718.327.5300 www.rdrc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the group has 30 members. Founded in 1978, the Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation (RDRC) was established to promote the revitalization of the Rockaway’s economic base and neighborhoods by creating longstanding partnerships with city and state agencies. RDRC is governed by a twelve-member board of directors and a five-member merchant advisory board. RDRC’s current city and state collaborations include the Downtown Far Rockaway Storefront Improvement Program, The Downtown Far Rockaway Public Wi-Fi Project, The Rockaway East Workforce Development Program and most recently, the planned $288,000,000 Downtown Far Rockaway Redevelopment Project. With over 250 businesses and 61,000 or 53 per-

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES cent of the Rockaway’s entire population living within 2 miles of downtown Far Rockaway, one of RDRC’s goals is to reduce the over $91 million in market leakage to neighboring downtown shopping districts. To address this challenge, in 2014 RDRC rejuvenated the Rockaway East Merchants Association (REMA). Today with RDRC as its administrator, REMA membership now includes 40-plus local businesses with an active calendar of events that includes an annual merchant’s fair, talent show, fashion event, holiday tree lighting and live concerts. REMA membership meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month at 1 p.m. at RDRC, located at 1920 Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway.

The BID’s vision is to make Steinway Street user friendly, while highlighting the local businesses on the street and bringing together the Astoria community in a positive way.

STEINWAY ASTORIA PARTNERSHIP BID

SUNNYSIDE SHINES

25-69 38th Street, Suite 1C, Astoria 11103 Executive Director: Marie Torniali 718.728.7820 info@steinwaystreet.nyc steinwaystreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1991, the BID has over 300 members. Board meetings are held seven times a year.

SUNNYSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PO Box 4399, Sunnyside, NY 11104 President: Patricia Dorfman 718.729.4688 www.sunnyside-chamber.org QUICK GLANCE: Annual budget of $55,000. The chamber is an organization built around assisting and helping local business and professionals by providing resources to increase business, safety and historical preservation. 45-56 43rd Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104 Executive Director: Jaime-Faye Beam 718.606.1800 director@sunnysideshines.org sunnysideshines.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $480,000 with more than 250 businesses under its umbrella. The BID is still looking for sponsors for Sunnyside Street Banners along Queens Boulevard

and Greenpoint Avenue. There are still a number of locations still available, call the office for more info. Companies that are not located in Sunnyside are invited to participate as well. Sponsorships start at $350 and last for one year. Upcoming events include: • March 19, 6-8 PM - BID Happy Hour - Get to know your fellow business owners from the neighborhood while enjoying a drink! Senso Unico Restaurant, 43-04 43rd Ave. • March 25, 7 PM - 2019 BID Annual Meeting Find out more about BID’s accomplishments from the last fiscal year and learn what is planned for the year ahead! Sunnyside Community Services, 43-31 39th St. • March 7, 5-7:30 PM - Building Your Own Business Website - A workshop that will teach you how to create a professional business website with the latest tools available. Sunnyside Library, 43-06 Greenpoint Ave. • March 21, 5-7:30 PM - Creating a Business Idea that Works - A workshop aimed to provide you with the tools to analyze your customers, industry and competitors. Prepare to leave with an action plan to determine if your idea is the right opportunity. Sunnyside Library, 43-06 Greenpoint Ave.

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NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

ONE FLUSHING OFFICIALLY OPENS ITS DOORS BY BENJAMIN FANG One Flushing has been an affordable housing project decades in the making that has finally become a reality. On February 21, elected and city officials joined the development team to officially open the 10-story, 231-unit building. As the first project under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program, all of the apartments will be affordable, including 66 units reserved for very low-income seniors. The building was developed by Monadnock Development and two nonprofit community organizations: Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) and HANAC. “We’ve created a project that reflects the best of Flushing,” said Frank Dubinsky, vice president of Monadnock Development. “A multi-use, multicultural affordable community asset.” In addition to the housing, the project also features 22,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, which will be leased to local businesses. It also contains a 15,000-square-foot

community facility space on the ground floor, a children’s playroom, gym, and terraces and farm on the roof. AAFE will have an office in One Flushing, and will operate a senior care center on the second floor. That will open in the spring, according to co-executive director Jennifer Sun. One Flushing will also be the new home of Renaissance Economic Development, AAFE’s small business services affiliate that offers low-interest loans and training to immigrant entrepreneurs. Since it was founded 45 years ago, AAFE has developed more than 1,000 affordable housing units throughout the city, Sun said. “By providing quality affordable homes, our hope is that the residents of One Flushing will be able to dream bigger and reach higher for themselves and their families,” she said, “and give back to the community.” One Flushing, which was built on the former site of a municipal parking lot, will include a 156-space public parking garage underneath the building. According to city officials, the project was financed through nearly $116 million in public

and private investments. The city’s Housing Development Corporation provided $23 million in tax-exempt bonds, nearly $32 million in recycled bonds and $14.5 million in corporate reserves. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) added $15.4 million in city subsidies. The project also benefits from more than $21 million in low-income housing tax credits. HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer said One Flushing reflects the mayor’s commitment to build affordable housing on every underutilized lot in the city. “That is a boon not just to this community, but to this city, for generations,” she said. According to Councilman Peter Koo, the 231-unit development fielded more than 84,000 applications. When added together with the 40,000 applications for 144 affordable units at the Macedonia Plaza project, more than 124,000 people in Flushing applied for just 375 units. “Clearly there’s a desperate need for real affordable housing in our community,” Koo said.

Elected officials help cut the ribbon on the new 231-unit building in Downtown Flushing.

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3

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SUNNYSIDE LIRR STATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

According to the impact statement, the station, located at Queens Boulevard, could be used for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak as well. “We are determined to get the transit that we deserve here in Queens,” Maloney said. The congresswoman pointed to the residential growth of the neighborhood, which has seen more than 20,000 units built in the last decade. “The community is exploding, but the infrastructure is not here,” she said. Thomas Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said businesses and employees need good transportation to get in and around the borough. “If there are meetings in Manhattan or other parts of Queens, it’s really important that people have access to that train to get around,” he said. Elizabeth Lusskin, president of the Long Island City Partnership, added that when the MTA first agreed to the station two decades ago, the growth of Long Island City was just “hopes and dreams.” Now, she said, the neighborhood is beyond just dreams, and it needs an intermodal station to sustain its growth. “It will make New York City something completely different, and better than anybody thought it could be,” she said. “It would bring services to this community that it desperately needs.” According to Maloney,

the current MTA capital plan has more than $75 million for the Sunnyside rail yard station. She said she wants the money spent now on planning and designing the stop. The MTA’s next capital plan will begin in 2020. The congresswoman also wants the MTA to have a monthly meeting with her office for updates. “I’m going to make this a top priority in my office,” Maloney said. She added that she will bring up the issue to Governor Andrew Cuomo as well. “We need him to focus on it,” she said. “I plan to bring it to his attention. An MTA spokesman said that the new LIRR station at Sunnyside could only be built after the completion of East Side Access, which is slated for 2022. “As NYCEDC and Amtrak develop a master plan for a potential overbuild of Sunnyside Yards, the MTA is working with them to ensure that options for a station can be pursued without compromising future LIRR service or operations,” the spokesman said in a statement.

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EXECUTIVE COMMMITEE

CHAIRPERSON’S ADVISORY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Thomas Santucci

Richard Dzwlewicz

Thomas J. Grech

Brendan Leavy

Howard Graf

Fran Biderman-Gross

Joanne M. Persad

Jacqueline Donado

Chairperson

Associate Treasurer

Vice Chairperson

Associate Secretary

Treasurer

Immediate Past Chair

Patrick Yu Nash Roe

Mayra DiRico

President & CEO

Chief of Operations

Alejandra Espejo Financial Controller

Secretary

Business Development Manager Strategic Program Coordinator

Jef Gross

Committee Development & Member Engagement Manager

William Blake Dominick Ciampa Joseph Farber Louis D. Laurino

Joseph M. Mattone, Sr John E. Roe, Sr. George Rozansky Gerard Thornton

QUEENSBOROUGH (ISSN0033-6068 is published 12 times a year for $12.50 annually by the Queens Chamber of Commerce of the borough of Queens. 75-20 Astoria Blvd, Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Blvd., Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Fran Biderman-Gross Joshua E. Bienstock Michael Billia Susan Browning Kenneth J. Buettner Charles E. Callahan KY Chow

Carol Conslato Sal Crifasi Mayra DiRico Richard Dzwlewicz Thomas Eagar Joseph R. Ficalora Tamara Gavrielof

Howard Graf Raymond Irrera Peter Klein Kenneth Koenig Henry Kuykendall Neil Levin Jeffery E. Levine

Carl Mattone Patricia Mezeul Michael Moran Jeffrey Owens Nayan Parikh Albert F. Pennisi Vincent L. Petraro Esq

Adam Reece-Cohen Nash Roe Jeffrey Rosenstock Juan Santiago Thomas Santucci Mark Scheinberg Caryn Schwab

Sher Sparano Michelle Stoddart Terri Thomson Henry Wan Swain Weiner Patrick Yu Daniel Zausner

CORPORATE MEMBERS A & L Cesspool Services Corp. AAA Northeast AARP ADP Major Accounts Ackman-Ziff Adria Hotel and Conference Center Aflac Airlogix AKI Development Alcott HR Alma Bank American Lions, LLC Amna Construction Corp. AmTrust Title Andromeda Antun’s of Queens Village Apple Bank for Savings Ashnu International, Inc. Atco Properties Accounts Payable Aurora Contractors, Inc. Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Bank of America Merrill Lynch Bank of Hope BankUnited, N.A Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy & Fenchel Bethpage Federal Credit Union Borchert & LaSpina, P.C. Boyce Technologies Inc. Bridgehampton National Bank Broadway Stages Cactus Holdings Inc. Capital One Bank CareConnect Insurance Company, Inc. Cathay Bank CDS-Mestel Construction Center for Automotive Education & Training Cerini and Associates, LLP. Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Charney Construction & Development Ciampa Organization CityMD Complete Orthopedic Services, Inc. Conference Associates, Inc. Cord Meyer Development, LLC Cornell NYC Tech Corporate Development Systems, Inc. Court 16 Courtyard by Marriott CPEX Real Estate Crescent Properties, Inc. Crown Castle Curaleaf Cushman & Wakefield Daniels, Norelli, Scully & Cecere P.C. DGC Capital Contracting Corp. Douglas Elliman Real Estate DY Realty Services, LLC E Central Medical Management East Coast Energy Group ELE Sleep Disorder Center Elite Palace Emigrant Mortgage Company EMU Health Services ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP Enterprise Fleet Management Enterprise Holdings Exit Realty New York Metro Fabiani Cohen & Hall, LLP Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) Fantasy Forest Amusement Park Farrell Fritz Financial Resources Group Investment Services, LLC First American International Bank Flushing Bank Forest Hills Financial Group Inc. GF55 Partners

Goodwill Industries of New York & New Jersey, Inc. Grand Rehabilitation & Nursing at Queens Grassi & Co. Greater NY Automobiles Dealers Association Greenberg Traurig Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center (GMDC) Greiner-Maltz Company of NY Gum Studios HAKS Hampton Inn by Hilton JFK Airport Hanover Community Bank Healthy Corner Pharmacy Inc. Heart Vein NYC – Dr. Back Kim HF Management Services HighTower Advisors HiLine Construction HK Capital Holiday Inn LaGuardia Airport Home2Suites Long Island City/Manhattan View HSBC Bank Hyatt Place Flushing Hyatt Place Long Island City/NYC INDA, Association of Nonwoven Fabric Industry Innovative Lending Platform Association Innovo Property Group International Asbestos Removal Inc. James F. Capalino & Assoc. Jaros, Baum & Bolles JetBlue Airways Corporation Jetro/ Restaurant Depot JFA Insurance Brokerage & Associates Inc. JRT Realty Group Inc.

COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS Joshua Bienstock NYIT bienlaw@aol.com

ENERGY

Marshall Haimson E-Capital Development marshall@e-capitaldevelopment.com

HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS

Susan Browning Long Island Jewish Forest Hills sbrowning1@northwell.edu Bert Lurch E Central Medical Management bertl@ecmmgt.com

HOSPITALITY

REAL ESTATE

Jim Quent Statewide Public Affairs jquent@statewidepublicaffairs.com Laura Altimari Fine Taste NYC finetastenyc@gmail.com

Martin Cottingham Avison Young martin.cottingham@avisonyoung.com Michael Wang Politan Real Estate mwang121@gmail.com

MANUFACTURING

TECHNOLOGY

Geoffrey Smith NY Grant Company Geoffrey@nygrants.com Thomas Powell Boyce Technologies tpowell@boycetechnologies.com

NONPROFIT

Larry Grubler Transitional Services of NY lgrubler@tsiny.org Maria Odysseus Investors Bank modysseus@myinvestorsbank.com

Bobby Giurintano TGI Office Automation bgiurintano@tgioa.com Fred Canone Telehouse mwang121@gmail.com

TRANSPORTATION Kris Amato TD Bank Kristin.amato@td.com

Justworks Kasirer Consulting Kimco Realty Corporation LaSalle Solutions Lee & Associates Lessing’s Food Service Management Levine Builders LimeBike Lockman Inc. Luna Park in Coney Island Lyons Mortgage Services, Inc. M & T Bank M & V Provision Company Madison Realty Capital Main Street Radiology Mazars USA, LLP McBride Consulting & Business Media Press MedPlex Mega Contracting Group, LLC MetroPlus Health Plan Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade Mikkeller Brewing NYC Molloy College Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens Mr. T Carting Corp. MTA Long Island Rail Road Muss Development Company New York + Atlantic Railway New York Building Congress New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott New York Oil Heating Association New York Racing Assn. Inc. New York Safety and Training New York Times Next Wave Safety North Shore-LIJ Health System Northfield Bank OneGroup OTJ Architects Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates Petro Home Services Plastic Surgery of New York Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl & Associates, Inc. Premier Payroll Solutions Prime Storage Progressive Waste Solutions/IESI NY Corp. QSIDE Federal Credit Union Quadlogic Controls Corporation Queens Center Mall Queens Public Communications Corp. Queensborough Community College Quontic Bank Radisson Hotel JFK Register Abstract Co. Inc.

Related Retail Corporation Royal Waste Russo’s On The Bay Sabre Real Estate Group Samuel Goldstein & Co., PC Santander Seagis Property Group, LP Shiftpixy Signature Bank Silvercup Studios Simon Baron Development Skyline Risk Management, Inc. SL Green Realty Corp. Solomon Agency Corp. St. Francis Preparatory School St. John’s University Staples Sterling Risk Structural Engineering Technologies, P.C. SUNation Solar Systems Sutton Alliance Teachers Federal Credit Union TGI Office Automation Thales USA Inc. The ALLCOT Group, LLC The Durst Organization The First National Bank of Long Island The Heskel Group The Parc Hotel The Sweet Construction Group Treasure Island Storage Triangle Equities TSC Training Academy, LLC Ultrasound Solutions Corp. United Airlines United Nations Federal Credit Union United Public Adjusters & Appraisers, Inc. USTA National Tennis Center, Inc. Valley National Bank Vanguard Insurance Agency Venture House Vic Kessler Signs, LTD Villa Russo Vornado Realty Trust Waste Management of New York, LLC WATCH GUARD 24/7, LLC Welby, Brady & Greenblatt, LLP Wells Fargo WeWork Windstream Enterprise York College - CUNY Zara Realty

We hope you are enjoying the newly designed, expanded Queensborough, the monthly publication of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. We, the Chamber, direct and approve all content deciding what stories are covered in each issue, editing all copy and forwarding information that is contained in the publication. BQE Media produces it for the Chamber. We look forward to continuing to highlight the outstanding business persons, services and activities that make our borough unique. We welcome all your letters, manuscripts, etc. Please send all materials to the Queens Chamber of Commerce at 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140, Jackson Heights, NY 11370 or call 718.898.8500 for more information. We reserve the right to edit for space limitations. Your support of the magazine is critical to its success. We encourage you to include Queensborough in your advertising plans. To place your ad, please call BQE Media at 718.426.7200.

March 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 3 MAJOR CORPORATE MEMBERS

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