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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Daniel Dromm, Former New York City Council Member and Former Chair of the Finance Committee, on Queen's Future/Metropolitan Park proposal
1:18:20
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152 sec
Daniel Dromm, a former NYC Council Member, strongly supports the Queen's Future/Metropolitan Park proposal, highlighting its potential to create additional park space, union jobs, and economic opportunities in the area near Citi Field. He emphasizes the project's $8 billion private investment and the approval from surrounding community boards.
- Dromm sees the project as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to add 25 acres of park space and provide 15,000 union jobs.
- He highlights the potential for year-round use of the area, including opportunities for vendors, bike paths, athletic fields, a hotel, and a music venue.
- Dromm dismisses concerns about gambling, stating that "prohibition didn't work either."
Daniel Dromm
1:18:20
Thank you very much.
1:18:21
I'm former council member Danny Drum, chair of the finance committee back when I was here in the city council.
1:18:27
As has been mentioned before, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to have additional park space.
1:18:35
When I was in the city council, in order to get additional park space in the in the neighborhood that I represented, which is right adjacent to Citi Field, I closed the street, bought a schoolyard from a private school, and it added it actually doubled the size of the what we call Travis Park in that neighborhood.
1:18:53
So having the opportunity to get additional park space in or near Flushing Flushing Meadows Corona Park is really valuable to us, and this will provide us with the 25 additional acres.
1:19:05
I wanna say the 15,000 union jobs, very, very important to the community to the community.
1:19:12
Three hundred and sixty five day use as well.
1:19:15
That area is from College Point Boulevard up to the Grand Central Parkway.
1:19:21
Nobody is there unless it's a game day or it is a tennis stadium day.
1:19:26
So it would really provide entertainment and business opportunities in that area.
1:19:32
Having been the chair of the immigration committee here in the city council, I'm very proud to say that Metropolitan Park will offer opportunities for vendors, which has become a problem in that area with the the the number of vendors in the area.
1:19:45
This will give them an opportunity to sell whatever it is in the vendor space that Metropolitan Park will offer them.
1:19:52
It'll give, bike paths, additional athletic fields, which are not there now.
1:19:58
A hotel, will be there.
1:20:00
Job opportunities in the hotel.
1:20:02
A music venue, meaning that, those of us who don't always wanna travel into the city will have the opportunity to have music and concerts in that area.
1:20:12
And, you know, the community boards that surround that area, that Metropolitan Park area, have all approved the the the the construction that will go on there.
1:20:24
And finally, let me say that this is an $8,000,000,000 private investment, and we're not gonna see that again.
1:20:31
And by the way, I am a person who is not being paid any check to be here today.
1:20:36
I'm here as a former council member and invested community member.
1:20:40
And finally, me just say that, prohibition didn't work either.
1:20:44
So this business that other people are bringing up about gambling and all that stuff is not gonna you know, it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't work for me.
1:20:52
Thank you.