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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Elaine O'Brien, Business Owner from Jackson Heights, Queens on Queen's Future/Metropolitan Park Proposal
3:08:13
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165 sec
Elaine O'Brien, a business owner and resident of Jackson Heights, Queens, testified against the Queen's Future/Metropolitan Park proposal, citing concerns about the negative impacts of casinos on neighborhoods and the lack of enforceable community benefits. She emphasized the issue of public land giveaway and questioned the promised job benefits.
- O'Brien expressed skepticism about the project's promised benefits, including the Queens Food Hall and job creation.
- She highlighted the lack of a legally binding community benefit agreement and raised concerns about union jobs, noting that Hard Rock is not a union employer.
- As a Mets fan, O'Brien argued that successful stadiums don't require adjacent casinos and urged for development without a gambling facility.
Elaine O'Brien
3:08:13
Hi.
3:08:14
Thank you so much.
3:08:16
Apologies for appearing as second story.
3:08:19
My name is Elaine O'Brien.
3:08:20
I'm using my business Zoom account.
3:08:22
And, I am calling in from my work.
3:08:25
I'm a business owner in Jackson Heights, Queens.
3:08:27
I'm a resident of Jackson Heights, Queens.
3:08:29
I've been here, lived in Jackson Heights for ten years and have lived in New York City for twenty five years.
3:08:37
And, I am calling today to, discourage the, permission for this project to continue.
3:08:48
I think that we know that, proximity to casinos are typically not good for neighborhoods.
3:08:56
I understand and recognize that the project includes a lot of benefits that we all want to see more of, things like Queen's Food Hall, Taste of Queen's Food Hall, you know, jobs, hotels, that type of thing.
3:09:10
But first and foremost, the issue that, you know, comes to mind and why this would be a project that is bad for our neighborhood is because it is well understood that casinos do not benefit the residents of the neighborhoods in which they are built.
3:09:27
Furthermore, there is no enforceable community benefits at all.
3:09:30
There's no legally binding community benefit agreement to hold developers of this project accountable for delivering on their community benefit promises.
3:09:39
I believe the job offers are misleading.
3:09:42
I've heard things like 20,000 union jobs.
3:09:44
I've heard 30,000 union jobs.
3:09:47
What we know is that Hard Rock, is not a union employer.
3:09:52
Developers have only promised union jobs for the short term construction of the casino, not for any casino workers.
3:09:59
Most of all, this is a public land giveaway.
3:10:02
This is parkland.
3:10:03
This is park space.
3:10:05
While the developer of Queens Future LLC trumpets the project's 20 acre park, the proposal in fact features a seven acre privately owned grassy plaza tucked in between the sprawling casino complex and the stadium with a smattering of medians and walkways.
3:10:21
Giving away parkland sets a real
UNKNOWN
3:10:23
The topic expired.
Elaine O'Brien
3:10:24
Negative president.
3:10:25
Thank you for, what kind of future we want, and I do not wanna see the privatization of our parks.
3:10:32
Last thing I'll say is that I'm a big Mets fan.
3:10:34
I go to Citi Field a lot.
3:10:36
I appreciate all that Steve Cohen has done for the Mets, and I've also traveled a lot and gone to a lot of stadiums that are, as another caller mentioned, frankly, much more engaging than
Kevin C. Riley
3:10:47
the Smart rapping.
Elaine O'Brien
3:10:48
We have.
3:10:49
And none of them, not one that I've gone to has a casino.
3:10:53
We can do this without a gambling facility.
3:10:58
Thank you.