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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Thomas J. Grech, President and CEO of Queens Chamber of Commerce
1:55:09
ยท
145 sec
Thomas J. Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, expresses strong support for the Metropolitan Park project, emphasizing its potential to create jobs and stimulate economic growth in Queens. He highlights the project's overwhelming approval from community boards and city planning, as well as its promise to create union jobs and transform empty parking lots into public parks.
- Grech notes that 6 out of 6 community boards approved the project, with about 82-83% support from board members.
- The project is expected to create 23,000 initial union jobs and 6,000 permanent union jobs, with an $8 billion private investment.
- Grech emphasizes the project's role in building a "sports and entertainment mecca" in Queens, alongside existing attractions like Citi Field, Queens Museum, and USTA tennis.
Thomas J. Grech
1:55:09
Council members, it's indeed a pleasure to to see you.
1:55:13
Before my remarks, I want to invite council member Riley.
1:55:16
I'm gonna get a passport and a visa for you to come see Queen's.
1:55:19
Anytime.
1:55:21
Especially for the subway series.
1:55:23
Sure.
Kevin C. Riley
1:55:23
Sure.
Thomas J. Grech
1:55:24
Excellent.
1:55:25
My name is Tom Gretz.
1:55:26
I'm the president and CEO of the Queen's Chamber, oldest and largest business association in Queens County, and we are the most diverse business association probably in all of the great city of New York.
1:55:37
We represent thousands and thousands of member companies and hundreds of thousands of Queens based employees.
1:55:44
As a native of Astoria, I'm here today to express my strong support for Metropolitan Park and their plan to turn the empty parking lots into actual public parks around Citi Field.
1:55:54
This is a great opportunity.
1:55:57
Couple quick comments.
1:55:58
At the end of the day, the Euler process in the community boards, six and o.
1:56:05
When it comes to baseball or any other sport, it doesn't get better than that.
1:56:08
Six and o in favor, Near 82 or 83% of those community board members voiced their support.
1:56:15
City planning was a nine to one in favor.
1:56:18
And as somebody that was part of every single one of those ULUPs and hundreds and hundreds of meetings, I can tell you that the community at large across the board is in favor.
1:56:29
As a business organization, you'll probably also find that we are the most pro union chamber of commerce in the history of the city of New York, and these are 23,000 union jobs, $8,000,000,000.
1:56:41
And we talk about all the time in our business meetings about the fact that it's all private.
1:56:45
No impact on the on the taxpayers at all, and the money this is gonna generate is gonna be incredible.
1:56:51
For families living across Queens, finding a good paying job is a really, really important thing, especially in the current environment.
1:56:58
These are job opportunities for everybody, from working in the construction and development of the site to working at the hotels, restaurants, and parks.
1:57:05
I might add, if it hasn't been said yet, those 23,000 jobs to get started will then yield to 6,000 permanent jobs afterwards, all gamble union.
1:57:14
What I wanna say in closing is we are building a sports and entertainment mecca in our midst.
1:57:19
Between the Mets, the Queens Museum, Theater in the Park, USTA tennis, and a world class soccer stadium on top of the $8,000,000,000 LaGuardia Airport, it's a great place to be, and this is a generational opportunity.
1:57:32
I'm grateful for your time, and I yield.
1:57:34
Thank you.