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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by John Park, Executive Director of MinKwon Center for Community Action
0:52:07
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123 sec
John Park, Executive Director of MinKwon Center for Community Action, urges the subcommittee to vote against the Metropolitan Park zoning application amendments that would allow a casino on public parkland. He argues that the project would negatively impact local communities, particularly in Flushing and Corona.
- Park cites concerns about the casino's proximity to schools and its potential effect on children.
- He highlights existing economic struggles in the area, including high poverty rates and displacement due to rising rents.
- Park presents poll results showing that 68.5% of voters in Community Board 7 reject the casino proposal, emphasizing community opposition to the project.
John Park
0:52:07
Good morning, chair and the subcommittee.
0:52:09
My name is John Park.
0:52:10
I'm the executive director of the Min Kwan Center for Community Action, which has served immigrant and working class Asian American communities in Flushing and Queens, and we also have a site in New Jersey for over forty years.
0:52:23
We urge you to vote no on the Metropolitan Park zoning application amendments, which would enable a casino and public parkland against against the will and well-being of our communities.
0:52:35
I also raised a family in Flushing.
0:52:37
You know, my kids are you know, go to a local school, PS seventy nine elementary school.
0:52:44
You you have to ask yourself, do you want a casino that close within a stop next to all your high schools with your kids?
0:52:51
Right?
0:52:53
Flushing had the lowest PPP success rates of of any neighborhood in New York City.
0:52:58
I'm just kinda talking about the area around there.
0:53:01
It also had 28 times the poverty compared to the rest of New York City coming out of coming out of COVID.
0:53:07
This was the Undue Poverty Coalition and then funded by Robin Hood Studies.
0:53:12
Queens Frutier socioeconomic study only examined a minimum required quarter mile radius excluding communities most at risk.
0:53:18
It ignored communities like Flushing and Corona, where rising rents are displacing residents as we speak and forcing out our small businesses.
0:53:25
That's why the Undue Poverty Coalition even existed.
0:53:27
This is before the casino because we're having economic troubles, even even recovering from the pandemic.
0:53:33
So residents on both sides of the park have already voiced their opinions and rejected the casino.
0:53:37
We did a exit poll along with
Andrew Sokolof Diaz
0:53:39
all
John Park
0:53:39
deaf for a lot of areas in CB 7.
0:53:43
70 Percent rejected it.
0:53:46
No.
0:53:46
It's actually 68.5 said, we don't want this.
0:53:48
These are just these are the voters during election day.
0:53:51
K?
0:53:52
And then we only took questions.
0:53:53
The second question was it was like, what's your position?
0:53:55
Like, know, the second question is, would this affect your future vote on people, on who you're gonna and they 70% said yes, which means this.
0:54:02
The people and the families in these other areas, even they know that they're gonna be impacted by this, and they should be included in the zoning.
0:54:09
I'm asking people to vote no.