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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Reverend James Duckett, Senior Pastor of Fort Mott Baptist Church
3:21:51
·
121 sec
Reverend James Duckett, representing Fort Mott Baptist Church and Impact New York Network, expressed strong support for the Hudson Yards West project. He emphasized the project's potential to create union jobs, provide workforce development, and offer community benefits, particularly in light of potential federal funding cuts.
- Highlighted the creation of tens of thousands of permanent union jobs and workforce development opportunities
- Mentioned the Wynn Resort plan's proposal of $1 billion in community benefits over ten years
- Emphasized the need for private investment in nonprofits and community programs
- Touched on the housing aspect, noting that new units could help stem the outflow of New Yorkers due to increased rent
Reverend James Duckett
3:21:51
Good afternoon.
3:21:52
I'm the reverend James Duckett, senior pastor of the Fort Mott Baptist Church in the Bronx, New York, and also a member of Impact New York Network.
3:22:01
Hudson Yards West is a solution and example of the tremendous opportunities for good that can happen when the private, public, and nonprofit sectors work together with shared mutual goals.
3:22:15
New Yorkers are struggling to pay rent, buy groceries, afford childcare, and overall just build a sustainable life.
3:22:25
At the same time, the potential for dramatic funding cuts at the federal level threatens to make the situation much worse for the working class family.
3:22:36
I believe that this project will create tens of thousands of permanent union jobs, jobs that will ensure New Yorkers can not only stay in New York, but have a pathway to success.
3:22:50
And the workforce development training in the proposal will ensure residents can obtain the critical skills needed to harness this opportunity.
3:23:00
I understand we are here today to discuss zoning for this development.
3:23:04
The process for the casino is totally separate and should be.
3:23:09
The state will evaluate which proposals create the most benefit for New York.
3:23:14
But for what I've seen, the plan with the Wynn Resort, which creates 1,000,000,000 in community benefits over the next ten years, is unprecedented.
3:23:24
And in a time when nonprofits don't know whether they can keep their doors open with everything going on in Washington, we need private investment, funding for food banks, after school programs, job training, and so much more.
3:23:41
And then there's the housing aspect.
3:23:44
New housing units will go a long way in stemming the outflow of New Yorkers being forced out due to increased rent paired