Melinda Katz Economic Development Plan Executive Summary In the aftermath of our country s economic downturn, the next Queens Borough President will have to prioritize economic development and job creation. The recession hit our city hard. Development came to a halt, small businesses suffered and jobs were lost. But New York is on its way back, and as economic development grows in the city as a whole, we have to make sure that Queens grows with it. As Borough President, I will make it a priority to progress in a way that creates new economic opportunities for every corner of our borough. Using all the tools available to the Borough President, which are substantial, I believe we can drive significant progress in economic development. We will use the land use process, influencing the zoning and planning decisions that shape the borough and the development that brings new jobs. As Chair of the Borough Board and the Borough Cabinet, I will convene war rooms of elected officials and community leaders to address the economic needs of every neighborhood. And through the capital and expense budget, I will work to develop job-creating projects and programs across the borough. Most importantly, I will embrace the power of the Borough President as Queens biggest advocate, and being a strong, single voice to fighting for Queens. Having chaired the Land Use committee in the Council and having served as Director of Community Boards, I have the experience and vision to use these tools to their fullest potential. To build a common vision of what Queens should look like in the future and the path to get there, I will create new jobs in emerging industries, protect existing businesses and promote Queens as a way to attract new visitors, businesses and residents. I believe in a holistic view of economic development, with each project and initiative impacting economic growth throughout the borough. I believe in a forward thinking strategy that addresses many of the challenges that our borough faces while making Queens a global competitor for emerging enterprises. My plan goes beyond basic talking points, and lays out specific proposals that will create new permanent jobs, including: Create a Borough-wide Economic Master Plan for Queens Prioritize Sandy Redevelopment for Job Creation Expand Transportation Options Promote Queens as a Cohesive Brand Attract and Grow New Tech Businesses 1
Identify Major Project Development Opportunities Strengthen Manufacturing and Industrial Business Opportunities Support Small Businesses We all want Queens to be a place where we raise our children, but also where our children can raise their own families. In order to achieve this, we have to expand the economic possibilities for our generation as well as the next. My vision for the Borough President s office is a dynamic and all-inclusive platform that takes full advantage of the tools at the disposal of the office, as well as creating a single voice that can get things done effectively. Most importantly, my plan is one that will make Queens a place where all families can afford to fulfill their dreams. My Plan Creating a Borough-wide Economic Master Plan for Queens: The next Borough President needs to create a long-term economic master plan that takes advantage of opportunities that exist today while laying the groundwork for sustained economic growth far into the future. Further, this plan needs to be built around economic growth for the entire borough from Astoria to the Rockaways; Little Neck to Long Island City and every neighborhood in between. This requires bringing together elected officials, business leaders, educators, developers and community groups to develop a common vision for economic growth. In order to compete for vital economic development resources, including grants from the state s Regional Council and other agencies, and federal and city funds, we have to speak with one voice that is loud and clear. With a collective strategy and a road map for success, we can effectively advocate for projects that will benefit the borough as a whole, as well as projects for individual communities throughout the borough. By advocating a unified message, we can leverage our Borough s strengths and get more focus in the media, drawing in more visitors and business. Most importantly, as we craft this plan it must be predicated on a foundation of leaving no neighborhood behind. We have a broad variety of potential growth sectors in everything from tourism and entertainment to tech and manufacturing. With the diversity of our borough, different opportunities will emerge from every corner of Queens if we reach out, bring in all the stakeholders, and truly listen to what civic and business leaders have to say. As Borough President, I will use my experience to bring together stakeholders from across the borough to: Create an Economic Development Task Force charged with developing a Borough-wide Master Plan for job creation and economic growth 2
Lead a borough-wide strategy to obtain and focus grants, capital funds and tax incentives that are available to simplify the process for new businesses to relocate and start up in Queens, including NYCEDC grants, new state Innovation Grants and federal economic development funding. Work with elected officials at all levels to support key economic development opportunities throughout the borough. Prioritize Sandy Redevelopment for Job Creation: Rebuilding and re-thinking infrastructure in our post-sandy city must be a major priority for the next Borough President. I believe that this has the potential to stimulate job growth in traditional trade professions, create new opportunities as we prepare for future extreme weather events, and reinvigorate the tourism industry that is such a vital part of the Rockaways economy. This opportunity to pioneer new building techniques and export them to other areas at risk of future storm damage could be a growth sector for our borough. To get stormdamaged areas back on their feet, I will: Establish a clear timeline and strong local hiring requirements for rebuilding Rockaway Beach, the boardwalk and all other economic engines of the community. Serve as a clearinghouse of information for residents and contractors seeking to understand the new regulations, funding streams and assistance available so that sustainable rebuilding can begin in a robust and organized way. Provide community wide support, such as surveying and basic infrastructure rebuilding that will ease the burden on individual businesses and residents. Work with federal, state and local officials, including the Army Corp of Engineers, to develop and implement long term protection against future storms. Aggressively market neighborhoods and establishments that have reopened to encourage Queens residents to support our own while bringing in consumers from outside our borough. While many businesses have overcome the hurdles to reopen, their customer base remains soft because of a lack of information about what is open. A cohesive marketing and media plan to support these businesses would help to revitalize the entire community. Expand Transportation Options: In order to expand our economic development opportunities and serve our growing population, we must develop additional transportation options to move people into and out of Queens. To expand our travel options, I will: Work with the NYCEDC to expand ferry service to Astoria and Roosevelt Island to allow for a quick connection between those neighborhoods. I will also advocate for an expansion of funding from the Federal Highway Administration and the state Department of Transportation. 3
Work with the MTA to establish additional bus routes that would directly benefit economic development, including high-speed buses between tech campuses and industrial zones. Continue and expand ferry service to the Rockaways. Promote Queens as Brand: Queens is New York s most diverse borough, with a dazzling array of culture, arts, restaurants, professional sports and other destinations that attract millions of visitors each year. By developing a cohesive branding campaign that sets Queens apart from anywhere else I believe we will attract new residents and businesses, and tourist dollars and capital for new projects. Further, by better promoting the rich variety of activities available, we can increase consumer spending for visitors once they are in our borough. My branding strategy will begin by ensuring that we: Develop Queens-specific marketing campaigns to draw in more visitors from other boroughs and the surrounding counties in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Coordinate with NYC Go and other citywide tourism agencies to feature attractions and events in Queens more prominently. Market secondary attractions to visitors, so that people going to Citi field, the National Tennis Center, Aqueduct or PS1 stay to enjoy our restaurants or less well-know cultural activities. Work with cultural institutions to coordinate efforts to attract new interest, including large-scale events and tours that promote entire neighborhoods. Create branding materials that hype Queens as the most exciting place in New York, with the greatest culture, food, arts, sports and history. Attract New Tech Businesses: The development of the Cornell Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island is an opportunity for Queens to become a major player in the international tech industry. Already, large firms like Google and Spotify have established a major presence in Long Island City. But with an estimated 120,000 new jobs that could be created by the Cornell development, we have to advance an agenda now that will attract more of those jobs to Western Queens. As Borough President, I will promote an aggressive strategy to establish Western Queens as the next Silicon Valley: Create economic incentives including tax breaks, availability of capital investments and state and city grants to lure new businesses and small businesses to Queens. In particular, I will campaign to take advantage of the new provisions from Governor Cuomo s recent budget, the Innovation Hot Spot designation and the Innovation Venture Capital Fund. Prioritize the development of new incubator space for tech companies. Incubator spaces for new businesses to grow and collaborate are limited in Western Queens, especially in comparison to other parts of the city. I will expand these spaces to allow more start-up tech businesses to get established, grow and thrive. 4
Use the Land Use authority of the Borough President s office to modernize new construction projects with high speed, fiber based internet access; and update existing facilities to make sure Queens commercial and industrial space is up to date with the resources that tech companies need to thrive. Advance a major marketing strategy to tout the live-work-play benefits of Western Queens, including major recruiting events in other cities, branding materials, development of new housing and aggressive outreach to promote the business benefits of Western Queens and the stylish lifestyle options that are also available. Identify Major Project Development Opportunities: Willets Point, Hunter s Point South and Jamaica are only the beginning of major new development projects in Queens. With significant development opportunities like the Flushing Riverfront Project and Flushing Commons on the horizon, we need to focus on new development that will draw in visitors, and keep bringing them back to dine, celebrate and play. My experience with the Land Use Committee gives me extensive knowledge on utilizing City Government to spur new economic growth, and as Borough President, I will: Work with the City Planning Department and local communities to identify appropriate sites for redevelopment, building new parks, office spaces, housing, mixed-use developments and industrial space. Work with elected officials, community leaders, development groups and business leaders to best determine a path for new development in each neighborhood. Ensure that all development projects fit the character of each community, and add real tangible value to our neighborhoods. Strengthen Manufacturing and Industrial Business Opportunities: While we are modernizing our economy and growing into new sectors, we cannot abandon the industries that currently keep our economy robust. Queens industrial businesses provide stable jobs that are vital to working families, and protecting and expanding those jobs is vital for maintaining economic opportunities for all. To achieve this, I will: Strengthen the City s Industrial Business Zone Program to retain the industries that are currently in Queens, particularly those in Southeast Queens. Prioritize industrial uses for industrial spaces, and identify vacant industrial space that could be rehabilitated for new manufacturing or other industry. Create partnerships between the growing tech sector and existing manufacturers to ensure that new high-tech manufacturing opportunities create jobs here in Queens. Support Small Businesses: In Queens, our small businesses are the lifeblood of the community and our local economy. While I was in the City Council, I worked to expand Business Improvement Districts throughout the city to provide an increased level of support for local businesses. Small businesses throughout Queens need support to get off 5
the ground, to stay strong in the face of competition and to continue to provide the vital services that are valued by residents of Queens. As Borough President, I will protect the interests of our local businesses, and will making supporting their interests a major priority. I will: Work with the local Chambers to develop localized plans for each small business community. Expand and support Business Improvement Districts to allow them to attract new members, make capital improvements and provide essential services. Work with the City to ensure that regulations are not putting undue burden on small businesses. Use the Land Use process to protect small businesses districts. 6