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Plan to Revitalize Jamaica to be Overseen by New Group

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | June 25, 2015 12:29pm
 The city wants to revitalize Jamaica by developing vacant spaces and creating more job opportunities.
The city wants to revitalize Jamaica by developing vacant spaces and creating more job opportunities.
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DNAinfo.com/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — A group of community leaders will work to make sure that a recently announced plan to revitalize Jamaica is being implemented, city officials said Tuesday.

In April, the city announced a $153 million "action plan" to boost economic growth and development in the neighborhood by building more affordable housing, expanding afterschool job preparation programs and developing vacant spaces to replace them with new retail stores.

The group consists of more than two dozen local community leaders selected by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, who will chair the council.

Among those chosen are residents, Jamaica elected officials and members of local business groups, including Rhonda Binda of the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District and Simone Price of the Sutphin Boulevard BID.

Rev. Floyd Flake of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, who is also a former congressman from Southeast Queens, was selected to join the group, along with Community Board 12 chairwoman Adrienne Adams and Cathy Hung of the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning.

Under the proposal, the city is also planning to replace pay phones in downtown Jamaica with free public Wi-Fi kiosks, install more NYPD security cameras in the area, invest $250,000 to make Jamaica Avenue more pedestrian friendly, implement upgrades to local parks and launch initiatives to encourage healthy eating habits.

“Jamaica is one of the last affordable commercial hubs in the city, yet it is strategically positioned for huge growth thanks to its available housing and amenities and its easy access to mass transit,” Katz said in a statement.

The new council will meet at least four times a year during the implementation of the "Action Plan," which will take several years, city officials said.