Jamaica Locals Get In On $10B JFK Redesign At Town Hall

JAMAICA, QUEENS -- With plans set into place for a $10 billion redesign of the John F. Kennedy Airport, Jamaica officials are fighting hard to make sure the neighborhood's small businesses aren't left in the dust.

On Saturday, Community Board 12 and the Queens Connection Team hosted a town hall at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center to discuss the airport's proposed multibillion dollar development and what kind of economic benefits - such as jobs and contracts with local businesses - the community stands to gain from it.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the $10 billion construction project last year, which is slated to integrate the JFK's terminals, develop a direct railway to the airport, revamp its car routes to calm traffic and modernize the airport as a whole with better shops and business spaces. He announced in September that Mott MacDonald and Grimshaw Architects had been chosen to lead the redevelopment.

Glenn Greenidge, chairman of CB 12's economic committee, said the informational session with JFK was the first step toward working with the airport to ensure a slice of jobs and construction subcontract deals go to members of the community affected by it.

"Any time you have a big development - lets say the $10 billion upgrade to JFK - the surrounding community gets impacted," Greenidge said.

Such impact includes factors like the noise level, pollution and traffic in the vendor's community, which in this case is Jamaica and its surrounding neighborhoods. In exchange, he said, community benefit agreements are set up to give the neighborhoods a say in what happens with the construction project, the workforce it plans to hire and other long-term goals for both the airport and its community.

"The agreement is a way of working with the vendor (JFK) to be able to deliver some local jobs to its local community," Greenidge said.

During the town hall, residents got to visit engagement areas, where they learned about their economic opportunities from the redesign and how they or their small businesses and organizations could access them.

For more information on upcoming workshops, contact Community Board 12 at 718-658-3308 or email QN12@.cb.nyc.gov.

Lead photo by Richard Drew/Associated Press

Caption: Passengers wait for their flights at JFK Terminal 4.