New Parking Lot Approved In Queens City Councilman
James F. Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) announced on Friday that City Council approved a 17,300-square-foot parking lot for the Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School, which plans to open for the 2010-2011 academic year, and will serve 800 students in grades 7-12.
Councilman Gennaro has led community activists in negotiating construction of this parking lot since 2007, as many residents voiced concern that street parking would be consumed by the school’s employees and students if an additional parking structure was not established. He also championed efforts to increase environmental surveillance in the area, and was able to negotiate periodic air quality testing at the school.
“This parking lot is the result of community activism at its best,” noted Councilman Gennaro.”
“Months of meetings and discussions have finally paid off for the residents of this neighborhood, who won’t have to lose parking spots because of the construction of a new school.
New South Ferry Subway Station Opens
Governor David Paterson was joined by several government officials on Monday to celebrate a grand-opening of the renovated South Ferry subway terminal in lower Manhattan.
The new station was opened at noon as the last stop on the No. 1 line. It has replaced the old terminal that was built in 1905 and could accommodate only five of 10 subway cars.
The renovated terminal allows passengers to access the platform from all 10 cars. Passengers are also permitted a free transfer to the R/W station at the Whitehall Street.
Service on the No. 1 line was suspended briefly on Monday between the South Ferry and the 14th Street stations due to a burst water pipe, but was restored by 3:50 p.m., according to the NYC Transit spokesman James Anyansi.
Vacancies Prevail At Shopping Strips across NYC
A study presented by Congressman Anthony D. Weiner on Monday found that over 12 percent of storefronts across 31 examined neighborhoods were vacant in the outer boroughs due to the economic downturn.
Out of the 5,991 surveyed storefronts, 347 (14.1 percent) were unoccupied in Brooklyn, 211 (12.2 percent) in Queens, 63(9.7 percent) in Staten Island and 105 (9.1 percent) in the Bronx.
According to Rep. Weiner, over 200,000 small businesses that occupy these community shopping centers account for two-thirds of the city’s private sector jobs.
The economic stimulus bill signed by President Obama and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recently passed by Congress are expected to provide some economic relief to the struggling small businesses through the following programs:
- allocation of $730 million to improve existing and to create new SBA loan programs,
- increase in the equipment and property expenses write-off limit to $250,000,
- allocation of $375 million to reduce government fees for borrowers and lenders who are part of existing loan programs,
- increase in the carry-back of net operating losses from two years to five years.
The stimulus package is projected to save and create over 90,000 jobs across NYC, and is expected to enable small businesses to increase their capital for investment and creation of new jobs.
Counterfeit Thrives in the Economic Downturn
Harper’s Bazaar held its 5th Annual Anti-counterfeiting Summit on Monday in partnership with the Italian Intellectual Property Rights Desk at the Italian Trade Commission. Illegal production and sale of counterfeit goods is estimated to make $600 billion per year while stealing over $1 billion in NYC tax revenue and stealing away over 750,000 American jobs, and also has ties to criminal activities that include child labor, terrorism, and drug trafficking.
New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly delivered the keynote address to an audience of government officials, law professionals and international businessmen, including luxury goods executives.
Various product categories affected by counterfeit, such as sporting goods, health and beauty aids, packaged goods, and automobile parts, were discussed at the Summit.
A fake but realistic-looking Ferrari was displayed outside of the Hearst Tower as a symbol of the dangers of counterfeit products.
“Every purchase of a counterfeit product is a blow to our economy, and it is our responsibility, especially in today’s financial climate, to educate consumers about the real human cost of buying fakes,” said Harper’s Bazaar senior vice president/publisher Valerie Salembier.
“When consumers discover that they are supporting child labor, drug cartels and even terrorism, they simply cannot justify making these purchases to save a dollar.”
