This Is Queensborough - August 2020

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August 2020 . Volume 16 . Issue 8

QUEENS

STRONG THE DEM NOMINEE FOR BOROUGH PRESIDENT DISCUSSES HOW QUEENS RECOVERS FROM COVID-19

ALSO

• HELPING KIDS COPE WITH CORONAVIRUS • NEW INITIATIVE PROVIDES FREE HEADSHOTS TO JOBSEEKERS • PUSH TO KEEP SIDEWALK DINING ON 37TH AVENUE

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August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

SUMMER TO REMEMBER In just a few short weeks we’ll make sense of the future of our begin shifting our thoughts to all economy. Never a straight line, it’s things related to the fall been a constant zigzag season and the second since March 16. half of the business calWith the well-being endar. of both clients and staff This year is unlike any being paramount, busibefore. With a great deal ness owners are certainof uncertainty in regard ly finding our new norto business operations mal an interesting path and how returning to to navigate. school will play out for From webinars to students, teachers and resources to access to staff, there is much to TOM SANTUCCI services, the Chamber consider. always is true to our CHAIRPERSON We can all reflect founding principles in back on a summer to remember as the by-laws established in 1911 we think about how different our to advocate, educate and provide vacations or staycations were, our opportunities to network.

Mets playing in empty stadiums, We have all learned in some form and how many of us improvised to or the other the art of functioning in remain focused on business. a virtual environment.

Throughout the summer of 2020, We are grateful for your support the Queens Chamber has remained and we value your commitment as a beacon of hope for the business members of the Queens Chamber community as we have tried to of Commerce.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

FOCUS ON OPTIMISM

In life we roll with the punchThe hospitality, retail and reses and stay laser-focused on our taurant industry, by far the most goals. If the past several months impacted by the pandemic, is has taught us anything at all, it’s hopefully seeing brighter days clearly about being optimistic. ahead. We can all agree this hasn’t Having an open mind and keep- exactly been the 2020 any of us ing positive thoughts about the had planned, but as New Yorkers future of business in Queens is the our resilient spirit always prevails. recipe for success.

The Queens ChamWe’ve traveled ber continues providdown a very difficult ing support to local road lately. The past businesses. Our staff couple of months, works tirelessly to with the reopening of offer you resources numerous businesses, that will add value to gives me hope there is your organization. light at the end of the Now more than tunnel. ever, we are united We move forward as one in the fight towards the fall with a THOMAS J. GRECH to sustain the health sense of great expecta- PRESIDENT & CEO and well-being of our tion. Queens borough business community. president-elect Donovan Richards, Thank you for the continued who is our featured cover story this support of your Queens Chamber, month, is poised to continue mov- we are in this thing together. Stay ing this most diverse area forward optimistic and strong, brighter by ensuring we emerge stronger days are coming. And never, ever than ever. surrender!

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QUEENS QUICKLY

FLUSHING BANK’S MAIN STREET LENDING

Flushing Bank is accepting applications for the Main Street Lending Program made available to businesses through the Federal Reserve.

The Federal Reserve established the Main Street Lending Program to support lending to small and medium-sized businesses that were in sound financial condition before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program will operate through three facilities: the Main Street New Loan Facility (MSNLF), the Main Street Priority Loan Facility (MSPLF), and the Main Street Expanded Loan Facility (MSELF).

“We are very pleased that Flushing Bank has been approved as one of only nine participating Main Street Lending Program lenders in New York and that we have begun accepting Program applications,” said CEO John Buran. “We recognize that small and medium-sized businesses in our market are struggling to manage through

Follow the Queens Chamber on WeChat! Scan the QR code today.

this healthcare crisis. These businesses play an important role in the economic health of our local communities and are vital to our economic recovery.”

For more information visit flushingbank.com/ covid19relief.

PROGRAM DELIVERS FOOD & SUMMER JOBS Throughout the pandemic, issues of food insecurity and unemployment have been exacerbated in the neighborhoods hardest hit

by COVID-19. This summer, a new youth employment initiative seeks to address both these challenges simultaneously.

At the beginning of July, eight southeast Queens teens began the “Senior Deliveries and Culinary Program,” which provides an opportunity for the community’s young people to gain professional skills while delivering nutritious food to area seniors.

Each Wednesday, participants prepare 140 healthy meals in a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen at Forestdale in Forest Hills. The next day, the teens distribute their culinary creations to seniors in Rochdale Village and surrounding buildings.

Fresh ingredients, including 40 pounds of chicken, 25 pounds of rice and 15 pounds of produce, are donated weekly by Kommissary LIC, a local commercial kitchen.

On Fridays, the youth and their families also meet remotely to discuss their experiences and to hear from guest speakers.

The program is the brainchild of 100 Suits for 100 Men founder Kevin Livingston, and is designed to help students develop culinary skills, as well as teach team building, financial literacy, time management and organizational skills.

“We are very excited to have this great part-

nership, but most of all provide opportunities for our young people in our community,” said Livingston. “This is a clear example of the community creating its own opportunities, and that’s what we’ve done here with our partners. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

The program is financially supported by the Office of the Queens Borough President, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates, and Feel Beauty Supply in Jamaica, with additional funds, as well as PPE, coming from Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.

Acting Borough President Sharon Lee, alongside Livingston and other community leaders, officially launched the program last week outside Rochdale Village.

Many emphasized the importance of youth engagement initiatives in communities that

Eight teens from southeast Queens were selected to participate in the program, learning culinary and professional skills while feeding seniors in Rochdale.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Nicholas Melito to Take Helm at Msgr. McClancy ................................7

Development Group Unveils “Innovation QNS” Project ..................................18

EXPERT ADVICE: Helping Children Cope With COVID ................8

Stay Connected With the Queens Chamber in August .....................................19

RDS Pivots Operations to Help Feed Frontline Workers ......................9

Chamber Welcomes New Members ........................................................................21

Local Photographer Joins “10,000 Headshots” Initiative .....................11 COVER STORY: Donovan Richards Talks Recovery in Queens ....12 DWCP Commissioner Tours 82nd Street Businesses ...........................14 Group Pushing for Permanent Outdoor Eating on 37th Avenue .......15 4

PUBLISHER Walter H. Sanchez

MANAGING EDITOR Shane Miller

MARKETING DIRECTOR John Sanchez BQE Media, 45-23 47th St., 2nd Floor, Woodside, NY 11377 Phone: (718) 426-7200 Fax: (347) 507-5827

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8 struggle with gun violence.

“This is transformational when you talk about changing lives and inspiring young people to stay out of trouble,” said Councilman Donovan Richards,.

“Everyone raises the question of how do you stop the shootings,” he added. “You invest in young people, it’s that simple. That is prevention.”

Following relentless advocacy by parents, students and educators, the city budgeted funds for a Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) after Mayor Bill de Blasio initially suspended the citywide initiative back in April citing public health concerns.

Summer Bridge will be distinct from the traditional SYEP programs held annually. The program has been shifted to a virtual format, and condensed to a five-week period.

Nearly 35,000 young people across the city will use time off from school for civic engagement as they earn stipends ranging from $700 to $1,000.

“Restoring the Summer Youth Employment Program was an absolute must for the City Council this year,” said Speaker Corey Johnson in a statement. “This program is a lifeline for so many New York City children, and its impact can last a lifetime.”

(SARA KREVOY)

FUNDS FOR NEW TECH AT MOUNT SINAI A western Queens hospital will receive funding to purchase new medical equipment.

In the city’s latest budget, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and the Queens delegation helped secure $3 million for Mount Sinai Queens in Astoria. The medical facility will use the funds to buy new MRI and CT scan machines.

“Mount Sinai Queens saved my life and the lives of many western Queens residents because it puts the health of this community above everything else,” said Councilman Costa Constantinides, who was hospitalized several times during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This crisis shows we must expand and build more hospital space in the boroughs.”

Mount Sinai Queens and Elmhurst Hospital are the only two hospitals that serve the western Queens area. Their frontline workers treated many patients afflicted with COVID-19 as Queens became the epicenter of the outbreak.

The Astoria hospital, which has undergone a recent expansion, celebrated the opening of its Cerebrovascular Stroke Center last summer, thanks to nearly $2 million in funding from the City Council.

“The expansion of our imaging services with an additional MRI and CT scanner will improve access to care and enhance the patient experi-

QUEENS QUICKLY

ence,” said Caryn A. Schwab, executive director of Mount Sinai Queens. “This equipment is critical in the screening, diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of diseases including cancer care.”

(BENJAMIN FANG)

OFFICIALS OPEN NEW GATEWAY PARK A vision two decades in the making has finally become a reality in Jamaica.

Last Tuesday, representatives from various city agencies, elected officials and community leaders cut the ribbon on a $19.8 million project to activate a once dormant part of the neighborhood.

Managed by the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the project extended Atlantic Avenue one block south to 95th Avenue.

The roadway improves access between the Van Wyck Expressway and the Jamaica LIRR and AirTrain station transit hub.

EDC, along with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Parks Department, also created the new Gateway Park, which consists of three smaller “pocket parks” adjacent to the roadway. The new park adds 0.86 acres of open space to the area.

Gateway Park has three different components, including an active play space for kids and a quiet space for seniors. Loeb said the park will

provide older adults relief from the “hustle and bustle of the neighborhood.”

“It’s a wonderful respite in this sort of jungle of urban concrete,” said Hope Knight, president and CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation. “There’s something for everybody.”

Knight, who said the project has been a long time coming, said she welcomes the easing of the congestion off the Van Wyck Expressway.

“Anything that eases congestion in Downtown Jamaica is helpful to businesses,” she said.

“Even given the environment that we’re in, it’s still fairly congested along the major arteries like Jamaica Avenue, Archer Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard.”

The funding for the project came for several sources, including $9.3 million in city capital funding, $3 million from the Queens Borough President’s Office, and $7.5 million in grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration.

It’s part of the larger Jamaica NOW Action Plan, a $153 million effort to promote commercial growth and economic development, increase access to jobs, and improve livability in the area.

Councilman I. Daneek Miller said the city learned during the pandemic that having open spaces and opportunities to be outdoors in an organized and managed way matters.

“We want to make sure families have an opportunity to come out and enjoy this,” he said.

Elected and city officials cut the ribbon on the new Gateway Park in Jamaica.

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PROMOTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & APPOINTMENTS He had also served as director of neonatal car- Cornell Medicine, has also served as the direcMalek joins Daniel diac surgery at the University of Mississippi tor of the interventional cardiology fellowship Medical Center and head of the congenital heart training program at Weill Cornell Medicine for Gale Sotheby’s team program in Hamburg, Germany. the past 12 years, where he trains the next genDaniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty recently welcomed top producing real estate advisor GiGi Malek to its Astoria/Long Island City team.

Malek is well known to the Queens community. A resident of Forest Hills for more than 45 years, Malek has built a strong base of loyal customers over 18 years that includes some of New York’s most influential individuals and international investors.

A successful business MALEK owner and investor with a degree in international marketing from St. John’s University, Malek is a skilled marketer and negotiator who understands the value of digital marketing techniques, as well as the personal connections that close sales.

Her transactional experiences encompass every type of dwelling, from co-ops to multimillion dollar properties. Malek is committed to helping her clients and customers add value to older homes, restoring and preserving their historic identity.

Dodge-Khatami to head heart surgery Dr. Ali Dodge-Khatami has been named system chief of pediatric and congenital heart surgery at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. He also is a professor of surgery and pediatrics at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

In his new role, Dodge-Khatami will focus primarily on the repair/palliation of complex neonatal defects.

“Given Dr. Dodge-Khatami’s international presence and experience, his arrival surely takes us to the next level of excellence in pediatric and neonatal cardiac services,” said Dr. Charles Schleien, senior vice president and chair of pediatric services at Northwell Health.

Dodge-Khatami earned his medical degree from the University of Geneva, with PhD degrees from the University of Amsterdam and the University of Zurich.

Prior to joining Northwell, Dodge-Khatami served as the director of cardiac surgery at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.

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He has published extensively on topics related to congenital cardiovascular conditions, as well as surgical treatments for both children and adults. He serves on multiple editorial journal boards and is the author of numerous cardiothoracic surgical book chapters, with more than 120 indexed articles on PubMed. Dodge-Khatami is fluent in English, DODGE-KHATAMI French and German and proficient in Farsi, Dutch and Spanish. He is a frequent participant in humanitarian missions for the development of pediatric and congenital heart surgery in such diverse areas as Kenya, Macedonia, Vietnam, Honduras, Russia, Ukraine and Libya.

Minutello to bring new tech to NYPQ Dr. Robert M. Minutello, an interventional cardiologist with a long history at NewYorkPresbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, has been named director of the cardiac catheterization lab and director of the structural heart disease program at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, where he will also lead the new Heart Valve Center.

The Heart Valve Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is the only center in Queens to offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). TAVR is an advanced, minimally invasive procedure for patients with a severe narrowing of the aortic valve opening.

TAVR allows doctors to implant a device into a heart valve without open surgery.

“Over the last decade, TAVR has transformed the care for patients with aortic stenosis, a common condition for older people,” said Minutello.

“We are excited to be making this effective and lifesaving procedure more convenient and MINUTELLO accessible for patients who live in Queens.”

Minutello, an associate professor of clinical medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Weill

eration of cardiologists.

“Dr. Minutello is a skilled physician, committed mentor, and innovative researcher whose leadership will help bring advanced technologies in cardiac care to Queens residents,” said Dr. David Slotwiner, chief of the division of cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens.

Minutello has extensive experience in TAVR, and helped launch the TAVR program at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in 2013. He also specializes in angioplasty and stenting, heart procedures that restore or improve blood flow to the arteries, as well as the interventional management of valvular heart disease, characterized by damage in the heart valves.

“Innovations in cardiology have broadened the horizons of how we can treat patients with valvular and structural heart disease with minimally invasive techniques,” said Minutello.

“The team at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens will be at the forefront of advancing these technologies to provide better treatments for our patients.”

A Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Minutello has worked jointly with the state Department of Health in outcomes data analysis using the statewide angioplasty registry.

Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140 Jackson Heights, N.Y. 11370-1131 Entire Contents Copyright 2020 by Queensborough. All letters sent to the QUEENSBOROUGH should be brief and are subject to condensation. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of the QUEENSBOROUGH. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to the QUEENSBOROUGH within five days of publication.

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August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

PROMOTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & APPOINTMENTS

MELITO TO TAKE HELM AT MSGR. MCCLANCY BROTHER ROCCO WILL MOVE TO ASTORIA’S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

BY BENJAMIN FANG A new era of leadership has begun at Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in East Elmhurst.

On July 1, Nicholas Melito started his term as the school’s new president. He previously served as a global studies teacher, varsity baseball coach and director of admissions. He was appointed to McClancy’s administrative team as assistant to the president in 2006.

Melito, a 1976 graduate of McClancy, succeeded Brother Joseph Rocco, who was president of the school for the last 16 years. Rocco also served as principal, assistant principal for academics and teacher of Spanish and religion.

“I wouldn’t be present today if it wasn’t for the mentorship of Brother Joseph,” Melito said.

Since the start of his term, Melito said the transition to president has been going well.

“You learn a little bit more everyday,” he said.

“You get to appreciate more of what he actually has done for the school.”

As the first layperson president for the school, Melito said he feels a little more pressure not from the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, but from himself.

“It’s inner pressure,” he said, “to make sure that we continue what’s been established and maybe try to make it a little bit better.”

Even before the leadership transition commenced, Rocco and Melito faced a host of challenges when the coronavirus pandemic hit New York City. The school instituted remote learning and had to figure out how to celebrate the class of 2020.

Rather than hosting a massive ceremony on their athletic field with hundreds of people in attendance, the school assigned each student a time to arrive for an individualized celebration.

Administrators set up a podium, red carpet and backdrop in front of the school. The local police precinct closed off the street to traffic.

When each student arrived with their parents, their names were announced along with a list of their activities and accolades. They were handed a diploma and yearbook, bumped elbows with the president and principal, and had their pictures taken by a photographer.

The entire event took less than four hours on a Saturday morning, said Melito, who was pleased with how it turned out.

Nicholas Melito, right, has succeeded Brother Joseph Rocco, left, as president of Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School.

“It was great,” he said. “Every decision from March to graduation was based on the safety of our students and staff.”

With the fall semester quickly approaching, Melito said the school is already investing in the facility to make it safe for students to return.

McClancy is updating its filtration system and rewiring the entire school. They also added UV lighting.

“One of the reasons to rewire the system is for the UV lights to work,” Melito explained.

“There has to be 10 percent airflow constantly.”

The administration is also working on a way to allow students to have a choice of coming to school or continue remote learning at home.

One possibility is live-streaming classes so students who prefer the latter option won’t miss a beat.

The goal is to emulate the class day as fully as possible, Melito said, including eight periods a day and 40 minutes for lunch.

“We’ve been working since April on how to open this building,” he said. “But rest assured we are doing everything we can to ensure an education whether they’re sitting here or at home.”

As for Rocco, he has started a new role as principal of Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Astoria. An alumnus from the class of 1962, he has already hit the ground running, interviewing for a few new positions.

Rocco said the academy has an enrollment of close to 200 students, including 54 registered for its Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program.

Right now, Immaculate Conception has three UPK classes of 15 students each, and will see if it can open up a fourth class.

The school is also picking up more students in the first and second grade as parents get the word that Catholic schools are making every effort to open, Rocco said.

He said the school building has large enough classrooms to allow students to socially distance. Immaculate Conception also has a large gym and auditorium.

“I think we’ll be able to open,” Rocco said.

Melito said the biggest thing his predecessor will do for Immaculate Conception is motivate the teachers.

“They’re getting a person as principal who can be president of a university,” he said.

Rocco said one of his goals will be to improve the junior high school to make it more competitive with other academies, middle schools and charter schools.

“We’ve got to be very competitive with that level,” Rocco said. “We have to strengthen our programs.”

Two years after retiring as the longtime head baseball coach at McClancy, a year in which two alumni were drafted into the Major League Baseball farm system, Melito also has high praise for his successor, Middle Village resident Tom Cloonen.

He noted that ten students from their team under the leadership of Cloonen are already playing college baseball.

“He’s done an amazing job,” Melito said.

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

EXPERT ADVICE

SUPPORTING CHILDREN DURING COVID-19

BY JENNIFER PINTILIANO MD, FAAP ELMHURST HOSPITAL The coronavirus pandemic has affected the way that we all live.

There is constant media exposure and many children have parents that work in the health care field.

Adults may think that children will not notice all the changes and the stress, but they are very sensitive to what is going on. Young children are highly affected by the quarantine and the anxiety of their parents and other adults.

Young children usually cannot express their distress and fears, so parents need to be aware of behaviors that can be observed. These include frequent crying, difficulty staying still, problems falling and staying asleep, nightmares, clinging to their caregivers and fears of being alone.

They can exhibit repetitive play, meaning they may repeat over and over again what they have heard.

Young children may try to take special care of their dolls or stuffed animals and hide or cover them.

Some children may become very aggressive and angry. Others may withdraw from contact. Some may lose their toilet training, want a bottle rather than drinking from a glass, eat baby food or refuse to eat, and/or talk like a much younger child.

Older children and adolescents need their parents and other adults to be emotionally available to listen to them and hear their concerns.

Parents should provide accurate, truthful information to adolescents.

Common behaviors that this group may exhibit during stress include aggression, withdrawal, difficulty sleeping and regression.

What can you do to help your children?

• Create daily routines that

include keeping set mealtimes, bedtimes and finding a time to do enjoyable things. For younger children, this can be sing-alongs, reading a book or playing games together.

For older children it could be having a talk, listening to music together or watching a movie or TV show as a family. It is important for your child to know that you will make time for them every day. Tell them you love them and give them plenty of affection.

• Support and reassurance from parents or caregivers is very important during periods of stress and after the acute disaster is over. Help children in a way that is appropriate for their age. Keep explanations simple.

Remind children that researchers and doctors are learning as much as they can, as quickly as they can, about the virus and are taking steps to keep everyone safe. Help them understand that the pandemic will end and reasons why they cannot go to school or visit their friends.

Remind your children of what they can do to help, such as washing their hands often, coughing into a tissue or their sleeves, and getting enough sleep.

• Monitor their media. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents and others who work closely with children to filter information and talk about the pandemic in a way that their child can understand.

Keep young children away from frightening images they may see on television, social media, computers, etc. For older children, talk together about what they are hear-

Adapted from “Advice for Parents of Young Children During the Epidemic and Supporting Older Children & Adolescents Affected by and Isolated because of the COVID-19 Epidemic” (Joy D. Osofsky, Ph,D. and Howard J. Osofsky, M.D., Ph.D.), HealthyChildren.org, and “Giving Kids with ADHD Support and Structure During the Coronavirus Crisis” (Caroline Miller).

8

ing on the news and correct any misinformation or rumors.

• Take care of yourself. This is very important. Even if children are not directly exposed to the trauma, they can recognize stress and worry in older children and adults in the house.

• Be a good role model. COVID19 doesn’t discriminate and neither should we. While COVID-19 started in Wuhan, China, it doesn’t mean that having Asian ancestry – or any other ancestry – makes someone more susceptible to the virus or more contagious.

have in keeping your child or teen organized, focused and on task.

All parents should feel comfortable asking questions like, “What has worked for my child in the past when they needed to focus?”; “How much assistance should I be providing during homework?”; and “Who is in charge of monitoring assignment completion?”

All children will benefit from structure, so it’s important to have a schedule that is posted in the home.

Schedule breaks during the school day. Research shows that children can focus and work effectively for

“

OLDER CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS NEED THEIR PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS TO BE EMOTIONALLY AVAILABLE TO LISTEN TO THEM AND HEAR THEIR CONCERNS.

”

- DR. JENNIFER PINTILIANO

Stigma and discrimination hurt everyone by creating fear or anger towards others. When you show empathy and support to those who are ill, your children will too.

• Communicate with school.

With social distancing in effect, children have to adjust to new ways of learning through remote schooling. Ask teachers and school staff how much of a role you should

45 minutes at a time, at most.

Alternate schoolwork with enjoyable activities. Always make sure to give positive feedback to your child—tell them how great they are doing!

For more information on coronavirus and children, please visit healthychildren.org, cdc.gov, and childmind.org.

RSD MEAL DELIVERIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

this inspires other landlords that rent to restaurants will follow suit.”

In addition, RDS Delivery is delivering meals for Catholic Charities of New York, Citymeals on Wheels, Housing Works, North Brooklyn Angels, Rethink Food NYC and World Kitchen.

“What shocks me is how just helping a client make the most of a challenging situation ballooned

into delivering over 25,000 meals a week,” Zogby said. “We’ve been in the delivery business since 1973 and transported everything from paper to human tissue, but never pre-made meals.

“We found a way to leverage what we knew and who we knew to grow this effort into what it’s become today,” he added. “It’s been fueled by hope, faith and a belief in doing the right thing. It’s become so much more than we ever anticipated.”

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS

FROM DELIVERING GOODS TO DELIVERING HOPE A courier company has found a way to stimulate the local economy, keep restaurant workers employed, and feed frontline heroes, senior citizens and those in need. And it all began with a random act of kindness.

Since April 1, RDS Delivery in Long Island City has delivered over 137,000 meals to healthcare workers and those in need. It started with a call to Larry Zogby, the owner of RDS delivery, from Andy Duddleston, managing partner of The Little Beet in Manhattan.

The chain is a long-time client of RDS Delivery, which delivers products between their seven metro-area restaurants. Duddleston told Zogby he had an inventory of food he Meals ready to be delivered to frontline workers being picked up at Just Salad. would not be able to serve because he expected the governor to shut down the state, including restau- Mulligan, CEO of The Little Beet worked together for years, how- organization has sent over 92,000 rants.

Brands said. ever during the COVID-19 crisis meals to hospital workers made by He asked him to help him find Soon RDS was delivering over we have found that we can band restaurants that lease space from a way to get the food to those 25,000 meals a week, working with together to serve our city in new them. who needed it, and the economic other restaurants to not only hospital ways that are very meaningful.

They turned to RDS to deliver slowdown meant RDS Delivery had staff, but also those who depend on “From taking donations to food those meals. excess capacity. soup kitchens and other communi- banks when we closed restaurants “Every time we did one of those “Andy called on us to move the ty-based organizations. to stepping up for daily deliveries deliveries, we would take photos excess food inventory to soup kitch“In the process, we’ve become to hospitals, frontline workers, and and post them on our social media,” ens and nonpart of a big- our cities most vulnerable and food said Zogby. “We shared these phoprofits,” said ger effort that challenged, Larry just says ‘yes’ and tos with Food First. They, in turn Zogby. “We not only feeds figures out how to make it happen,” shared them with their donors, resloved the idea people, but she continued. taurant owners and management of helping to also keeps Soon, Mulligan got a call from and posted them on their social put that food restaurants in Samantha Katz, CEO of Chefs media platforms. to good use business and With Spirits. Katz is also con“Those photos generated interinstead of it their workers nected to the World Kitchen, a est, and that interest spawned donagoing to waste e m p l o y e d , ” nonprofit started by celebrity chef tions,” he continued. “The more we or ending up in Zogby said. José Andrés to fight hunger in the did and the more we posted, the the garbage.”

“I was truly face of tragedies. more steam the effort generated.

Then, one amazed and They asked Little Beet to prepare People were able to see where their RDS Delivery provides messenger, of the restauproud at how and deliver 7,000 meals per week donations were going, and they conrush, same-day and next-day deliver- we all worked for World Kitchen, and Mulligan in tributed more.” rant’s patrons ies and scheduled delivery services. raised $30,000 together dur- turn asked RDS to help them those RDS Delivery is currently delivThey run dedicated routes as well to feed fronting this pan- meals to frontline workers. ering meals for Food First from as a Rent-a-Messenger program for line workers, demic for the “The next thing you know, we’re Armani Ristourante, Avere, NY special projects. Their warehousmaking it posgood of the delivering 7,000 to 10,000 meals a Vintners, Little Beet, Eat Real Tacos, ing capabilities include storage sible for Little whole. I am week combined,” recalled Zogby. Just Salads, Juice Press, Sushi Ito, and retrieval, and they also provide Beet restau- professional mailroom management. a firm believ- “Everything aligned to make that Stout and 5 Guys to hospitals and rants to make er that good initial act of kindness reverberate.” community-based organizations.

Learn more at RDSDelivery.com. anywhere things can The Little Beet’s landlord, SL “It’s bringing back hundreds of from 250 to always arise Green Realty Corporation, was also employees who depend on those 500 meals a day for hospital staff from a crisis.” looking for a way to support strug- paychecks to support their famiaround the city.

“Larry and the entire RDS team gling restaurants. They donated lies,” said Zogby. “We’re hoping “I have no idea how we’re going are amazing partners for The Little $1 million and formed a nonprofit to deliver all that food,” said Becky Beet,” added Mulligan. “We have called Food First. As of July 3, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

9

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

NONPROFIT NEWS

COVID RELIEF EFFORT BECOMES NONPROFIT It was very good. Now, it’s new and improved.

Queens Together, which was established in March 2020 to feed people facing hunger and health care workers who were treating COVID-19 patients in local hospitals, recently became a nonprofit membership organization for foodrelated businesses.

Based in Astoria but serving the entire borough, Queens Together will operate like a trade association, providing advocacy, education, savings, marketing, and income opportunities to members. Community service ─ most frequently feeding underserved populations ─ is also a mainstay of its mission.

Jonathan Forgash, a chef and business leader, will lead the new agency, while Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District executive director Jaime-Faye Bean will serve as the treasurer and government liaison officer.

Membership fees are $329 a year, and Forgash anticipates that Queens Together will grow into a large and diverse group, consisting of restaurant and café owners, specialty product makers, beverage vendors, and wholesalers.

Queens Together is already organizing webinars on such topics as compliance with COVID-19 guidelines and good business practices.

Soon, Forgash and Bean plan to set up meetings with elected officials, government agency representatives, and civic leaders.

In the near future, they’ll organize flash sales, bulk-purchasing deals, gift card discounts, and event-planning offers, while also negotiating low-cost, high-quality contracts with providers of such services as hood cleaning, inspections, and wholesale products.

“The Queens Together Association is creating one strong voice to represent, empower, and support the diverse food industry of our amazing borough,” Forgash stated.

“We’re going to deliver real dollars, real savings, and real promotions.”

At the height of the COVID-19 cri-

10

sis this past spring, Queens Together worked with Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee, Queens Economic Development Corporation, and the Queens Night Market on “Fuel the Frontlines.”

The joint initiative raised money to hire local companies to prepare thousands of ready-to-go meals for health care professionals and others.

Before Queens Together, Forgash ran Star Struck Catering, a film and TV industry catering service, for more than 20 years.

In 2016, he co-founded the Queens Dinner Club, an informal group that gets together for periodic meals at different borough venues, with Joe DiStefano, a blogger and Queens Tourism Council’s official foodie, and long-time restaurant promoter Gabe Gross.

He also organizes events, such as “Dining For Justice,” which raise money for social-justice causes.

Before joining Sunnyside Shines, Bean worked for such nonprofits as Weill Cornell Medicine, ASPCA, and ArteEast, which supports

Middle Eastern artists and collaboratives. She’s on Thalía Spanish Theatre’s board of directors and a member of the Moving of

the Moving Image’s Neighborhood Council.

visitors to its grounds once again.

The 39-acre oasis celebrated a return to in-person operations on July 20, as New York City initiated Phase IV of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s reopening plan, which

included low-risk outdoor venues such as botanical gardens and zoos.

“It is such a relief and joy to be open again,” said executive direc-

Learn more at queenstogether.org.

QBG IS BACK IN FULL BLOOM

BY SARA KREVOY After remaining closed for more than four months amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Queens Botanical Garden is now welcoming

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 PHOTO: ERYN HATZITHOMAS

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

NONPROFIT NEWS

INITIATIVE SHOOTS FOR 10,000 HEADSHOTS

BY SAMANTHA GALVEZ-MONTIEL Local photographer Irene Bello took part in the “10,000 Headshots” initiative, a nationwide event to help unemployed Americans update their professional profile in an effort to find work.

Bello was laid off about ten years ago from a job in the corporate world. Photography was always her passion, so decided to pursue it full time.

“When I heard about the initiative of giving

back to the unemployed workers, I was totally on board because I know the importance of a headshot and what it is to get a job,” she said. “I know the feeling of being unemployed.”

“10,000 Headshots” is the brainchild of Tony Taafe, who co-founded Headshot Booker with renowned portrait photographer Peter Hurley and national event photographer Lauren Lieberman. Taafe recalled the struggles his father had with unemployment and the impact it had on his entire family.

“A headshot is really important today in the

job market, it’s your digital handshake basically and just a selfie or a photo that you took at your cousin’s wedding is not going to suffice because unintentionally people will make judgments just by looking at a picture of you,” Bello said.

At last month’s event, Bello said 50 percent of the attendees were actors and actresses, while the other half were corporate workers.

“Giving people confidence and a self-esteem boost and hoping that they can take the next step in getting a job was a huge accomplishment for me,” Bello said.

BOTANICAL GARDEN BEGINS WELCOMING VISITORS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 tor Susan Lacerte. “It was wonderful to see people and their smiling faces come through the gates on our opening day. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to enjoy this outdoor treasure in Flushing.”

The Queens Botanical Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Various safety measures have also been implemented to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

State guidelines mandate that the garden

admit only one-third of its standard capacity, and guests must wear face coverings and maintain a six-foot distance between themselves and others. Masks are available for purchase upon entry.

Staff are also disinfecting high-touch surfaces throughout the day, and multiple hand sanitizer dispensers are stationed throughout the grounds.

Though the visitors building, which houses the Garden’s gallery, is closed to the public, art is still incorporated into the experience with outdoor installations, thanks to a collaboration

with AnkhLave Arts Alliance, a nonprofit that works toward inclusivity and representation in the contemporary art world.

By presenting art in a nontraditional setting like the Queens Botanical Garden, AnkhLave aims to promote artists of color, who represent the institution’s diverse visiting audience.

Six local artists were selected to create sitespecific installations for locations throughout the garden. Information about the exhibiting artists and the Queens Botanical Garden’s reopening can be found at queensbotanical. org.

11

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

COVER STORY

RICHARDS AIMS TO REBUILD A STRONGER QUEENS DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR BP TALKS ECONOMY, PUBLIC SAFETY

BY BENJAMIN FANG As the Democratic nominee for Queens borough president, Donovan Richards emerged victorious from a field of five candidates after a hard-fought primary.

Although he said he’s excited about moving ahead to the general election in November, the southeast Queens councilman is already looking forward to tackling the challenges facing Queens, from the coronavirus pandemic to the economic downturn.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said. “Our borough is facing immense challenges pertaining to COVID and the underlying disparities that have existed for a long time, that have shown their ugly heads.”

His first priority is to “stop the bleeding.” Richards pointed out that the city is not out of the woods yet on COVID-19. He wants to ensure hospitals have the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and resources in case of another surge in infections.

The resulting economic crisis has resulted in rising food insecurity.

Richards said with unemployment rising and small businesses struggling, he wants the city to focus on pockets of the borough where people are choosing between a meal and paying rent.

The Democratic nominee also anticipates a surge in homelessness, highlighting the need for affordable housing even more.

“Anything we can do to strengthen the food network is an immediate priority,” he said.

In terms of the economy, Richards predicted that it won’t pick up for another three to four years until the city returns to some sense of normalcy. He’s already seeing more “For Rent” signs in major commercial corridors.

What doesn’t help the borough’s recovery, he said, is only getting 9 percent of the city’s loans and

12

grants, which he said is unacceptable. At Borough Hall, his job will be steering the proper city agencies to the table and making the case for greater resources for Queens.

“We have to fight for it,” he said.

“We’re fighting for the soul of our borough.”

But while he’s still in the City Council, Richards has introduced legislation mandating the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to report on where their loans and grants are going.

“That transparency will aid us in the argument of saying the city needs to do better,” he added.

Richards wants to see an expansion of programs like Chamber on the Go, which provides a neighborhood connection from SBS directly to small businesses. He also believes the city should be putting more money into grants instead of loans.

“SBS needs to feel like a permanent footprint in this borough,” he said, “working with businesses, even around regulations with COVID.” With developments happening all across the borough, from Astoria and Long Island City to Willets Points and the Rockaways, as well as the redevelopment of both airports, Richards said there are many opportunities to leverage publicprivate partnerships to assist small businesses.

“We have so much to offer, the most exciting development projects are here,” he said. “Don’t shortchange us.”

A successful recovery will also depend on stimulus dollars from the federal government. The councilman said the city needs its congressional representatives, especially in the Senate, to deliver. He hopes the next stimulus package will include dollars for state and local governments to reduce the budget gap.

On a more personal level, Richards urged Queens residents to

Former borough president Claire Shulman was an early supporter of Councilman Donovan Richards, endorsing him for her former post last October in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. shop at their local businesses.

Despite the rise of online shopping and a shift in consumer behavior, he said locals should get back into the habit of frequenting neighborhood institutions.

While risks with the virus still exist, he believes it’s possible to balance business interests with safety. After all, he said, small businesses are the “lifeblood of our neighborhoods.”

“We want to be healthy and have a healthy economy,” Richards said.

“We shouldn’t have to choose.”

Particularly instructive when it comes to recovery is his experience helping the Rockaways recover after Superstorm Sandy.

Richards recalled getting all of the borough’s business development organizations together and urging them to work in unity. Similarly, he wants business improvement districts, chambers of commerce and other groups to come up with a comprehensive plan with recommendations, goals and objectives. They will then work with the city to execute the plan.

As the former chair of the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning, Richards was also at the table for rezonings of many areas, including his own district in Far Rockaway.

He said he leveraged publicprivate partnerships with develop-

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

COVER STORY ers to build a community center, commercial development, housing, retail, a school and a library. The project included millions of dollars for park space and two new plazas.

“These are the things we’re looking for when you come to sit down with us,” he said.

In other parts of Queens where poverty is entrenched, Richards said they will seek expanded job opportunities and mandate developers to provide monthly job reports.

The councilman acknowledged that land use is a powerful tool, but the goal isn’t just to build, but rather to have “community development.” If elected borough president, Richards said he would set up a zoning task force to identify opportunities as a borough and go to City Hall with those ideas, instead of the other way around.

“We have to be able to sit at the table, figure out a plan and push as hard as we can to leverage these opportunities,” he said. “When we do that, we build a strong Queens.”

As the current chair of the Committee on Public Safety, Richards will also focus his attention on how to keep the borough safe while reforming the NYPD. He said he wasn’t shocked to see an uptick in shootings due to the “perfect storm” created by rising unemployment, people cooped up in their homes for months and the cutting of youth programs.

Richards, who has sat down with the NYPD as an elected official, said the community can support the police while also demanding change.

“The NYPD has to hold those who don’t do courtesy, professionalism and respect accountable,” he said. “How do we reimagine policing in the 21st century?”

The councilman is advocating for more gun buybacks, more programs for youth and a pipeline of employment, especially for those who have had previous involvement with the criminal justice system.

He also supports expanding the Cure Violence programs in Queens to prevent shootings from happening in the first place.

“At Borough Hall, public safety will be at the top of my list,” he said. “I want to see us at the table with every commander, with stakeholders.

“We should set a goal to reduce shootings,” Richards added. “We want to make this the safest borough in the city of New York.”

In the recent city budget, which Richards voted against, the mayor moved money from creating a new 116th Precinct in southeast Queens in favor of a new community center. Richards said he wanted the mayor to fund both.

He sees the youth center as prevention to keep young people off the streets and a place that can offer after-school programs and tutoring.

But he also believes residents deserve services. The 105th Precinct, he noted, has the longest police response times in the city and covers the largest geographical area of all precincts.

Like many issues, Richards said the community shouldn’t have to choose one or the other.

“This was a missed opportunity,” he said. “We deserve the services.”

As for his vote on the budget, Richards said it did not make sense to hire a new police class while cutting programs like the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which he called counterproductive.

He said every city agency had to make cuts, but the NYPD wasn’t even initially asked to make a 1 percent cut, which he said was “ridiculous.”

“There does need to be a culture shift in the NYPD in some areas,” he said. “There are some things that build mistrust with the community and makes the city less safe.

“We have never said we don’t want police, we want good police officers,” he added. “There’s no contradiction in that.”

Just like after the devastation from Superstorm Sandy, Queens will have to “swim through this tough time,” but has shown the will to bounce back, Richards said.

“Queens, I believe, will lead the way into the future,” he said.

Councilman Donovan Richards (center) helps break ground on a new park in the Rockaways last October.

“Queens is going to be the template of where this country needs to go as we rebuild our economy and celebrate our differences.”

The Democratic nominee for borough president wants to repli-

cate what he’s done in his district as a councilman and move Queens forward.

“We’ll be Queens strong,” he said. “We’ll get through this together.”

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS

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Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Lorelei Salas (left) walks along 82nd Street in Jackson Heights.

BY VICKY FERREIRA QUEENS CHAMBER OUTREACH ASSOCIATE Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Lorelei Salas last month visited businesses in the 82nd Street BID in Jackson Heights, one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID-19.

The group visited boutiques, bakeries, jewelry stores, and restaurants, many of which are struggling to reopen. It was organized in conjunction with the BID and Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Salas was joined by senior community relations director David Raja, director of Community Affairs Tanjila Rahman, and other staff members on a walking tour of the busy retail corridor to educate business owners and employees about their rights and responsibilities during the city’s reopening, as well make them aware of guidelines and available resources.

The visit was part of the department’s Business Education Day, a community outreach event to assist merchants who might be unfamiliar with city regulations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

For example, a retail shop must post signs and put tape or other

markers on the floor to ensure six feet of distance between customers and require face coverings at all times.

Salas also noted that retail shops must display a price list and information on the store’s refund policies.

To contact the DCWP hotline, call (212) 436-0381 with questions about reopening, health and safety guidelines for the workplace.

An inspector from DWCP takes a look around a hair salon.

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS

PUSH FOR PERMANENT SIDEWALK CAFES

BY BENJAMIN FANG For more than a decade, Jackson Heights activist Alfonso Quiroz has pushed for sidewalk cafes in his neighborhood, but to no avail.

“You can trip over them anywhere you go in Manhattan,” he said. “But for some reason, Jackson Heights, and really a lot of places in Queens, do not have them.”

After the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Quiroz relaunched his advocacy for restaurants on 37th Avenue to have outdoor dining. Now that many restaurants have set up sidewalk cafes for the summer, he wants the city to allow them to stay permanently.

“We want an area where people can come and eat safely outside while still social distancing,” he said.

Quiroz started the grassroots group 37th Avenue Sidewalk Cafe Coalition, made up of local merchants and residents. He created accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

On the coalition’s social media pages, restaurants can find out the latest information about rules and regulations. Residents can also find news about local restaurant openings, specials or menus.

Quiroz said businesses along 37th Avenue have faced some difficulty adjusting to the new regulations early on when they were in flux.

He also noted that restaurants that were affected by the pandemic were short on cash.

“A lot of these small businesses do not have any money left over,” he said. “To create something like this costs $10,000. It’s not cheap to pull this all together.”

On July 30, the 37th Avenue Sidewalk Cafe Coalition teamed up with the Queens Chamber of Commerce to hand out masks, gloves and face shields to local businesses in front of Hombres Lounge in Jackson Heights. They also distributed the personal protective equipment (PPE) to residents and passersby.

The coalition founder said he’s worked with the chamber in the

past, so when he called to ask about a collaboration, they did not hesitate to accept.

In addition to handing out PPE, Quiroz collected signatures for a petition to make the sidewalk cafes on 37th Avenue permanent. He has already collected hundreds of signatures, including on an online petition.

Although the city officials he has pitched the idea to seem to be receptive, Quiroz said the “devil is in the details.” In the meantime, before the sidewalk cafes are removed in the fall, the local activist wants to build enough support, and collect enough signatures, to take the idea to the mayor.

“We need to build a little bit of momentum, which we’ve been doing so far, so it’s been good,” he said.

Quiroz noted that not only are building and installing sidewalk cafes expensive, but also time consuming. He said he wants the city to lower the costs, while also cutting red tape to ensure the process is easier for small businesses.

Jackson Heights activist Alfonso Quiroz (left) is collecting signatures to make sidewalk cafes permanent on 37th Avenue.

Most of the small businesses along the 37th Avenue commercial corridor are not large chains, he said, but rather immigrant-owned enterprises.

“They came here, they wanted to make something of their lives

and now they’re being squeezed out by the virus,” Quiroz said. “We need to have a better dialogue with small businesses to try to help them out, and not make it so difficult for them to succeed. That’s all we’re saying.”

Staff from the Queens Chamber handed out PPE to business owners, residents and passersby.

15

this is...

The Business News of Queens & The Official Magazine of The Queens Chamber of Commerce

the Latest on the most infLuentiaL peopLe in queens Your inside scoop straight from the business community’s top leaders

Profiling Queens’ Most Dynamic People To subscribe to this monthly, glossy magazine, visit thisisqueensborough.com or call BQE Media at 718-426-7200.

To place an ad, call BQE Media at 718-426-7200.

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

QUEENSBOROUGH CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUGUST 8/3, 2 PM

GETTING BACK ON TRACK

Join our Hospitality & Restaurant Committee for this informative webinar designed specifically for those in the restaurant industry.

We’ll discuss strategic ways to drive revenue via E-commerce and guide you through the process of applying Paycheck Protection Program loans.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 8/5, 10 AM

FIRST WEDNESDAY - COFFEE, COMMERCE & CONNECTIONS

Here’s an opportunity to gain insight on returning to your physical workspace from a Human Resources prospective. In addition, you’ll make new business connections all while enjoying your favorite cup of morning brew. The guest speaker is Leah Riegel of Atlantic Human Resources Advisors.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 8/5. 11 AM

OPEN RESTAURANTS SIDEWALKS & STREETS

Learn about programs designed to assist existing food establishments that have been authorized by the State of New York to re-

open under Phase Two and want to use outdoor areas on a temporary basis.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 8/11, 10 AM

FINANCING YOUR BUSINESS

This free workshop will serve as a guideline to help you start on the right track for your start-up or operating business. You will walk away with information about the importance of utilizing a business plan, various financing options, resources for start-ups, and an overall better understanding of the fundamentals for business.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 8/12, 11 AM

FAR ROCKAWAY NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALK OUTREACH The Rockaway East Merchants Association (REMA), supported by the Queens Chamber of Commerce will be distributing face masks and other information to the local business community in downtown Far Rockaway.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org

tax returns. It is important to understand the tax implications for your small business and plan ahead. Presented by Paul Rosenblum of Numerex Services VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 8/14, 9:30 AM

THE ART OF MANAGING CONFLICT & STRESS

A one-hour workshop on how to manage the stress and conflict generated by these unsettling circumstances we find ourselves being forced to cope with. This workshop will help you manage balancing your working remotely and commitment to your clients, customers, vendors and colleagues in these competing worlds of commitments.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 8/20, 11 AM

CORONA SIDEWALK OUTREACH

The Queens Chamber of Commerce will be distributing face masks and other information to the local business community.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org

8/12, 11 AM

SMALL BUSINESS TAXES: PLAN & PREP

Tax preparation is more than just filing your

AT THE DRIVE-IN

SEPTEMBER 9/15, 11 AM

INCREASING YOUR HAPPINESS

With this workshop, participants will be able to engage in unique and helpful ways to increase their happiness, which will have a robust effect on both their professional and personal lives.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 9/29, 11 AM

WORK-LIFE BALANCE: BALANCING CAREER & HOME

Join the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Worldwide Veterans and Family Services Inc. for a webinar on the importance of maintaining your work-life balance.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org The New York Hall of Science is going Hollywood. From August to October, the Flushing Meadows Corona Park educational/ cultural center will host Queens Drive-In, screening a mix of first-run and classic films outdoors.

Organized in partnership with the Museum of the Moving Image and Rooftop Films The schedule has yet to be announced. Visit queensdrivein.com to register for an email list.

The doors will open around 7:30 p.m. each night with the event running from 8:30 to 11

p.m. As part of the fun, the Hall of Science will present live demonstrations and other educational experiences that connect to each night’s theme.

Organizers will follow city and state health guidelines to ensure the safety of all attendees.

Tickets for Queens Drive-In will be available in the coming weeks. Prices start at $35 per car (up to four passengers). A portion of the proceeds will go to Elmcor, a Queens-based nonprofit that administrates the Louis Armstrong Recreational Center.

EN ESPANOL 8/11, 2 PM

FINANCIANDO SU NEGOCIO: ALTERNATIVAS FINANCIERAS PARA SUPERAR LA CRISIS

Este seminario le servirá como guía para saber cuáles son los recursos disponibles para financiar un negocio.

VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org

17

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

DEVELOPERS UNVEIL ‘INNOVATION QNS’ PROPOSAL

BY BENJAMIN FANG A group of developers is proposing a $2 billion project to bring a mix of housing, retail, open space and community facilities to a fiveblock stretch of Astoria.

Silverstein Properties, Bedrock Real Estate Partners and Kaufman Astoria Studios unveiled their “Innovation QNS” plan last month, which they believe will reactivate the area near Steinway Street and 35th Avenue.

The proposal calls for 2,700 units of housing, 700 of which would be affordable under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program. A portion of those units will be set aside for seniors.

The developers want the affordable units to be at 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), which is roughly $61,000 for a family of three.

It would also include 250,000 square feet of office space for creative industry companies, 200,000 square feet of retail and 88,000

square feet for community facilities.

Other amenities in the district include two acres of open space, a new school, an arts and culture hub, multiplex cinema, and new grocery store.

In a briefing last week, representatives from the development team said Innovation QNS would address long-standing community needs.

“We always viewed this plan as something for the existing neighborhood and shaped by the existing neighborhood,” said Tracy Capune, vice president at Kaufman Astoria Studios.

The plan to make a “lively, walkable, mixed-use district” would generate 5,400 jobs on site, 3,700 construction jobs and 1,700 permanent jobs, according to reports.

The project would result in as much as $18 million in annual tax revenue.

“It’s really the kind of investment our community needs to jumpstart the local economy,” Capune said.

According to Capune, the development team began holding stakeholder conversations with community leaders, business owners and artists two years ago. The stakeholders included the Steinway Astoria Partnership, Central Astoria Local Development Coalition (CALDC) and the Museum of the Moving Image.

The developers also conducted an online survey of 1,200 residents and researched local businesses to develop a list of community priorities, Capune said. She broke down the identified needs into three “buckets”: economic opportunity, arts and culture, and sustainability.

Captune said the project will lead to not only construction jobs, but long-term jobs with “innovation economy companies.” They are also working to identify community entrepreneurship and jobtraining programs.

As for arts and culture, the developers are in talks with MOMI and the RIOULT Dance Center about arts and culture programming.

For the sustainability aspect, Capune said the project features not just affordable housing and green space, but also community health and wellness facilities, like urgent care clinics, doctor’s offices and more.

“We believe that’s what makes a livable neighborhood,” she said.

Eran Chen, founding principal of the architecture firm ODA New York, said 25 percent of the lot area will be used to create a series of open spaces that is “the base of this entire plan.”

The open spaces include a public park built around the current Playground 35, an urban plaza with opportunity for street art and farmer’s market, pedestrian plaza, gallery garden and two familysized courtyards.

“We’re providing more fragmented pockets of community gathering that will stimulate life in a community,” Chen said. “Those are the elements that make sustainCONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Innovation QNS, a five-block development project in Astoria, will encompass parts of 35th Avenue and Steinway Street.

18

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES 82ND STREET PARTNERSHIP

37-06 82nd Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Executive Director: Leslie Ramos 718.335.9421 82ndstreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $224,000 with

more than 200 businesses under its umbrella.

The district is on 82nd Street from 37th Avenue to Baxter Avenue. The board meets quarterly with the annual meeting in June.

There are free immigration services every Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 71-29 Roosevelt Avenue. All services are free, confidential and open to any member of the community. Some of the services include DACA, TPS and document replacement and renewal. Call (212) 652-2071 with any questions.

BAYSIDE VILLAGE BID

213-33 39th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11361 Executive Director: Christine Siletti 718.423.2434 info@baysidevillagebid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $218,000 and

over 350 members. Founded in 2007, the BID includes commercial property owners and residents on Bell Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, as well as a block east and west on 41st Avenue.

BAYSIDE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 41-16 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 President: Ed Probst Vice President: Judith Limpert 718.229.2277 info@baysideba.com baysideba.com

Founded in 2007, the BID includes commercial property owners and residents on Bell Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, as well as a block east and west on 41st Avenue.

BUSINESS CENTER FOR NEW AMERICANS (BCNA)

78-27 37 Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Business Development: Tshering Gurung 347.730.6468 tgurung@nycbcna.org QUICK GLANCE: Since 1997, BCNA has been

serving New York City entrepreneurs. BCNA is an approved Small Business Administration Intermediary Lender and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

BCNA’s Microloan program is the cornerstone of its services. They provide small business loans and microloans to business owners who are not able to obtain loans from traditional lenders.

FOREST HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PO Box 751123, Forest Hills, NY 11375 President: Leslie Brown 718.268.6565 FHChamber11375@gmail.com FHChamber@aol.com QUICK GLANCE: Re-formed in 1995, the group

has over 225 members. Chamber meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. at the West Side Tennis Club, 1 Tennis Place, in Forest Hills.

GATEWAY JFK

Executive Director: Scott Grimm-Lyon 516.730.3400 info@GatewayJFK.org GatewayJFK.org QUICK GLANCE: Formerly the Greater JFK

Industrial BID and founded in 2016, the group seeks to provide support to the off-airport air cargo and services district through supplemental services and improvements, technical and professional services for its members, and advocacy and administration.

JAMAICA CENTER BID

161-10 Jamaica Avenue, Suite 419 Jamaica, NY 11432 Executive Director: Jennifer Furioli 718.526.2422 jamaica.nyc @JamCenterBID (Twitter) @jamcenterbid (Instagram) @Jamaica Center BID (Facebook) QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1979, the Jamaica

Center BID serves over 400 businesses on Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 169th Street. With a budget of over $1 million, the BID’s goal is to promote and maintain Downtown Jamaica as a thriving business hub and an enjoyable destination to shop, work, live and visit.

GREATER FLUSHING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

39-01 Main Street, Suite 511, Flushing NY 11354 Executive Director: John Choe john@flushingchamber.nyc 646.783.8985 flushingchamber.nyc QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 2014 and repre-

senting over 200 businesses.

GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

90-04 161st Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 President: Hope Knight 718.291.0282 gjdc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1967, the group

has 75 members. GJDC’s work expands economic opportunity and improves quality of life for the ethnically and economically diverse residents of Jamaica and for the region at large, which benefits from rational, well-planned, and sustainable metropolitan growth.

GREATER WOODHAVEN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WOODHAVEN BID

84-01 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven NY 11421 718.805.0202 gwdcbid@hotmail.com woodhavenbid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $257,000 with

more than 350 businesses under its umbrella on Jamaica Avenue from Dexter Court to 100th Street. They are providing free benches for store owners along Jamaica Avenue. They also provide 2.5 and 5 percent home improvement loans.

JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. Box 300687, Jamaica, NY 11430 Executive Director: Clorinda Antonucci President: Al DePhillips Vice President: Joseph Morra JFKCoCExec@gmail.com jfkairportchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the group

has over 200 members. The chamber was chartered in 1978 by a group of business people in and around JFK Airport. It is the only airport in the nation to have its own Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber seeks to create an environment in which members of the business community can work together to enhance the growth, well being and economic development of the airport community and its aviation industry.

LONG ISLAND CITY PARTNERSHIP President: Elizabeth Lusskin 718.786.5300 longislandcityqueens.com

Founded in 1979, the Long Island City Partnership advocates for economic development that benefits LIC’s industrial, commercial, cultural and residential sectors. The goal is to attract new businesses to the neighborhood, retain those already here, welcome new residents and visitors, and promote a vibrant and authentic mixed-use community.

The LIC Partnership operates the LIC Business

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES Improvement District and the LIC Industrial Business Zone.

MASPETH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. Box 780265, Maspeth, NY 11378 President: David Daraio 718.335.1300 maspethchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1953, they have

120 members and a budget of $115,000.

MASPETH INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (MIBA)

BOC: 96-11 40th Road, Corona, NY 11368 Coordinator: Quincy Ely-Cate 718.205.3773 qelycate@bocnet.org mibanyc.org QUICK GLANCE: Covering roughly 600 busi-

nesses with 30 active members, the Maspeth Industrial Business Association provides a collective voice in advocating the needs and interests of industrial and manufacturing business-

es in Maspeth. They help companies in the Maspeth Industrial District in developing workforce, accessing tax credits, obtaining financing, navigating government regulations and, in some cases, finding real estate.

MIDDLE VILLAGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

79-47 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village, NY 11379 President: Salvatore Crifasi 718.894.8700 Sal@Crifasi.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $8,000 with 35

businesses under its umbrella. Formed in 1929.

MVCC meets annually and focuses on the Metropolitan Avenue shopping district between 69 and 80th streets. The mission is to improve the area and assist local businesses if they have any concerns or needs.

MYRTLE AVENUE BID

62-14 Myrtle Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385 Executive Director: Ted Renz 718.366.3806

QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $500,000 with

over 300 retail and service businesses under its purview. Board meetings are held four times a year with the annual meeting in June. The district includes Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood between Fresh Pond Road and Wyckoff Avenue.

Program support is provided by the Ridgewood LDC.

QUEENS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

12-55 Queens Boulevard, Room 309 Kew Gardens, NY 11424 Executive Director: Seth Bornstein 718.263.0546 queensny.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $1.5 million and a

resource for over 2,000 businesses in the borough of Queens. Register online for upcoming virtual events, including:

ROCKAWAY BUSINESS ALLIANCE

info@rockawaybusinessalliance.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $40,000 and a

WRBA DISTRIBUTES CARE PACKAGES

BY SARA KREVOY

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association recently organized its second distribution event to help neighborhood locals struggling with food insecurity during the pandemic.

Residents lined up around the block outside the WRBA office on Jamaica Avenue to collect one of 100 grocery boxes supplied through an initiative launched by FreshDirect and the Office of the Queens Borough President.

“This pandemic brought a lot of problems out,” said WRBA President Stephen Forte.

“People are losing their jobs and a lot of them don’t have enough to eat.

“Honestly, it was very surprising to me,” he added. “We got into the game late because we had put out feelers to the community and nobody responded at first.”

WRBA normally acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies, but the office pivoted its efforts to accommodate needs that arose during the pandemic and resulting lock down.

This included starting a weekly newsletter to keep residents informed about what’s happening around the community.

After taking note of the large turnout to a food distribution event in neighboring Ozone Park, Forte and his team decided to sponsor a similar effort in Woodhaven- and the response was overwhelming.

“The line went two blocks,” recalled Forte.

The same was true of the most recent food

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Jenifer Rajkumar donated 1,000 masks that were distributed along with the food. drive on July 23.

Care packages, which were distributed by volunteers from the local American Legion Post 188 and its Women’s Auxiliary, included the FreshDirect boxes as well as two pairs of Bomba socks and 10 face masks.

Jenifer Rajkumar, who recently won the Democratic nomination for the 38th Assembly District representing Woodhaven, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Glendale, donated 1,000 masks for the event “Especially now, as we rebuild from the coronavirus,” she said, “it’s more important than ever to have energy and strong leadership

in south Queens.”

Rajkumar, who is a Woodhaven resident herself, reported that her campaign has hosted three additional food drives in the district over the last three weeks. She committed to working with community actors such as WRBA to combat issues such as sanitation and public safety.

As for the block association, Forte says the group will continue to expand and adapt itself to the evolving needs of the neighborhood.

“We do it because we care,” explained Forte, a resident of Woodhaven for 40 years. “We live here and the community is going to be what we make of it.”

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8

NEW MEMBERS CORPORATE

DG Construction

214-39 Jamaica Avenue Queens Village, NY 11428 dgconstructioncorp.com

Eindbinder & Dunn LLP

112 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor New York, NY 10016 ed-lawfirm.com Our practice focuses on a range of key areas, including franchise law, commercial litigation, real estate law, business law, fashion law, restaurant law and trusts and estates. This range of highly diverse but interrelated areas of focus represent an array of proficiencies that our firm utilizes to conceive unique, interdisciplinary strategies – the likes of which larger firms lack the versatility to employ – which are finely tuned to the individual needs of each client. Our

years of experience in the areas in which we practice make us a recognized authority in many areas, such as franchising.

INTRODUCTORY

Hunters Point Parks Conservancy 2-17 51st Avenue, #903 Long Island City, NY 11101 hunterspointparks.org

MYAP Inc.

Agwu Attorney at Law PLLC

82-46 234 Street Bellerose Manor, NY 11427 myapinc.org

Catskill Mountain Home Builders

4512 46th Street, 160 Sunnyside, NY 11104 queenspost.com

9025 161 Street, 501 Jamaica, NY 11432 agwuattorney.com

550 Main Street, Box 4 Cairo, NY 12413

Foot & Ankle Surgeons of New York 97-07 63rd Road Rego Park, NY 11374 faasny.com/locations

Queens Post

SOS Mitigation, Inc. 76-45 170th Street Queens, NY 11377 sosmitigation.com

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES resource for over 200 businesses. The Rockaway Business Alliance was founded in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. RBA’s vision is to create business corridors that are clean, safe, and welcoming, with shopping, dining, attractions, and engagement for the local community and the visitors drawn to Rockaway’s beaches and open spaces.

ROCKAWAY DEVELOPMENT & REVITALIZATION CORPORATION

1920 Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 President: Kevin Alexander 718.327.5300 www.rdrc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the

Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation (RDRC) was established to promote the revitalization of the Rockaway’s economic base and neighborhoods by creating long-standing partnerships with city and state agencies.

STEINWAY ASTORIA PARTNERSHIP BID

25-69 38th Street, Suite 1C, Astoria 11103 Executive Director: Marie Torniali 718.728.7820 info@steinwaystreet.nyc steinwaystreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1991, the BID

has over 300 members. The Steinway Street Business Improvement District encompasses all 300 business located on Steinway Street from 28th Avenue to 35th Avenue. National chain stores such as Victoria’s Secrets, The Gap, Benetton, and Express are side by side with local family-owned shops some of them fixtures on the street for some 50 years.

SUNNYSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PO Box 4399, Sunnyside, NY 11104 President: Vanessa Ceballos 718.729.4688 sunnyside-chamber.org QUICK GLANCE: With an annual budget of

$55,000, the chamber is an organization built around assisting and helping local business and professionals by providing resources to increase business, safety and historical preservation throughout the neighborhood.

SUNNYSIDE SHINES

45-56 43rd Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104 Executive Director: Jaime-Faye Beam 718.606.1800 director@sunnysideshines.org

sunnysideshines.org QUICK GLANCE: The BID has a budget of

approximately $480,000 with more than 250 businesses under its umbrella. The mission of Sunnyside Shines is to invigorate and enrich the economic life of the neighborhood by creating a safe, welcoming and dynamic commercial district in Sunnyside

SUTPHIN BOULEVARD BID

89-00 Sutphin Boulevard, Suite 204C Jamaica, NY 11435 Executive Director: Glen Greenridge 718.291.2110 sutphinblvdbid@verizon.net QUICK GLANCE: The BID was founded in 2004

and represents 134 businesses, 56 properties and 39 property owners along Sutphin Boulevard between Hillside Avenue and 94th Avenue.

INNOVATION QNS PROPOSAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

able neighborhoods of the future.”

According to renderings, the district will include more than a dozen buildings, two of which will be as high as 26 stories. When asked about the density of the project, Capune said developers “thought very hard” about how to provide the maximum amount of open space while also keeping the height of the buildings in context with the neighborhood.

She added that the project will not displace residents, and businesses that are affected will be relocated nearby or within the district, including UA Kaufman Astoria and P.C. Richard & Son.

“The blocks will be demolished once they’re vacant,” she said.

Capune said the developers are near the point of filing a pre-application statement with the Department of City Planning. The public review process is expected to start next year, with construction anticipated for 2023.

The development team will also launch a website to provide updates. When asked if the developers expect opposition, Capune said with community outreach, they will start a community dialogue, including with those who have questions about Innovation QNS. “We’ll be looking for public feedback on the project,” she said, “and offer a forum for dialogue.”

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

EXECUTIVE COMMMITEE Thomas Santucci

Richard Dzwlewicz

Thomas J. Grech

Brendan Leavy

Nash Roe

Fran Biderman-Gross

Joanne M. Persad

Jacqueline Donado

Chairperson

Associate Treasurer

Vice Chairperson

Associate Secretary

Treasurer

Immediate Past Chair

Patrick Yu

Susan Browning

Mayra DiRico

Secretary

SENIOR ADVISORY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE STAFF President & CEO

Business Development Manager

Chief of Operations

Strategic Program Coordinator

Alejandra Espejo

Jef Gross

Financial Controller

Neil Wagner

Business Service Program Manager

Manager of Committee Development

William Blake Vincent L. Petraro, Esq. Dominick Ciampa George Rozansky Joseph Farber Gerard Thornton Louis D. Laurino Jeff Levine Joseph M. Mattone, Sr

QUEENSBOROUGH (ISSN0033-6068 is published 12 times a year for $12.50 annually by the Queens Chamber of Commerce of the borough of Queens. 75-20 Astoria Blvd, Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131.

Periodicals postage paid at Flushing NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Blvd., Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stephanie Baldwin Fran Biderman-Gross Joshua E. Bienstock Susan Browning Kenneth J. Buettner Charles E. Callahan KY Chow

Sal Crifasi Steven DeClara Mayra DiRico Richard Dzwlewicz Charles Everett, Jr. Joseph R. Ficalora Tamara Gavrielof

Howard Graf Raymond Irrera Anthony Kammas Kenneth Koenig Neil Levin Jeffery E. Levine Bert Lurch

Carl Mattone Patricia Mezeul Maria Odysseus Jeffrey Owens Stephen Preuss Nash Roe Jeffrey Rosenstock

Juan Santiago Thomas Santucci Mark Scheinberg Caryn Schwab Sher Sparano Michelle Stoddart Terri Thomson

Henry Wan Patrick Yu Daniel Zausner

CORPORATE MEMBERS A&E Real Estate A&L Cesspool Services Corp AARP Adria Hotel and Conference Center Aeroterm AFC Urgent Care - Howard Beach Amaracon Testing & Inspections, LLC American Lions LLC Amna Construction Corp AmTrust Title Andromeda Antun’s of Queens Village Apple Bank for Savings Apple-Metro, Inc. ARK Development LLC Ashnu International, Inc. Assured Environments Astoria Sports Complex Atco Properties Accounts Payable Aurora Contractors, Inc. Avison Young AYC Properties LLC Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Balkan Sewer And Water Main Service Bank of America Merrill Lynch Bank of Hope Bellozino Bethpage Federal Credit Union Bijal Hospitality - Hyatt Place LIC & Fairfield Marriott LGA Blink Fitness Boyce Technologies Inc. Bridgehampton National Bank Broadway Stages Cactus Holdings Inc Capital One Bank Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens CBRE

Center for Automotive Education and Training Cerini and Associates, LLP. Ciampa Organization Cipico Construction, Inc. Citibank CityMD Clearcell Power Conference Associates, Inc Cord Meyer Development LLC Corporate Development Systems, Inc. Courtyard by Marriott Crescent Properties, Inc Crown Castle Crunch - Rochdale (Please correct spelling in magazine) Cushman & Wakefield Damian Family Care Centers, Inc. Daniels, Norelli, Scully & Cecere P.C. Daroga Power, LLC Dedline AV East Coast Energy Group Ecosave Inc. Emigrant Mortgage Company Enterprise Fleet Management eXp Realty: Andrew Wu Exquisite Construction F & T Group Farrell Fritz, P.C. First Central Savings Bank Flushing Council On Culture & The Arts Forest Hills Financial Group Inc. GF55 Partners Gil-Bar Industries, Inc. Glenwood Infinity LLC (Hello Panda Festival) Global Industrial Goodwill Industries of New York & North-

ern New Jersey, Inc. Graf & Lewent Architects Greater NY Automobiles Dealers Association Green Energy Technology Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center Gum Studios Hampton Inn by Hilton JFK Airport Healthy Corner Pharmacy Hilton Garden Inn Long Island City New York Hook & Reel LLC Hyatt Place Flushing IBIS Styles New York La Guardia Airport INDA, Association of Nonwoven Fabric Industry Innovo Property Group Instacart Intercontinental Capital Group iRCM, Inc. J.W. Hampton Jr. & Co., Inc. James F. Capalino & Assoc.

Jaros, Baum & Bolles Jason Office Products JC Elite Construction JDP Mechanical JetBlue Airways Corporation JFA Insurance Brokerage & Associates Inc. JGM Construction Development Jones Lang LaSalle Kasirer Consulting Kaufman Astoria Studios, Inc. Kimco Realty Corporation Klein Weath Management/ Hightower Advisors Laffey Real Estate Laguardia Plaza Hotel Laser Bounce of Brooklyn Inc.

Levine Builders Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade Association, Inc. Luxury Office Suites LLC Lyons Mortgage Services, Inc. Madison Realty Capital Manpower McBride Consulting & Business MCT Fine Wine & Spirits, LLC Medisys Health Network Mega Contracting Group LLC MetroPlus Health Plan Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade MicroGrid Neworks, LLC Millennium Dae Dong, Inc. Molloy College Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens Mr. T Carting Corp.

Muss Development LLC My Benefit Advisor, LLC NEOLEDGE Neuman’s Kitchen Newtown Creek New York + Atlantic Railway New York Health Plan Association New York Oil Heating Association Northwell Health NYC Ferry Operated by Hornblower Olympia Court Real Estate OneGroup Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates Patrizia’s Italian Restaurant Petro PGA Mechanical Contractors, Inc. Piermont Bank Premier Paint Roller Co LLC

COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Michelle Stoddart ResortsWorld Casino New York City michelle.stoddart@rwnewyork.com Jayson Simba Festival of Cinema NYC FestivalofCinemaNYC@gmail.com

BANKING & LAW

Margaret T. Ling, Esq. Big Apple Abstract Corp. mling@bigappleabstract.com Paul Harrison Chase paul.harrison@chase.com

COMMUNICATIONS Cody Fisher Blue Ox Marketing, LLC cody@blueoxmarketing.com

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ENERGY

Marshall Haimson E-Capital Development marshall@e-capitaldevelopment.com Jay Solly Sol Strategies jaypsolly@gmail.com

ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION Bill Staniford bill@staniford.com Michael Grella Grella Partnership Services mike@socialquityventures.com

HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS

Susan Browning Long Island Jewish Forest Hills sbrowning1@northwell.edu Bert Lurch E Central Medical Management bertl@ecmmgt.com

HOSPITALITY

Jim Quent Statewide Public Affairs jquent@statewidepublicaffairs.com Vincent Gentile Vassilaros & Sons Coffee vincent@vassilaroscoffee.com

MANUFACTURING Lina DeLaCruz Control Electropolishing Corp. lina@controlpublishing.com

NONPROFIT

Larry Grubler Transitional Services of NY lgrubler@tsiny.org Maria Odysseus Investors Bank modysseus@myinvestorsbank.com

REAL ESTATE

Martin Cottingham Avison Young martin.cottingham@avisonyoung.com Kevin Louie Cushman & Wakefield kevin.louie@cushwake.com Michael Wang Politan Real Estate mwang121@gmail.com

TECHNOLOGY Bobby Giurintano TGI Office Automation bgiurintano@tgioa.com Fred Canone Telehouse mwang121@gmail.com

TRANSPORTATION Kris Amato TD Bank Kristin.amato@td.com William Harris Edge Auto Rental william@edgeautorental.com

Premier Payroll Solutions Prime Storage Priority 1 Security LLC ProHEALTH Care QSIDE Federal Credit Union Queens Center Mall Queens Public Communications Corp.

Quontic Bank RCG Mortgage Receivable Collection Services, LLC Rego Park Seniors Club LLC Related Retail Corporation Rochdale Village Community Center Royal Waste Services, Inc. Safeguard Global Safety Facility Services Samaritan Daytop Village Santander Bank SBT Advantage Bank Seagis Property Group, LP Signature Bank Sive, Paget & Riesel P.C. Skyline Risk Management, Inc. SL Green Realty Corp.

Solomon Agency Corp.

Spring Hill Suites New York Jamaica/JFK Airport Squad Security Inc. St. Francis Preparatory School St. John’s Episcopal Hospital St. John’s University Sterling Risk Structural Engineering Technologies, P.C. Suffolk Sussman-Automatic Corporation Target TC Electric TGI Office Automation Thales The Andy Li Team at Compass The Botanist The Durst Organization The First National Bank of Long Island The Flying Locksmiths -Queens NY The Heskel Group The Liquidity Source The Lovett Group The Marcal Group T-Mobile TSC Traning Academy, LLC Ultrasound Solutions Corp.

United Airlines United American Title Agency United Construction & Development Group Corp United Public Adjusters & Appraisers, Inc. USTA National Tennis Center, Inc. Valley National Bank Vanguard Building Solutions, LLC Vassilaros & Sons Coffee Vic Kessler Signs LTD Vishnick McGovern Milizio LLP Watch Guard 24/7 LLC White Coffee Corp Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C. YMCA of Greater New York / Queens Branches York College - CUNY Young Nian Group, LLC Zara Realty

August 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 8 MAJOR CORPORATE MEMBERS

We hope you are enjoying the newly designed, expanded Queensborough, the monthly publication of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. We, the Chamber, direct and approve all content deciding what stories are covered in each issue, editing all copy and forwarding information that is contained in the publication. BQE Media produces it for the Chamber. We look forward to continuing to highlight the outstanding business persons, services and activities that make our borough unique. We welcome all your letters, manuscripts, etc. Please send all materials to the Queens Chamber of Commerce at 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140, Jackson Heights, NY 11370 or call 718.898.8500 for more information. We reserve the right to edit for space limitations. Your support of the magazine is critical to its success. We encourage you to include Queensborough in your advertising plans. To place your ad, please call BQE Media at 718.426.7200.

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