Saturday, August 4, 2012

Trying to polish coal into a diamond

From the Daily News:

A southeast Queens development group is seeking to turn downtown Jamaica into a shopping and hospitality hub.

The Greater Jamaica Development Corp. and the city have released requests for proposals for commercial or hospitality projects at two separate sites across the street from the AirTrain station to Kennedy Airport.

“A lot of people come through Jamaica, but don’t come to Jamaica,” Greater Jamaica President Carlisle Towery said Thursday. “We want it to be a destination.”

The area is known for its discount shopping and abundance of public transportation.

In the last few years, small hotels have also begun to sprout up in downtown Jamaica. Plans are in the works for a half-acre park, and now two residential projects are slated to go up.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is a reason why people don't stop in Jamaica. It's a downright horrible, filthy, rundown and dangerous place to be. Tourists know all about it.
Don't waste any more $ trying to change it. It hasn't worked in 40 years.
Who's the slim guy in the picture?

Anonymous said...

Tourists should be warned not to get on the wrong bus. It's dangerous out here. It always has been. It never changes.

Anonymous said...

Lots 'o luck luck is needed here...
not just a little bit 'o luck.

Second to Flushing...despite all the show 'n blow...
it's another failed shit hole of a downtown hub.

Haven't Carlyle Towry and his boys been trying "improve" things around here for the past 30 years?

They weren't
very successful were they?

One thing for sure, the current director of the GJDC is (no doubt) drawing a fat salary in the mean time.

Anonymous said...

The "dusky" aspect of Jamaica will keep it down, no matter how many ideas and $$$$$$ is thrown in an attempt to "revitalize" it.

Anonymous said...

LOL...
"Polishing Up The Image of Jamaica,
Part II".

How many sequels will it take?

It's gone (along with the late
Jamaica Estates resident Donald Manes) and won't be coming back to what it ever was.

Let's move onto the next chapter, please...book report due on Monday class.

King Ning said...

"The area is known for its discount shopping and abundance of public transportation."

So is The Hub, in the South Bronx. There's a reason why people don't come to Jamaica which Towery would never admit to. Like The Hub, Jamaica is pervaded with a Third World atmosphere. No one is willing to travel out there to spend money in what amounts to nothing more than garbage; which, can be got in one's own neighborhood at the 99 cent stores, or any cheesy furniture/appliance/clothing outlet.

There are far more important and pressing issues which must be addressed before Jamaica can be considered as a viable commercial area that will attract shoppers from outside its boundaries.

Anonymous said...

Haven't Carlyle Towry and his boys been trying "improve" things around here for the past 30 years?

Probably 40 years - I think GJDC has been around since late 60s or early 70s.

One thing for sure, the current director of the GJDC is (no doubt) drawing a fat salary in the mean time.

Over $233k, according to latest 990 form available on Guidestar.

diätplan said...

"Polishing Up The Image of Jamaica,
Part II".

ernährungsplan said...

Tourists should be warned not to get on the wrong bus. It's dangerous out here. It always has been. It never changes.

Anonymous said...

Jamaica? All those wide eyed tourist stomping around Archer Ave - they would love getting an authentic mugging, right! Make sure you stuff your wallets, carry your IPADS and IPhones too! Hey girls with big booty shake it for a forced date! A real experience - no Disney world in Jamaica!!

Anonymous said...

The Greater Jamaica Development Corp has succeeded in the first phase of its plan to redevelop Jamaica. It has paved the way for every major bank to rob the people of Jamaica of the equity in their homes and commercial property. Foreclosed properties will be redeveloped into luxury condos to accommodate overflow from Manhattan, Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights, and LIC/Astoria.

Anonymous said...

Ask the Reverend Floyd Flake about the "white ass" GJDC and it's racist agenda in ignoring the "darker side" of the tracks to the south.

"Jamaica for the Jews and forget about the schvartzas"...might just as well have been their motto.

Anonymous said...

But haven't the schvartzas had it for the past 40 years and shitted it all up? As a white guy (and I speak for my race), that's all we see anytime some area becomes all schvartza. It's down hill, dangerous, and destroyed almost immediately.

Joe Moretti said...

There are many problems in Jamaica, one being many of the residents (regardless of ethnicity, although the third world immigrants are a big culprit as are the government assisted people) who just do not care about their environment and treat their community with so little respect (tossing garbage on the ground, little upkeep of their places, etc.). Also the local politicians and city/community leaders really need to address the quality of life issues here in Jamaica as opposed to doing the next photo op or turning a blind eye to the over development of cheap apartments that is destroying the neighborhood. The comment in the article, "in the last few years, small hotels have also begun to sprout up in downtown Jamaica. Plans are in the works for a half-acre park, and now two residential projects are slated to go up." Sorry but these "small hotels" add absolutely nothing to the community. What about some nice restaurants, lounges, boutique stores, book stores, etc in the vain of Sangria's Tapas Bar & Restaurant on Sutphin Blvd or Merci-Boutique on Jamaica Avenue, not another 99 cent store, fast food/fried chicken place, wig store, beauty supply store or some cheap furniture store. Bottom line until some gentrification happens here in Jamaica (a nice influx of artists, gays and educated young people)and a good portion of the bad element gets pushed out, Jamaica will be what it is, a dirty shit-hole. That is ashamed since Jamaica could be the next big thing in Queens. We need true visionary leadership to help turn Jamaica around and right now that leadership does not exist.

Anonymous said...

You'll never attract the kind of people you'd need to "turn around" Jamaica.

The die has been cast...
and it's been "snake eyes" for decades!

The area's too damn dangerous.
It lacks the kind of major architectural merit that artists, yuppies, etc. would normally flock to and be willing to tough it out as urban pioneers.

Just last night a cop was shot there...nothing new...par for the course.

Except for that little strip along Sutphin, which serves the courthouse,the rest of the nabe sucks.