Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Member Rafael Espinal Jr. today laid out an economic development blueprint for East New York that includes $16 million in infrastructure improvements to provide additional space for as many as 250 additional companies that will provide 4,000 new jobs.
The 20-point East New York Industrial Business Zone (ENY IBZ) Plan will include developing underutilized properties as well as new construction to create up to 2.7 million square feet of new and modernized space over the next decade.
“For generations, East New York has been a hub for well-paying industrial jobs,” said de Blasio. “With this plan, and millions of dollars of investment, we’re not only preserving these critical jobs – we’re helping keep East New York at the forefront of our industrial economy for generations to come.”
Espinal, noting that East New York still struggles with unemployment rates in the double digits, said from the moment de Blasio announced his plans to rezone EastNew York, he made it clear that any affordable housing plan must also include a jobs plan starting with the East New York IBZ.
“Today’s announcement sets out a plan to not only invest in the businesses that exist in the IBZ today, but also a plan to invest in the people of East New York, ensuring thatEast New York residents have the tools they need to compete for jobs in the IBZ. I want to thank both Mayor deBlasio and Maria Torres-Springer, President of the NYC Economic Development Corporation, for working with me to ensure the ENY Community Plan included a robust jobs plan that will benefit residents of Cypress Hills,East New York and Ocean Hill for years to come,” said Espinal.
The ENY IBZ is a 57-block area that currently encompasses 250 businesses and 3,000 jobs. Building off of the historic cluster of metal finishing and fabrication firms that are still prevalent today, the ENY IBZ is poised for significant job growth in related product manufacturing industries, such as woodworking and growing construction specialty trades, including concrete, electrical and other building construction activities.
Highlights of the plan include:
- $6 million in improvements to the City-owned East New York Industrial Building to create a modern industrial space for 6 new companies
- Up to $2.5 million to bring affordable high-speed broadband access, capability and reliability for 250 businesses in the IBZ
- $8.2 million in infrastructure investment, including new sidewalks and street repaving, new lighting around transit infrastructure and safety improvements to the Sutter Avenue L-train stop.
According to a local business survey conducted as part of the plan, the jobs in the ENY IBZ are also accessible to area residents of all ages and at all levels of education. Over half of the 3,000 workers in the ENY IBZ are employed in the transportation, warehousing and manufacturing sectors. About 20 percent of the ENY IBZ’s employees come from the surrounding neighborhoods of East New York, Brownsville and Ocean Hill. Approximately one out of three workers in the ENY IBZ is over 55 years of age, and over 50 percent of workers have only a high school diploma or did not complete high school.
“I’ve said it time after time, when we are talking about affordable housing we should also be talking about providing the opportunities to afford a home in our communities. The number of affordable homes and their affordability coincides with the decades-long decline of the middle class. It’s not a coincidence that as steady good-paying work dried up, so did the affordable housing stock. We need the type of jobs the Mayor’s plan is looking to bring. It’s fundamental to truly transforming these communities and breathing life and affordability back into them,” said State Senator Martin Malavé Dilan, who represents part of the area.
State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud, who also represents part of the area, commended de Blasio for the allocation of funds for the preservation and beautification of East New York. “The 20-point plan proposed for the East New York Industrial Business Zone will facilitate necessary infrastructural improvements. These improvements will ultimately lead to job creation and growth which will certainly benefit the residents of East New York,” she said.
Brownsville Assembly Member Latrice Walker said she was especially excited to hear the administration is investing $16 million into East New York to help attract new companies to the Industrial Business Zone. “East New York is poised for growth and communities like Brownsville need quality jobs for our residents,” she said.
The plan can also be found here.
