USANEWSONLINE.COM DESK, QUEENS, NY – The Jamaica NOW Neighborhood Action Plan has fueled Jamaica’s emergence as a hub of entrepreneurship, ingenuity and opportunity since the strategic economic development initiative’s inception by Borough President Melinda Katz and the City of New York in 2015. To celebrate the ensuing revitalization and growth of Jamaica, Queens into a thriving residential and commercial neighborhood, Borough President Katz will host a reception this Thursday, December 12, to thank and honor the commitment and dedication of the numerous volunteer stakeholders and agencies who led the community-driven plan over the past five years.

“Many of the bold, ambitious initiatives first laid out during the creation of the Jamaica NOW Neighborhood Action Plan more than five years ago have come to fruition in the form of a revitalized Jamaica, and we are a stronger borough because of it,” said Borough President KATZ. “The progress made in Jamaica has been remarkable, and Queens is grateful to all who played a part in helping unlock and unleash the limitless potential of this diverse, tight-knit and historic community.”

The 28 total deliverables include the ongoing construction of hundreds of affordable housing units, the establishment of the Jamaica FEATS (Food Entrepreneurship and Services Training Space) and Summer Youth Employment programs, the installation of 18 LinkNYC kiosks and streetscape and park upgrades.

The Jamaica NOW Leadership Council, convened in June 2015, oversaw the implementation of the Action Plan — a blueprint for economic growth and development in Jamaica borne out of the Jamaica Planning Initiative, a neighborhood-based planning process launched by Borough President Katz and Mayor Bill de Blasio — over the past five years.

The diverse set of community stakeholders who make up the Leadership Council and their affiliations includes:

·         Ian Harris (Co-Chair), Community Board 12

·         Tameka Pierre-Louis (Co-Chair), Community Resident

·         Vanessa Barrios, Regional Plan Association

·         Brian Browne, St. John’s University

·         Nick Buron, Queens Public Library

·         Ricardi Calixte, Queens Economic Development Corporation

·         Jennifer Furioli, Jamaica Center Business Improvement District

·         Patricia Ghizamboule-Robinson, Community Resident

·         Glenn Greenidge, Sutphin Boulevard Business Improvement District

·         Michael Griffith, NYC Department of Transportation

·         Howard Hecht, Community Resident

·         Derek Irby, 165^th Street Mall Improvement Association

·         Bilal Karriem, Community Board 12

·         Malikka Karteron, B’Above Worldwide Institute

·         Philippa Karteron, Gallerie Noire

·         Justin K. Rodgers, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation

·         Aaron Schwartz, Commercial Property Owner

·         Earl Simons, York College/CUNY

·         Vanessa Sparks, Community Resident

·         Richard Werber, King Manor Museum

·         Bryan D. White, Thomas White Jr. Foundation, Inc.

·         Jonathan White, Community Resident

Anyone interested in attending the Reception is asked to RSVP by visiting www.queensbp.org/rsvp or by calling 718-286-2661.

The Action Plan is a culmination of the Jamaica NOW Planning Initiative, a nine-month community-wide engagement process launched by Borough President Katz and City Hall within the first few months of taking office in 2014. The initiative consisted of over 30 meetings between residents, businesses, leaders and other stakeholders, as well as two public conferences. Unveiled in April 2015, the Action Plan laid forth more than two dozen strategic actions backed by approximately $153 million in public investment. Press Release.