Jamaica Hill Community Association

MAYOR'S STATEMENT JAMAICA PLAN

ADMINISTRATION?’S LARGEST-EVER REZONING

Rezoning Will Spur the Creation of 9,500 Jobs, 5,200 Housing Units and Three Million Square Feet
of Commercial Space around AirTrain Station While Protecting Adjacent Lower Scale
Neighborhoods
“The potential of Jamaica to become one of New York’s premier business and residential
districts has been talked about for a long time, and today we’ve taken a giant step toward making it
happen,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “Globally competitive cities have thriving business
districts around their major airports, and so too will New York. In addition to setting the stage for
the creation of three million square feet of new office, retail and hotel space, and 9,500 jobs, the
368-block Jamaica Plan will spur the development of 5,200 units of housing, helping us to prepare
for nearly one million additional New Yorkers in the coming decades. The Plan will be a key
component of the transit centered development that we laid out in PlaNYC, by leveraging Jamaica’s
AirTrain Station and superior transit access. We will also protect nearly 160 blocks by preventing
the construction of homes and buildings that are out of scale in areas with single family homes. The
Jamaica Plan will also significantly upgrade sewer and water infrastructure and provide open space
and additional street trees, making Jamaica a more attractive place to live, work and do business.”

CITY COUNCIL PASSAGE OF REZONING IN JAMAICA, QUEENS

“I applaud today’s vote by the City Council and all of the work since 2002 that got us to this
important milestone. The leadership and vision of Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, City Planning
Commissioner Amanda Burden, Economic Development Corporation President Robert Lieber,
Speaker Christine Quinn, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Council Land Use Chair Melinda Katz,
Council members Leroy Comrie and Thomas White, Assemblyman William Scarborough, Borough
President Helen Marshall and Community Board 12 Chair Dr. Gloria Black, was instrumental in
balancing vital citywide needs for growth with important local concerns, and we will continue to
work with all of our partners to ensure that the best days for the community are still to come.”