Page 19 - 2021 Queens Economic Development Guide

Elmhurst, the city-run hospital that served so many people who were stricken with COVID-19.
I and other elected officials also recently stepped in to successfully lobby against a State Health Department proposal that would have dramatically reduced the capacity of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, the only full-service hospital on the Rockaway Peninsula. I am also pushing for more community-based health centers that will offer preventative medicine that can help people avoid going to the emergency room, and I am advocating for new hospital construction and
for increasing funding to our existing hospitals — which are already doing so much with far less than they need.
What’s great about doing business in Queens?
As the most diverse county in the continental United States, and one of the most diverse places on the planet, Queens is home to a smart, resilient and highly-motivated workforce capable of fostering the growth of any business located in our borough.
My office is also committed to creating a welcoming environment
for business by helping new ventures get off the ground and by providing the support that existing businesses need to grow and thrive. For example, to help businesses hurt by COVID-19, we connected businesses with the Queens Small Business Grant Program, which was funded by a $17.5 million donation from Mets owner Steve
Cohen and which awarded monetary grants to small businesses in need. A total of 757 small businesses received an average grant of $18,500 under this program.
What are some of your other priorities for driving economic vitality in Queens?
We are also heavily engaged in workforce development and are active in connecting Queens residents with available job opportunities through our online Virtual Job Fairs. We also support investments that help create a dynamic economy rooted in equity and shared prosperity.
These investments include the $4.5 million in capital funding I
am allocating for CUNY’s four undergraduate colleges in Queens. This funding, which is included in the City’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget, will aid our economy not just by creating immediate construction jobs, but by improving CUNY’s facilities so that its colleges can better prepare its students to take on the jobs of tomorrow.
Talk about your relationship with the Chamber.
We work in partnership with our friends at the Queens Chamber
of Commerce, which offers comprehensive resources and networking opportunities for Queens businesses and is huge driver of prosperity in our great borough. We
are committed to working with the Chamber to develop and implement programs that will strengthen the Queens economy for the benefit of all of our residents.
What is the purpose of the Queens Tech Council?
The Queens Tech Council aims to create a “tech hub” in Queens by building an economy of the future that embraces innovation and promotes tech adoption. To accomplish this, it works with established companies in media, life sciences and aviation, as well as with startups in Queens.
What makes Queens a great environment for Tech companies and Entrepreneurs?
Queens is an attractive option for tech companies thanks to our strong diversity, extensive transportation infrastructure, world-class colleges and universities, and highly-capable workforce. The Queens Tech Council leverages these assets to convince tech companies that everything they need to grow and raise capital can be found in Queens. The Council also works to ensure that the technological capability to support the tech economy can be found borough-wide.
In short, the Queens Tech Council is here to help the exciting promise of a tech economy to come to fruition for all who live, work, or do business in Queens.
We work in partnership with our friends at the Queens Chamber of Commerce, which offers comprehensive resources and networking opportunities for Queens businesses and is huge driver of prosperity in our great borough.
—Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr.
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