Bernadette O'Leary (212) 312-3523(EDC)
MAYOR GIULIANI CELEBRATES OPENING OF THE NEW YORK TIMES STATE-OF-THE-ART COLOR PRINTING FACILITY
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani celebrated the opening of The New York Times' new color printing facility at a reception and behind-the-scenes tour today. The new color printing facility is located on a parcel of City-owned land in the College Point Corporate Park in Queens.
The Mayor was joined by New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., former Governor Mario Cuomo, Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, Deputy Mayors Randy Mastro and Randy Levine, Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President Charles Millard, and Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.
"It's a pleasure to be here today to see this new state-of-the-art printing press in action," said Mayor Giuliani. "For almost 150 years The New York Times has been a world leader in news coverage and it's only appropriate that New York City is the world leader in both the media and printing industries. New York City is home to more than 2,000 newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, and each year more than $4 billion is generated in printing revenues."
The new facility features five high-speed printing presses and a state-of-the-art color printing machine. The New York Times will relocate over 600 employees to the new plant from the distribution facilities in the basement of the 43rd Street site in Times Square, and almost 300 new jobs will be created should the facility add additional presses.
"Queens is thrilled to be part of this latest chapter in the history of The New York Times," said Queens Borough President Claire Shulman. "The New York Times now joins more than one hundred businesses -- with thousands of jobs -- that have discovered why College Point Corporate Park is one of the City's most successful. Its accessibility to highways and bridges is a tremendous asset."
The much-needed upgrade was made possible in part by a $29-million incentive package provided by the EDC, which included as-of-right benefits, stabilized real estate taxes, a capital grant to improve the soil and a 12-year tax-credit for each relocated job.
"This facility leads the way in the development of College Point Corporate Park and is another example of the Mayor's commitment to bringing economic revitalization to all areas of the City," said EDC President Charles Millard. "The relocation of the printing division of The New York Times means up to 900 jobs for New Yorkers and increased economic activity for Queens."
Over the term of the agreement, The New York Times will remain at the College Point location for the next 25 years with a 10-year renewal option. The paper had considered moving its printing operations to an existing plant in Carlstadt, New Jersey. Instead, the agreement will generate an economic impact of $115 million for the City.
The new printing and distribution center will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced of its kind anywhere in the world. A three-story building on 32 acres and encompassing more than 500,000 square feet of space, the structure will feature five high-speed Gross printing presses, with the capacity for future expansion to eight presses, as well as 31 loading bays.
The new facility is located on the Whitestone Expressway between 20th Avenue and Linden Boulevard in Queens. In addition to the new building, City funds were also used to construct a new sanitary sewer line and to rebuild the Whitestone Expressway service road adjacent to the plant.
Construction began on this project in the summer of 1994. Polshek and Partners Architects designed the facility and Lehrer McGovern Bovis, Inc. managed the construction. EDC is the City's primary vehicle for economic development. Using its real estate and financial resources, EDC helps develop businesses and create jobs throughout the five boroughs.
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