MAYOR GIULIANI BREAKS GROUND FOR NEW U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN QUEENS
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Reverend Congressman Floyd H. Flake and Queens Borough President Claire Shulman today announced the start of construction for the $150 million U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) new regional headquarters on the York College campus at Liberty Avenue and 158th Street in Jamaica, Queens.
Also joining the Mayor were U.S. Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner Dr. Michael Friedman, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Ronald Chesemore, New York City Council Deputy Majority Leader Archie Spigner, Councilman Thomas White Jr., Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, State Senator Ada Smith, York College President Dr. Charles C. Kidd Sr., Greater Jamaica Development Corporation Chairman Arthur Benjamin Jr., Hines Interests President Jeffrey Hines and other elected officials and local residents.
"Thanks to the vision and dedication of the people who are here today Jamaica is in the midst of a vital resurgence," said Mayor Giuliani. "In fact, as we break ground for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new regional headquarters, we are also paying tribute to one of the people who, inside and outside of government, has always served the people of Jamaica -- Reverend Congressman Floyd H. Flake.
"This new facility and the revival of Jamaica, Queens is not the result of rhetoric and speeches, it's the result of cooperative action. Just a few months ago I came here to talk about the Jamaica Action Plan, an intensive, multi-agency effort to improve the quality of life here -- and we have seen a change.
"This new 230,000-square-foot facility is only one of the pivotal new developments to take place in Jamaica, Queens. Over $500 million in public and private investment has been earmarked for area development, including new housing initiatives and structural improvements to existing buildings. The proposed $82 million Queens Family Court House and the $31 million ANCHOR/Partnership Plaza Program will also benefit Jamaica residents," the Mayor concluded.
"I am glad the Mayor is here to share in this event," said Reverend Congressman Floyd H. Flake. "Today he has proven to be a leader who is interested in the redevelopment of Queens, as well as the entire City of New York. This historic effort was only successful through the cooperation of City, State and Federal officials. It will be a legacy for the children and educational institutions of Queens into the next millennium."
Queens Borough President Claire Shulman said, "Today we have reached a milestone on the road to the future. We celebrate the culmination of an exhaustive, but successful effort to bring the FDA's largest regional lab in the country to the campus of York College. New doors of opportunity will open here both for the FDA and the students of York; hundreds of construction jobs will be created and more than 400 employees will be coming to Jamaica. I applaud the FDA, the General Services Administration and all those who have helped make today possible."
This new facility, which will employ 428 people of the FDA's Northeast Regional Field Office, will offer York College the unique opportunity to share the resources of the FDA. The structure will consist of a three-story laboratory building connected by a glass atrium to a five-story office building. The structure has been designed to blend with neighboring York College campus buildings and is expected to be completed in the Fall of 1999.
In August it was announced that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) signed an agreement with FDA Queens, L.P. to develop, finance, and operate this new facility. FDA Queens, L.P. is a limited partnership of the Hines GS Properties, Inc. and the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation.
Contact Us | FAQs | Privacy Statement | Site Map