On Thursday, May 11th, 2017, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, the Consul General of the Dominican Republic, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic hosted a lunch to discuss opportunities to invest in Inwood as part of the neighborhood planning process known as Inwood NYC. The lunch, co-hosted by Congressman Adriano Espaillat, Senator Marisol Alcantara and Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa, brought together business leaders from the Dominican Republic and New York City, featuring a keynote address by NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Alicia Glen.
Below are the full remarks by Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez to attendees:
Good afternoon!
Thank you all for coming today, to join the conversation about the future of Inwood and northern Manhattan!
In this room we have leaders from many fields, a cross section of what makes New York such a transcendent place to live, work and grow.
I am pleased to welcome an important segment of the Dominican business community as part of Semana Dominicana. All of you have made important contributions on our island back home, and many have experience investing in this country. Today, I hope that those of you based here in New York, as well as those overseas, can see this opportunity and develop a network to invest in helping lift up our uptown community, while getting a solid return.
This community, one that I and others from around the world call home, and which I have had the pleasure to represent for nearly eight years, is a gem still undiscovered in our great metropolis.
We are a community blessed with beautiful parks, strong institutions, good transit access, a waterfront brimming with potential and strong human capital ready to be tapped. Inwood is a community where nearly every immigrant group coming to New York has left their mark. From Juan Rodriguez, the first immigrant to our city, to the Dutch of the Dyckman Era, and the many more that have made this community, the tip of the island, their home. Upper Manhattan has long been a community of strivers ready to create their own American Dream.
As this community undergoes new changes, our challenge has been to preserve a home for those that have worked so hard to make this neighborhood what it is today. The residents who stayed during the hard times of the 80's and 90's--through the crime and disinvestment--are whom we owe this beautiful community to today.
Over the past few years, I have joined with a number of dedicated leaders in Inwood and northern Manhattan to develop a vision for a community that provides stability for our oldest residents and a welcoming environment for those that choose to make a home here.
Several years ago, I presented an overview of this vision alongside the former Dean of the Columbia University School of Engineering, who is today our great NYC DDC Commissioner Dr. Feniosky Pena-Mora. Working with him and his team, we outlined a bold strategy that leveraged existing resources to maximize the potential of this community. The plan included incentivizing new mixed-income housing; fostering new economic development and a start-up community; and education with a focus on technology and health, so that the youth of our community could win the jobs of our future, with opportunities here at home.
I am proud to say that we have set this plan in motion. Working alongside my partners in government, Congressman Espaillat, and today Senator Alcantara and Assemblywoman De La Rosa we've engaged the city in conversations around Inwood NYC. With the support of Mayor Bill de Blasio, Deputy Mayor Glen, HPD, EDC and City Planning commissioners, we've developed a comprehensive approach to revitalize decaying assets, bringing a new vibrancy to this area and our waterfront, while attracting visionary thinkers and developers who realize the potential of this community-one we can build for all.
This neighborhood is perfectly situated as the gateway to Manhattan for the many who commute from the north and the west. With access from the Metro North, the Major Deegan, the George Washington Bridge and two subway lines, this central location is perfect for those commuting from downtown or out of town.
Today's discussion is the start. It is an invitation to join me in a vision of a new northern Manhattan. A rezoning of the area east of 10th Avenue, as well as select portions along Inwood's busy commercial corridors is the first step, and something I am committed to work hard to accomplish alongside my partners in government, elected officials, the business community and advocate groups.
From there, I hope to work with many of you in this room today to put in place the pieces that will really help us take-off. I want Inwood to attract new and established businesses of the new economy. I want to create the conditions that will attract major companies in the tech and healthcare industries to set their headquarters or key offices here. I want to bring in partners that recognize the value in developing human capital right in their back yard so they do not have to go out of the state or country to find top talent. We can train the workforce for the tech and healthcare industry right here. I want to put Inwood on the map as a neighborhood that has a plan to deliver our working class residents onto a fast track to the middle class.
This is my vision, shared with many of my fellow elected officials, community leaders, academic institutions, the business community and organizational partners. Working with all of you in this room, I am ready to transform this vision into a reality. I am ready to see our future generations harnessing what we discuss and create here today, to become the leaders of our city, our state and our nation tomorrow. If we accomplish this goal, not only will New York City will benefit, but even our island of the Dominican Republic back home, as the second source of income comes from family members overseas.
I will leave you with two great examples of the success that is possible in this neighborhood. Following the late 90's, when few businesses would take a chance uptown, a Target moved in at 225th Street, just north over the bridge; and Edison Properties opened a brand new office building for professional services. These were outliers in the business community, but today, this Target is the 2nd highest grossing store per square foot in the nation according to their regional reps, and Edison Properties now has an extensive waiting list, highlighting the pent-up demand for professional office space uptown. This neighborhood is ready for launch, all it needs now is you. As you will hear in a moment, the city will provide incentives for businesses that create jobs uptown.
I want to again thank you all for coming to this gathering and I hope that we can develop strong relationships that will build this community even brighter. Where the business community will be successful, where we can create quality jobs, build housing for all sectors and preserve the human character that has made Inwood so wonderful. I am ready to be your partner in these efforts and dedicate my time and energy into seeing this vision through. As I said before, let's work together to build a New York City for all.
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