A new possibility in a factory closing

Posted on 01. Nov, 2010 by Katie Honan in Uncategorized

Wonder Bread opened a factory in Jamaica, Queens over 125 years ago, and two weeks ago the company announced it would be closing the outpost in January, saying that the necessary improvements to the factory would be too expensive to make.

“We deeply regret the impact this will have on our employees and their families,” Hostess CEO Brian Driscoll told the Daily News last week (calls made to the company were not returned at press time).  The closing will leave around 200 workers unemployed–and add another nail in the coffin of manufacturing and creation in the borough.  The Sabra Hummus factory in Astoria closed down earlier this year, moving plant operations down to Virginia.  The company had seen a huge increase in demand for their product, and couldn’t expand in their Queens location.

“We’ve lost many manufacturing jobs in Queens this year,” said Jack Friedman, the executive director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

There is a possible positive aspect to the plant’s January closing, however.  As some business leaders look to re- brand the downtown Jamaica commercial district, it’s going to need space.

The current shopping district, focused mostly along Jamaica and Hillside Avenues, caters to the lower to middle income residents.  There are ethnic shops and national chain stores and restaurants, but some are looking to add a wider variety of stores and entertainment to attract patrons from the borough’s most successful business venture–John F. Kennedy Airport.

The area offers multiple connection options to JFK, but the negative image has kept the flight attendants, pilots, and tourists away from Jamaica in the past.

Their incomes–perhaps more disposable than the residents–have generally been spent elsewhere in the city.  People landing in Queens, the home to the city’s two major airports, don’t generally stay there; they use the AirTrain, subways, and highways to go to Manhattan, and maybe even Brooklyn.

The Wonder Bread factory is located south of Jamaica Avenue, in a less-congested area of the district.  It is a five minute walk to the bustling AirTrain terminal and local buses, and has available space for a large-scale development such as a hotel or large complex.

Friedman said a main goal of the Chamber of Commerce is cashing in on the ever-expanding tourism industry in New York City.  By adding hotels, higher-end restaurants, and more entertainment options, people will view Jamaica as a destination.  It will also hopefully be a part of other developments within the borough to attract out-of-town visitors.

The development of the Aqueduct Racetrack into Resorts NYC, a raceino and entertainment complex, is set to begin next year.  The track is located across a highway from the airport and accessible by bus and subway, and, most importantly for the economy, the construction will provide jobs for local residents working in construction.