Officials: Garage will bring shoppers

By Tania Padgett, Staff Writer, Newsday, April 22, 2004

If you build it, they will come. That's what business owners in downtown Jamaica are thinking about a parking garage and shoppers.

Affordable parking has been such a problem in the area that businesses regularly lose revenues and owners have even had to close stores, because customers opt to head to malls in Nassau County where free parking is the norm.

"It's a terrible situation," said David Boord, a 76-year-old retired retailer who still owns commercial property in downtown Jamaica. "And it is definitely costing business owners. Parking is such a hassle that even I will do my shopping someplace else."

But some officials in Queens have a plan to change that. They want to increase the amount of affordable parking by getting nonprofit organizations to manage parking lots.

The fifth parking facility run by a nonprofit in Jamaica broke ground this week. And discussions for another one in Flushing are under way.

Jamaica First Parking, a division of Greater Jamaica Development Corp., is building an $11-million three-story, 406-car garage in downtown Jamaica, expected to be completed in about a year.

Queens officials argue that nonprofits with an interest in the area are more likely to keep parking prices affordable compared to private operators, who are more likely to charge much higher rates.

The planned price to park all day at the Jamaica First Parking garage - which will be between 162nd and 163rd streets - is expected to be about $9, which is at least half the cost charged by privately owned garages in the area.

"This new parking will attract more shoppers to the area," said Carlisle Towery, president of Greater Jamaica Development Corp., at a groundbreaking ceremony Monday. It will also stem the flood of people going to Nassau to shop, he said.