Proposed Richmond Hill Convention Center will result in great economic benefits

- but community leaders call for more details of project

By North American Correspondent

The Guyanese community in Richmond Hill is largely in support of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to build what is dubbed; America’s largest convention center and hotel at the Aqueduct race track.

Portrait of the proposed Richmond Hill Convention Center

Residents in the area, including the large number of Guyanese settled there, were taken by surprise by the Governor’s announcement last month of plans to open a full fledge casino and convention center at the location.

The Community Board for the area must give approval for the project before any work could begin. But the Board members have since called for more information to be made public about the project before giving their support.

Guyanese residing in the neighbourhood, even though they had some reservations, were largely in support of the Governor’s proposal. Some have expressed concerns about the traffic woes that may result from the thousands of visitors who will be attracted to the area daily, but at the same time they are anxious about the many economic benefits that will result from such a massive project.

The casino that opened last October was supposed to give contracts and employment to persons from within the area, including Guyanese. But observers say this is not the case. Community activist Vishnu Mahadeo said that the community was taken for a ride, as he pointed out that even community newspapers are not being supported.

Just recently, Mahadeo, Vishnu Bisram, Albert Baldeo and other activists have started a campaign to lobby for jobs and other benefits for the community from the casino. They are also insisting that they want to see positive changes in this regard before they offer support to larger projects.

Baldeo, who is district leader for the area, believes the community has not been getting its fair share in benefits and laments the neglect of Richmond Hill by politicians.

Additionally, some Guyanese residing in the area feel that there should be a specially constructed subway station to transport people from other parts of the city and the airport to avoid massive traffic jams. Currently, the site is served by the A train and it takes at least one hour to get to Midtown, although that line offers quick access from the site to Downtown Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and JFK Airport.

Promoters of the project say the city will provide uninterrupted mass transit. Uninterrupted subway service could come via a new line running together with the A train making fewer stops or by use of the so-called “Queensway,” the abandoned LIRR viaduct that connects to the Rockaway branch of the A train near Aqueduct Racetrack and ends at the LIRR main line in Rego Park.

“Transportation to the site is an issue that needs to be addressed and we have been discussing the feasibility of MTA service from Manhattan to Aqueduct, with Genting paying the cost of such service,” Gov. Cuomo said in a letter to state legislative leaders.

The US $4 billion project would be entirely financed by the company that manages the casino in Richmond Hill. The project is expected to be built in two phases. The first phase, 2.6 million square feet, is expected to be completed by November 2014. The second and final phase of 1.2 million square feet will be built later.

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