Greater Jamaica Development Corp

See schedule ojamaica market:since its opening in 1990, the jamaica market has established itself as a community meeting place offering an eclectic array of affordable culinary choices - from salads and sandwiches to juices and ethnic foods from asia, latin america, and the caribbean all in a convenient location. Over the years, the market has helped many creative and ambitious entrepreneurs start businesses in a commercial corridor where it might otherwise be too expensive for them to open shop; there are currently over 20 shops selling hot food, news, coffee, magazines, flowers, cosmetics, jewelry, hair products and more. In addition, the harvest room is located in the jamaica market. As one of the only offerings of its kind in downtown jamaica the harvest room serves as a large scale event space that gjdc offers for community convening purposes. Able to accommodate up to 150 guests, the local community uses the harvest room for a wide variety of family, social, and business events. Not only can the venue be rented for affordable rates, gjdc also provides the space in-kind for certain community events. Greater nexus:since opening in 2022, greater nexus has emerged as a premier coworking space and entrepreneurship hub in southeast queens, designed to empower local businesses with access to modern amenities and critical resources.located in downtown jamaica, the 10,000+ square foot facility provides affordable, flexible workspace to a largely minority-owned business community that has historically lacked such access. Despite pandemic-related delays, greater nexus reached full occupancy in its private offices within its first year and continues to offer flexible workspaces for hundreds of entrepreneurs and nonprofits. In 2023 alone, greater nexus hosted more than 120 events, served over 2,500 unique visitors, and supported more than 200 small businessesthrough direct services, technical assistance, and networking opportunities.greater nexus offers a high-end, hospitality-focused experience that rivals top-tier coworking spaces across new york city, while remaining accessible to local entrepreneurs.with wellness rooms, soundproof phone booths, tech-enabled conference rooms, and state-of-the-art a/v capabilities, the space is designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and growth. Members benefit from a flexible pricing modelfrom day passes to long-term private officesand can take advantage of more than 50 workshops, monthly industry networking events, and curated business support programs. As a certified hub for training and credentialing, greater nexus also partners with workforce agencies and educational institutions to host certification programsin digital marketing, business operations, and mwbe complianceproviding tangible pathways to economic mobility.greater nexus is home to a growing suite of innovative initiatives designed to close opportunity gaps and strengthen the local economy.among these is thesmall business initiative, which provides up to 15 entrepreneurs with complimentary coworking access for one to six months, pairing them with mentors and business development resources. This initiative is complemented by programming in financial literacy, civic engagement, workforce development, and youth education. Participants also gain access to specialized certifications, one-on-one technical assistance, and resources from our business services group. By providing access to space, training, and community, greater nexus is not only growing businessesit's building the infrastructure for long-term, inclusive economic growth in southeast queens and beyond.

See schedule ofacilitating affordable housing development:in response to resounding demand for affordable housing and new retail by the jamaica community, gjdc has worked closely with private developers to help facilitate the construction of more mixed-use, affordable buildings in downtown jamaica.moreover, gjdc's next initiative is to repurpose one of our underutilized parking garages into a mixed-use development while maintaining our commitment to affordable public parking. The project will include subgrade parking with ev charging stations to ensure continued access for community members. The development will also feature ground-floor retail, over 300 mixed-income rental apartments, and 55 affordable homeownership condos. By increasing access to stable, quality housing and creating pathways to ownership, the project will help strengthen community ties, promote long-term residency, and support generational wealth-building for local families.events and programming:in order to help connect residents to their neighborhood, gjdc sponsors several events throughout the year, including a women's history month celebration in march, a small business legislative event in may, semi-annual small businesses expos and a 5k walk/run in the fall.improving infrastructure and access:gjdc has played a key role in advocating for and securing funding for various, large-scale transportation improvement projects in the downtown. These projects aim to increase pedestrian access and safety, improve traffic flow, accommodate increased bus volumes, create new public open space and support economic revitalization.most recently, gjdc completed a full lighting replacement at the previously dark and unsafe lirr sutphin blvd underpass. Funded by grants from local elected officials, the project has significantly improved safety for community members and daily commuters. It reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safer, more welcoming environment for all.

Business services:gjdc's business services group (bsg) delivers direct support to local small businesses, with a strategic focus on driving job creation, particularly within industrial sectors and businesses located in or near low-to-moderate income (lmi) census tracts.bsg serves as a key resource to businesses and a trusted intermediary with the city. We monitor and report on business needs in city-designated industrial business zones (ibzs), and advocate for infrastructure improvements that support industrial growth and employment. Our assistance focuses on enabling job-generating businesses to thriveby helping them access financing, government incentives, and regulatory guidance.our mission is to strengthen the local economy by helping businesses create and retain quality jobs. This commitment informs all our activities, including one-on-one technical assistance, community-based outreach, and partnerships that connect businesses to the resources they need to grow.while the covid-19 pandemic prompted an urgent expansion of our services, allowing us to assist over 1,100 businesses and help secure over $5 million in funding and grants, our focus has remained steady: supporting sustainable job growth. Post-covid, we have continued to build on this momentumdelivering an even higher volume and impact of services each year. Today, we provide over 1,000 instances of support annually, including loan packaging, business planning, and workforce-related services designed to help businesses grow and hire.through targeted support, local partnerships, and a deep understanding of the industrial landscape, bsg continues to play a critical role in driving economic development and job creation across our service area.