De Blasio: NYC jobs plan to boost freight, logistics industries

The plan will provide 100,000 high-paying jobs across the city, with at least 20,000 going directly towards the industrial sector, according to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

   New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a city jobs plan that aims to spur 100,000 high-paying jobs across many sectors, including the maritime and intermodal freight and logistics industries.
   The plan allocates 20,000 jobs to the industrial and manufacturing sector, while supporting all sectors with “physical space to expand, tax incentives to promote growth, business development investments for early-stage companies, and workforce training to connect New Yorkers to good jobs,” de Blasio said in a statement.
   The plan outlines 25 initiatives that include modernizing and expanding manufacturing facilities, particularly in city-owned assets. One particular initiative, “Freight NYC,” will encompass a citywide freight network to create 4,000 jobs by building more shipping and distribution infrastructure to connect NYC to the nation’s “Maritime Highway” in order to reduce roadway traffic.
   The initiative will first conduct a strategic review of the region’s freight and distribution network and then follow up with investments in urban distribution centers in multi-modal freight and to improve distribution inefficiencies.
   As part of its strategy to better connect New York City to the America’s Marine Highway, the city will invest $39 million to install cranes and create additional infrastructure capacity at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT), according to the jobs plan.
   Additionally, the jobs plan allocates investment in the Industrial Developer Fund, a $150 million public-private loan pool to spur nonprofit development of industrial sites. The fund released its rolling request for proposals in March 2016 and announced the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) in December 2016 as its first grantee. GMDC will use the funds awarded through the fund toward the $37 million renovation of a former factory in Ozone Park in Queens, turning it into a multi-tenant manufacturing center, according to the jobs plan.
   Finally, the city is creating a “Cradle to Career” initiative to link New Yorkers to jobs in transportation, distribution, and logistics. The effort encourages city agencies, advocacy organizations, and private businesses to train and link city residents to good-paying jobs in these industries.
   One example is the Urban Assembly School of Global Commerce, a public high school that aims to equip New York students with the skills needed for careers in the transportation and logistics industries, said the jobs plan. The school’s first class will graduate this year, with 71 percent of seniors graduating and 70 percent of graduates having been accepted into junior college and university programs.