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Maybe businesses did not die but if you can offer tech startups and software firms uninterrupted low cost electricity, it would give you a competitive advantage over places that lose electricity for days. I think that is where demand for office space in NYC is coming from right now.
As for the airports, yes, people who live closer to NYC have less need for it but they would also have less need for local jobs since they can commute to the city. Someone living in eastern Nassau or Suffolk whose business will require a lot of traveling will have a great need to have a good airport nearby especially when doing business with emerging markets. Right now you will need to go to JFK to catch a flight to LatAm or Asia.
Been reading along and must say electricity costs and airport proximity are the least of LI's business obstacles. All major cities have those issues and southern cities in summer have MUCH bigger electricity issues with rolling brown outs and rationing. We just don't hear about it. NY will always have it's own caveat to business. It is NY, the "greatest city in the world." After 9/11 Hoboken and Jersey City exploded in growth partly due to proximity but also due to the State and mayors rolling out the red carpet to attract business. Fast track permits, build out incentives. They BEGGED businesses to come and in turn have completely redesigned skylines, streets and neighborhoods. Long Island WILL NOT do anything like that due to Nimbyism and political lameness. One word: ARROGANCE. LI's attitude is adversarial. There is a distrust that every business wants to exploit the land and destroy our "unique suburban character" and turn us into Queens or whatever. It's such a crock. Didn't it become apparent enough after the Lighthouse debacle and yet the Republican machine will win another landslide in the next election.
It really would take a complete revolt at this point and frankly everyone is too busy to risk opting out of paying their tax bill, pulling their kids from school in protest and "occupying" Mineola.
If it were up to me, I'd focus my efforts on Suffolk since its more of a "bedroom community" than Nassau and try to make it more LARGECORP friendly.
First things first : Infrastructure Development:
I'd make sure 135 is extended past OB into Connecticut (of course, assuming I get past the NIMBYs who dont want highways in their backyards) but extending that roadway is the only way we can secure more traffic from New England into eastern LI and avoiding all the traffic snarls that run east/west on the LIE through Queens/Nassau.
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Your plan just failed before you even got to your second point. There is a ton of money on most of LI's north shore that would fight any project like that tooth and nail..
The only place I see this ever could possibly happen is the old Kings Park Hospital land, but then the bridge would have to go through Sunken Meadow State Park, again, not very likely.
The bridge could link up with Bridgeport and it would open up easier trade between NE and LI, but you would definitely see a large increase in truck traffic heading East on the LIE.
Been reading along and must say electricity costs and airport proximity are the least of LI's business obstacles. All major cities have those issues and southern cities in summer have MUCH bigger electricity issues with rolling brown outs and rationing. We just don't hear about it. NY will always have it's own caveat to business. It is NY, the "greatest city in the world." After 9/11 Hoboken and Jersey City exploded in growth partly due to proximity but also due to the State and mayors rolling out the red carpet to attract business. Fast track permits, build out incentives. They BEGGED businesses to come and in turn have completely redesigned skylines, streets and neighborhoods. Long Island WILL NOT do anything like that due to Nimbyism and political lameness. One word: ARROGANCE. LI's attitude is adversarial. There is a distrust that every business wants to exploit the land and destroy our "unique suburban character" and turn us into Queens or whatever. It's such a crock. Didn't it become apparent enough after the Lighthouse debacle and yet the Republican machine will win another landslide in the next election.
It depends on the kind of businesses you want to attract. If the goal is to make LI catch LI spillover like what JC is trying to do, then maybe not. But it's becoming a crowded space and the kinds of companies that spilled over to JC have are themselves moving to other states. Goldman Sachs has an agreement to keep 8,900 jobs in NYC in exchange for tax incentives but everyone knows the economics won't work out without those tax breaks. Maybe it's better to attract industries where LI can have a real advantage instead of getting into an agressive bidding war for tax breaks.
Maybe businesses did not die but if you can offer tech startups and software firms uninterrupted low cost electricity, it would give you a competitive advantage over places that lose electricity for days. I think that is where demand for office space in NYC is coming from right now.
As for the airports, yes, people who live closer to NYC have less need for it but they would also have less need for local jobs since they can commute to the city. Someone living in eastern Nassau or Suffolk whose business will require a lot of traveling will have a great need to have a good airport nearby especially when doing business with emerging markets. Right now you will need to go to JFK to catch a flight to LatAm or Asia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mongoose65
Been reading along and must say electricity costs and airport proximity are the least of LI's business obstacles. All major cities have those issues and southern cities in summer have MUCH bigger electricity issues with rolling brown outs and rationing. We just don't hear about it. NY will always have it's own caveat to business. It is NY, the "greatest city in the world." .
Agree with mongoose. FH_Daddy, you're kinda making up problems that don't even exist for LI. Airports and electricity?? You're acting like we are living in the 17th century. In fact, we are very close to major airports. True, electric is expensive, but ConEd is even more expensive than LIPA, no? LIPA has its issues, but if a company really needs 24/7 electricity, they could always keep backup generators.. like hospitals (we do have hospitals here ).
The problems, in a nutshell, are high COL/taxes (unions are the main cause of that) and maybe partially NIMBYism...the high COL/'Cost to do business' makes us uncompetitive.
Agree with mongoose. FH_Daddy, you're kinda making up problems that don't even exist for LI. Airports and electricity?? You're acting like we are living in the 17th century. In fact, we are very close to major airports. True, electric is expensive, but ConEd is even more expensive than LIPA, no? LIPA has its issues, but if a company really needs 24/7 electricity, they could always keep backup generators. You know, like hospitals (we do have hospitals here ).
The problems, in a nutshell, are high COL/taxes (unions are the main cause of that) and maybe partially NIMBYism...the high COL/'Cost to do business' makes us uncompetitive.
Yeah you do have electricity but how much does it cost per KWH versus other locations? The rates in Texas and Memphis are half of what you pay. So who is making up what?
Airports are an ancillary requirement and I do not mean to exaggerate its importance. With that said if your profession requires you to travel abroad 30% of the time then someone based in Suffolk could be looking at a 1+hr ride to JFK to catch flights to Asia and other growth markets. Think of knowledge workers trying to court businesses in other countries. You can rule out Suffolk for that. But yes, this is not the most important thing that needs to get done.
Simply put, if I was making things up as you say, then there would be nothing to talk about in this thread. No empty offices in Garden City. No problem replacing the NG jobs. The problem of lacking higher paying jobs is just an imagination and everyone would be happy with the way things are, right?
It depends on the kind of businesses you want to attract. If the goal is to make LI catch LI spillover like what JC is trying to do, then maybe not. But it's becoming a crowded space and the kinds of companies that spilled over to JC have are themselves moving to other states. Goldman Sachs has an agreement to keep 8,900 jobs in NYC in exchange for tax incentives but everyone knows the economics won't work out without those tax breaks. Maybe it's better to attract industries where LI can have a real advantage instead of getting into an agressive bidding war for tax breaks.
If Long Island is so dependent on "small business" as is always spouted and costs are too high for small business then giving the keys to the island to a few large corporations is highly beneficial in the short term. Jobs equal tax base and the need for feeder businesses/industries. In Austin, the Dell boom also exploded the chip boom, the clean room boom, the programming boom, the logistics boom, marketing, right down to the fast food joints that sell lunch (damn good BBQ by the way). For LI it may not be the best way but to bleed jobs by the thousands has the reverse trickle effect. Empty storefront, tons of vacant office space, general decline/malaise. Even 3 or 4 more Canons would be a boon if they can employ 2 or 3 thousand workers. It grows everything around it and we could sure use those 3 or 4 thousand neighbors chipping in to pay my kid's gym teacher and superintendent. It takes a village at least to manage those costs!
As always it's about balance. I don't want the union bunch to go suck asbestos w/ no medical, but if my taxes can pay for insane cop and teacher welfare (at the continued detriment to kid's programming), then I can support some stimulus spending for roads, railroads, power grids and business development.
Yeah you do have electricity but how much does it cost per KWH versus other locations? The rates in Texas and Memphis are half of what you pay. So who is making up what?
They may pay half but they use double so it becomes mostly a moot point. It be HOT in Texas and Memphis!
How about reducing the cost of living on LI?Make it a right to work state or countys so a small bussiness does not get riped off by a union and our schools could be run a LOT Cheaper!
They may pay half but they use double so it becomes mostly a moot point. It be HOT in Texas and Memphis!
I looked up commercial electric rates in Freeport and Memphis. Freeport was much more straightforward and easy to understand. Approximately 43% less than LIPA. Memphis was another story ... PDF after PDF of scenarios. If FHD's statement is correct that Memphis is half (50%) of what we pay then maybe there is hope with Freeport being 43% less ... PROVIDED more parts of Long Island can have electricity other than LIPA. Right now there's only 3 places on LI: Freeport, Rockville Centre, and Greenport.
I also think that FHD has a point with energy costs being important to our growth or lack of it as Americans are competing more and more for energy with emerging nations, some hugely populated like India and China. I think the overall trend in the coming decades is going to make energy more and more dear to pay for in the United States, so having the LIPA albatross on our necks is really screwing us and will screw us more in the future.
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