Queens businesses turn to local lender

Because credit has dried up, local businesses in Queens are turning to the Greater Jamaica Development Corp. for small business loans. Greater Jamaica President Carlisle Towery said applications to the fund have jumped since the recession. Last year, four loans were closed and 12 applications were submitted, while already this year, four loans have closed and 16 applications were filed. Toscano Clements Taylor, a consulting firm that provides cost estimates for construction projects, received a $300,000 loan last year after being rejected by major banks, and local entrepreneur Kenny Lewis obtained a $30,000 loan to open a Subway franchise. Greater Jamaica’s Towery said the development corporation is in talks with the federal Economic Development Administration to add $2 million in stimulus dollars to the fund.