Three crucial unions have announced their support for a proposed Major League Soccer stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, DNAinfo reported. The MLS estimated that the stadium could create up to 2,300 construction jobs, as well as 160 full-time jobs and 750 part-time jobs.
The Hotel Trades Council, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the service employees union, 32BJ SEIU, cited the job creation as the reason for their support.
“We are thrilled to have the support of unions who represent hundreds of thousands of working men and women,” MLS spokeswoman Risa Heller told DNAinfo. “They understand, as we do, what an important economic engine this stadium will be.”
The unions also argued that restaurants, bars and retail stores would see more business because of the stadium.
Assemblyman Francisco Moya and State Senator Jose Peralta have also publicly supported the project, DNAinfo noted.
Queens has seen quite a development boom recently. As previously reported, local residents are closely following what might be a casino built at Willets Point, not far from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, although developers insist that a casino is not in the works. –Hayley Kaplan [DNAinfo]