Queens Center Mall Campaign News

Spring 2010 Vol. 1 No. 1

Campaign to Hold the Queens Center Mall Accountable Begins he Queens Center Mall The Queens Center Mall has business, the Queens Center Mall TCampaign (QCMC) was launched received $48 million in property also benefits from bus and subway on Dec. 20, 2009 by tax subsidies and is lines maintained and built by the community groups scheduled to receive citizens of New York City. We believe and labor unions, more than $50 it’s time that the mall owner and including Make million in the retailers who profit from the financial the Road New coming years. support of the public give back to York and Despite the the community and to those working the Retail, fact that it there. Wholesale and receives tens The demands of the campaign are Department of millions simple. The mall ownership must: Store Union of dollars (RWDSU). The in taxpayer • Provide sufficient community campaign seeks subsidies, the space for such activities as to hold the mall, mall gives almost English as a Second Language which is one of the nothing back to the (ESL) classes and job training most profitable malls community. programs; The majority • Require retailers, Despite the fact that it of the jobs at the mall through its leases, to receives tens of millions are part-time, low- allow employees to unionize without of dollars in taxpayer wage, no-benefit jobs that keep fear of threat and subsidies, the mall gives people in poverty. intimidation; almost nothing back to the And there is very • Require retailers to pay a community. little community space or facilities living wage to all of in the country, accountable to the available there. their employees. community and to the workers who As a privately-owned, are employed there. publicly-subsidized

www.queenscentermall.org Spring 2010 Vol. 1 No. 1

JCPoverty Makes the Issue Clear!

ueens Center Mall is home to one provide a decent life for their development, Qof the most profitable JC Penney families. the public stores in the entire country, yet the must store’s workers are paid barely above JC Penney’s actions demand the federal and state minimum wage highlight the that the of $7.25 per hour. Over the last few reasons why the jobs created weeks, JC Penney has gone so far as pay a living to terminate 25 part-time employees, Queens Center Mall wage and the and cut the hours of nearly as many Campaign is important community full-time employees—many of whom JC Penney’s actions highlight the benefits from have worked for the company for more reasons why the Queens Center Mall the taxpayers’ than 20 years. These cuts make it even Campaign is important. When tax investment. harder for JC Penney employees to dollars are used to subsidize private According to a Quick Facts about The Queens report by the Fiscal Policy Center Mall Campaign Institute, it is estimated that families The Queens of New York workers in retail (including food Center Mall is a massive stores) received the largest share of annual public The Queens structure containing benefits (including Medicaid, food stamps Center Mall is nearly one million square and Earned Income Tax Credit) relative to all among the most feet of leasable space major sectors in the economy. Taxpayers are profitable malls in with 175 stores, employing giving millions of dollars to the Mall in tax the entire country. over 3,000 retail workers. abatements and then also footing the bill In 2008, the mall It is located at one of the for public assistance to retail workers had sales of $876 busiest intersections in who are not receiving adequate pay per square foot. Queens—at the intersection and benefits. It is owned by the of Woodhaven The Macerich Company, Boulevard and QCMC has been which owns 95 malls Queens Boulevard endorsed by local throughout the country. in Elmhurst. The mall elected officials is served by three and over 20 The organizations. Queens Center Mall subway lines Campaign (QCMC) is a part of a and ten bus growing living wage movement in New York City. routes. Many local community The goals of the QCMC are the same as those of the The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) in the organizations also mall is recognize that the mall, Bronx: secure living wages, the right of retail workers to unionize a poverty without fear or threat of intimidation, and to dedicated community the most recognizable space in wage center. A survey the community, would be the best space inside of the nearly one million square foot mall. The mall, conducted at various unlike the Kingsbridge Armory where redevelopment was dependent on place to provide much needed stores at the mall found services, such as educational over $60 million dollars in taxpayer money, is now receiving property that there were few full classes, financial planning, tax subsidies from the city. The mall has already received $48 million in time jobs and that many of property tax reductions from the Industrial and Commercial Incentive and job training to the the jobs paid at or slightly community, but the mall Program (ICIP) which has since been renamed the Industrial above the $7.25 federal and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP). Before the ICIP/ does not offer any space and state minimum for such services. ICAP subsidy program ends in 2019 for the mall, the mall’s wage. owners will receive approximately another $80 million.