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By Govind Dhaya |
New York, August 2002: On Thursday July 18 a group of Guyanese businessmen in Richmond Hill, Queens, played host to Mayor Albert Jurczynski of Schenectady. The occasion was another step in a project by Herman Singh and Tropical Funding - an innovative real estate marketing campaign aimed at enticing Guyanese to relocate to the city of Schenectady.
Since the launching of their project, last June, Singh and Mayor Jurczynsky have conducted an ongoing exchange of views and ideas, followed by various exchange visits. On July, 18, it was the Mayor's turn to visit Singh and the thriving Guyanese community which he is offering as a viable group of potential new residents to the upstate city.
The Mayor and his family - wife Maria, daughter Jessica, and son Alex - toured toured Little Guyana, the stretch of Liberty that is home to Guyanese entrepreneurship, and lunched at Guyanese owned Kaiteur Restaurant, along with co-owner Dave Anderson, Herman Singh, Attorney Kawal Totaram and mortgage broker, Roy Singh
Mayor Jurczynski had first heard about the Guyanese work-ethic from Mr Deryck Singh, a Guyanese, who, one year-ago, was looking for land to establish a Hindu temple. During their conversation Deryk Singh told
the mayor that Guyanese "did not believe in public assistance".
To this, the mayor replied: "You're singing my tune." And this past May, the mayor placed a call to Herman Singh's Show Time (saturdays on WRTN 93.5 FM) during which he whole-heartedly invited it's listeners to move to the Schenectady.
Now with the help of Herman Singh's Tropical Funding, he plans to lure this new group with the best he has to offer: scores of really "affordable homes" and "properties," along with all the big city amenities (good schools, hospitals, sanitation, fire, police protection, etc), and the real potential for any creative new businesses to take off with "sky-rocket success."
He has made a commitment to facilitate access to any information (city property records, building codes info., vital records), uncomplicated legal transactions, and the availability of all necessary applications to anyone serious about relocating to Schenectady. And he promised to build a cricket stadium there, as soon as the Guyanese population hits 50,0000.
Another attraction is the availability of low cost- classic (Georgian and Queen Ann-style) houses. In fact, current estimates put the price ranges for real estate in Schenectady at the same levels they were in Richmond Hill, Queens, 20 years ago. Some properties go for as little as a dollar and the city still gains since it saves the over $16,000.00 it would cost to demolish each abandoned building.
Currently there are 2000 Guyanese living in Schenectady. Among them is Chauncy Williams, the Afro-Guyanese gentleman who is the president of the "Hamiliton Hills Neighborhood Association" who could hardly contain his excitement, while recently hosting a recent "Guyana Day" festival in that city.
Herman Singh and other brokers conduct free 12 hour bus rides, every Saturday to Schenectady. Call 718-805-4900.