New York's Sunset Park to become fashion industry hub

Two buildings in the area will undergo major renovations to create nearly 200,000 square feet of garment manufacturing space. The investment will also be used for making significant utility upgrades.

With average salaries of $57,000 in the fashion industry, this in an investment in good-paying jobs with upward career tracks for New Yorkers. Local hiring and workforce training will ensure Sunset Park residents have access to the campus’ new jobs. SUNY’s Fashion Institute of Technology will launch two courses for makers at nearby Brooklyn Army Terminal, which will be integrated into the overall project.

“We have used our ‘Made in NY’ brand to grow fashion and film companies, and today, we are committing some of our most important real estate assets to support them as well. These industries support hundreds of thousands of families with good wages, and they need affordable and modern space to grow. The ‘Made in NY’ Campus represents the collision of our creative economy and advanced manufacturing. This is going to be a 21^st century working waterfront that keeps our city the capital of film and fashion,” said Alicia Glen, deputy mayor for housing and economic development.

The Made in NY Campus, anticipated to open in 2020, aims to synergise creative manufacturing uses and provide affordable, ‘best-in-class’ industrial facilities for garment manufacturing, film and media production and related services and industries.

The fashion industry already represents 182,000 jobs, 5 per cent of the city’s job force. This sector faces a shortage of stable, affordable space necessary for companies to grow and add jobs. By investing at Bush, the city will help fashion designers increase their local manufacturing.

Garment production manufacturing comprises 30 percent of the city’s manufacturing jobs, the industry has faced decades of global economic pressures that have forced companies to look overseas for production. The Made in NY garment manufacturing hub will provide small white-box spaces, ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 square feet, to companies working in patternmaking, marking and grading, cutting and sewing and sample making.

The hub will include shared services and related uses to support the success of these garment firms and the larger Sunset Park garment cluster, such as shared logistics and common services like photography & educational support. The hub will support between 25 and 35 garment manufacturing tenants. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India