Mysterious China-themed 'city' proposed in New York’s Catskills
U.S. immigration officials are considering a proposal from Chinese investors to create a multibillion-dollar development in New York’s Catskills called "China City" -- raising concerns among critics about the potential cost to U.S. taxpayers and, according to one analyst, the possibility it could be a "stalking horse" for the Beijing government.
A spokesman from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services told FoxNews.com that the proposal for Thompson, N.Y., has not been approved but is under consideration.
The mysterious proposed development appears to be a step beyond the types of ethnic enclaves scattered throughout U.S. cities, like the Chinatown sections of New York City or San Francisco. The 600-acre "China City of America" is located far outside New York City in upstate New York's wetlands and is a meticulously planned project, calling for family housing, a college and student residences, among other structures. In addition to needing federal approval, it would likely need a host of state and local permits before ground could be broken.
"It's a perfect storm of problems."
- David North, Center for Immigration Studies
If approved, every province in China would have an office there and foreign investors funding the development would receive green cards for their $500,000 checks under the EB-5 program designed to lure foreign investment, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, a conservative organization staunchly opposed to the project.
A detailed report authored by David North, a fellow with the Washington-based group, claimed there is "a charge from within the Chinese community that China City is a stalking horse for the Chinese communist government in Beijing." He claimed he was told one group raised objections with the USCIS.
"It's a perfect storm of problems," North told FoxNews.com, citing what he called dubious job creation claims by the promoters as well as national security concerns. North noted that the developers claim 20 percent of the funding would come from U.S. taxpayers, which he said was a "pipe dream."
The China City Regional Center's website, though it includes little English, shows a section referring to federal funding. Under the section titled, "Phase 1 Investment Percentage," the website states, "US government investment total of $ 65 million accounting for 20%."
The site is affiliated with a Florida law firm, which could not be reached for comment.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not confirm such a funding request in the formal proposal and said Wednesday it does not disclose details of pending applications.
"The [China City] Regional Center is not approved. An application has been filed and it's still pending. A decision has not been made on it yet," Christopher Bentley, a spokesman for USCIS, told FoxNews.com.
"With all cases of a request for an immigrations service or benefit, we rely on the information provided and the law to reach a decision on whether it can or cannot be approved," Bentley said.
Local officials did not respond to requests for comment. But a videotape of a public meeting held in Thompson in May, available on YouTube, addressed the proposal and underscored the controversy surrounding the development. Supporters of the project, in an economically depressed area of Sullivan County, say they believe it would offer both a financial and cultural boon to the region.
"Families who invest in EB-5 program are normally influential and wealthy families from China. A lot of them are successful business owners or enterprisers. Most of those investors are highly educated and skilled in different fields," wrote one poster.
"I believe this is a big projects that can creates thousands of job opportunities," wrote another. "Such a precious opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture and beauty."
---
www.nypost.com/ 2013/ 12/ 04/ mysterious-plans-to-build-upstate-ny-...
By Geoff Earle
December 4, 2013 | 7:16pm
Modal Trigger
Long Island businesswoman Sherry Li (inset) is the mastermind behind the plan to build a 'China City of America' in upstate New York. Photo: Photo Courtesy Midhudsonnews.com
A Long Island businesswoman wants to build a massive “Chinese Disneyland” in the Catskills — which would include an amusement park, huge mansions and a “Forbidden City” laid out according to the principles of Feng Shui.
The China City of America scheme could bring thousands of wealthy Chinese immigrants to the tiny Sullivan County town of Thompson, under a federal program that lets foreigners get visas by investing $500,000 in the US.
The mastermind behind the plan, Sherry Li, says the development would eventually draw $6 billion in foreign investment.
“We can kind of view it as a Chinese concept of Disney — so it’s going to have lot of attractions for families,” she said.
The designs for China City include a college, 1,000 residences, a Chinese-themed retail center and possibly a casino.
The place would feel like a trip to China just 90 miles outside New York city, as one area would mark parts of the Chinese Zodiac while another would have 16 buildings representing the major Chinese dynasties.
“Each dynasty will have its building and will have rides go with it,” Li said at a town council meeting in May where she pitched the original plan.
China City’s website features golden dragons, and projects an initial investment of $325 million — with $10 million going to a “Temple of Heaven,” $24 million on a hotel and entertainment complex, and $20 million to construct a “Forbidden City.”
It also projects a $65 million infusion from the U.S. government – without naming what agency would make the contribution.
“It’s multiple phases. No project is going to happen in one day. It’s going to be step-by-step,” Li told the Post, saying the amusement park component would get built in a later phase.
The plan is now under consideration by the leaders of Thompson, population 15,000.
It’s already getting a lot of opposition.
“It actually seems surreal but unfortunately it is real,” said Paula Medley, an activist who heads a local environmental group.
“This is kind of a combination of pie-in-the-sky and ethnic solidarity and showmanship and a federal program that sort of facilitates this sort of thing. It’s really an odd mix,” said David North, who authored a new report picking apart China City’s proposal for the D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies.
Others questioned its link to the federal visa program, known as EB-5.
“It sounds like an EB-5 scam,” said Laura Corruzi, a New York City attorney who vacations in the area. “The financials don’t really support the $6 billion project.”
The Thompson town council has had at least five meetings on the project, with the latest Tuesday night.
Li wouldn’t reveal the number of investors she has lined up, but she said most were Chinese nationals.
“Whoever is interested [will] invest with us. At this point we don’t have [Chinese] government investors at all,” she said, describing her own background only as being in the “financial industry.”
“It’s in the thousands of apartments, houses — it’s huge,” said Thompson town supervisor Tony Cellini. He said the total population of Chinese coming in eventually could equal the town’s if the developers “fulfill” all their wishes.
“We’re not certain we have the infrastructure to handle all that at this point,” he added.
“I believe China City is very serious but they’ve got a long road ahead of them to get all their approvals.”
---
www.nydailynews.com/ news/ national/ china-city-coming-upstate-new-...
ynn.com
Sherry Li, CEO of China City of America, presents a brochure for the project during a town meeting in Thompson, N.Y.
A businesswoman is pushing a plan to bring a sprawling Shanghai simulation to New York.
A group of Chinese investors headed by Sherry Li reportedly want to pump billions of dollars into a mysterious mega-development in upstate New York’s Catskill region called “China City of America.”
chinacityofamerica.com
China City of America is a proposal for a Chinese-themed gambling/entertainment complex in the towns of Thompson and Mamakating in upstate New York.
RELATED: BIAS AGAINST PUERTO RICANS LED TO SLAY TRY AT CHINATOWN NE...
The 600-acre site would transform the quaint, but economically depressed town of Thompson into a pipeline for Chinese culture and money, according to reports.
Mapquest.com
The 600-acre site would be placed in Sullivan County near Thompson, N.Y.
Proposals include the building of a college, 1,000 homes, a Chinese-themed retail center and possibly a casino, Fox News reported.
chinacityofamerica.com
The site would include a casino and each Chinese province will receive an office in the complex.
Every province in China would be represented by an office within the complex and foreign investors funding the project would also get green cards for their $500,000 checks, Fox News reports.
US. immigration honchos and local elected officials are now considering the China City of America development.
chinacityofamerica.com
The renderings show the buildings would adhere to classic Chinese architectural design.
Many local residents in the economically depressed area support the project as they believe it will bring both financial and cultural boons to the region.
chinacityofamerica.com
The plan would be a boom or bust proposition for the economically depressed Catskill region. The leaders of the proposal said it would bring an influx of Asian money into the area.
But critics have raised fears it is a “stalking horse” for the ever-powerful Beijing government.
ynn.com
Town residents react with dismay to the concept of the China City of America at a meeting in Thompson, N.Y.
“There’s charge from within the Chinese community that China City is a stalking horse for the Chinese communist government in Beijing,” David North, from the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News.
The influx of new immigrants, who only need to cut a check, could cause complications in the state.
“It’s a perfect storm of problems,” North added, saying it could bring national security concerns and that claims of the proposal creating thousands of jobs was “dubious.”
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has not disclosed further details of the application.
“The [CHINA CITY] Regional Center is not approved,” spokesman Christopher Bentley told Fox News. “An application has been filed and it's still pending. A decision has not been made on it yet.
---
http://www.examiner.com/article/massive-chinese-development-conside...
Massive Chinese development considered for the Catskills
http://www.townofthompson.com/
Near Fallsburg and Lock Sheldrake in Southeastern Sullivan County, the tiny town of Thompson (pop. 15,000) is weighing a $6 billion proposal from Chinese investors that would double the town’s size and effectively turn it into a Chinese amusement park.
According to the New York Post, a Chinese businesswoman from Long Island, Sherry Li, wants to build a massive “Chinese Disneyland” in the Catskills. This Chinatown on steroids would include an amusement park, huge mansions, a college, shopping complex and a reproduction of the “Forbidden City”. There would be a building for each dynasty in its own recreation area featuring amusement rides. To top it all off, it would be laid out according to the principles of Feng Shui.
While the town council of Thompson is seriously investigating the possibilities of such a huge investment, others wonder if this is a massive scheme to gain visas for China’s wealthiest citizens. “It sounds like an EB-5 scam,” said Laura Corruzi, a New York City attorney who vacations in the area. “The financials don’t really support the $6 billion project.”
A little-known federal program created for immigrant investors, the EB-5 visa program provides a method of obtaining a green card for foreign nationals who invest money in the United States. To obtain the visa, individuals must invest $1,000,000 (or at least $500,000 in a "Targeted Employment Area" - high unemployment or rural area), creating or preserving at least 10 jobs and other stipulations.
The New York Daily News said “China City of America is a proposal for a Chinese-themed gambling/entertainment complex in the towns of Thompson and Mamakating in upstate New York. The 600-acre site would transform the quaint, but economically depressed town of Thompson into a pipeline for Chinese culture and money.”
Just a month after New York’s voters approved non-Indian casinos in the Catskills and other areas of the state, it appears some major players have bigger plans than originally considered by turning a quiet Catskills town into Shanghai USA.
See China City of America website for more information.
---
DTOM: At a time when the powers that be / traitors in office seek to disarm the people of New York and the real danger of foreign powers seeking occupy following a US$ collapse, this revelation should not be simply dismissed.
If unopposed, this would give the Communist PRC an internal foothold and base of operations on the East coast of the CONUS, in close proximity to Canada.
...and they want the US Taxpayer to front 20%!!!
No doubt the cases of bribe money to buy off the relevant parties are being (or have been) handed over...
You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!
Join 12160 Social Network