The site of the proposed Bay Terrace school Photo via Google Maps
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | DEC. 31, 2021 - JAN. 6, 2022
Queensborough CC
celebrates its first
expansion in decades
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Queensborough Community
College recently celebrated
the newest addition to
its campus, which is its first
expansion in 60 years.
The Dec. 16 ribbon-cutting
took place at QCC’s East
Building at 50-35 Cloverdale
Blvd., formerly known as the
Oak Hills Jewish Center.
“Queensborough was
originally designed to serve
5,000 students. Today we are
privileged to have nearly five
times that number in our
undergraduate and Continuing
Education and Workforce
Development programs,”
Queensborough President
Dr. Christine Mangino said.
“This addition will allow for
new and exciting opportunities
for the residents of Queens
to reach new goals.”
According to QCC, Oak
Hills was built in 1957 and
supplied classroom space for
the college when it was established
two years later in
1959. In February 2020, the
City University of New York
(CUNY) officially acquired
the building.
“After six decades, the relationship
comes full circle,”
Mangino said. “This wonderful
facility will once again support
Queensborough’s teaching,
learning and student
success initiatives, ensuring
that residents of Queens continue
to have access to highquality,
affordable education.”
The college credited several
elected officials and
community members for providing
funding for the East
Building including Senators
Toby Ann Stavisky and John
Liu, Queens District Attorney
Melinda Katz, the late
Queens Borough President
Helen Marshall and City
Council members Barry Grodenchik,
Inez Barron, Daniel
Dromm, Peter Koo and Karen
Koslowitz.
At the ceremony, QCC commended
outgoing Councilman
Grodenchik for his efforts
to spearhead the acquisition
of the new building among
other things that he fought
for at the school including the
Queensborough Performing
Arts Center (QPAC), QCC Art
Gallery and the Kupferberg
Holocaust Center.
“Barry is about as Queens
as anyone could get, and he is
very much a part of Queensborough.
He is a person who
really cares about our students.
He was on campus the
day before Thanksgiving to
help us distribute food to hundreds
of students in need. He
understands what community
means, what service means
and what it takes to make
things happen,” Mangino said.
The councilman was also
credited with helping to get
air conditioning for the QCC
gym, facilitating renovations
for the central kitchen and
reconstruction of the steps in
the quad and also providing
resources to acquire accommodations
for students with
disabilities.
Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal
by e-mail at jbagcal@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260-2583.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
The City Council recently
greenlit a controversial plan
to build a 572-seat public school
in northeast Queens, despite
many voicing their disapproval
within the community.
Earlier this month at the
Dec. 9 New York City Stated
Council Meeting, Council
members unanimously voted
in favor of the proposal to build
a school at 24th Avenue and
Waters Edge Drive in Bay Terrace.
Back in June, a majority
of Community Board 7 voted
against building the school,
with many citing overcrowding,
threats of flooding and increased
traffic as major issues.
Last week, Assemblyman
Edward Braunstein expressed
disappointment that the city
did not address the community’s
concerns before moving
forward with the project.
“First and foremost, the
community expressed concerns
about environmental
impacts and how the traffic
increase and transportation
needs will be addressed. Only
after the school received approval
by the City Council did
my office receive an abbreviated
State Environmental Quality
Review, which cites ‘significant’
anticipated impacts on
local traffic and parking conditions.
The report draws this
conclusion under the assumption
that nearly all students
will reside within a half mile
of the school, and that 41% of
students would walk to school,”
Braunstein said.
During the public process,
the Department of Education
said that it would be adding
about 150 seats to P.S. 169/Bell
Academy, meeting the neighborhood’s
needs for primary
school seats. But the lawmaker
said that the DOE and SCA
failed to deliver clear answers
about how the new school
would affect students at the existing
schools.
“When pressed about what
impact the new school will
have on the population at P.S.
169 and admissions priority
at Bell Academy, the DOE and
SCA have failed to deliver any
clear answers,” Braunstein
said. “Going forward, the city
must fully address all of these
concerns and better engage
parents and stakeholders in
the decision-making process
related to this site. I urge the
incoming mayoral administration
to make strides to increase
transparency in the city’s site
selection process.”
The Bay Terrace Community
Alliance took to social media to
voice their own disappointment
for a lack of community involvement
before a vote took place.
“The Bay Terrace Community
Alliance is disappointed
that the community was not
able to see the transportation
and environmental impact
studies before the City Council
voted on this. We also are
disheartened with the lack of
transparency regarding this
entire process,” the BTCA said
in response to a Patch story.
According to a demographic
analysis done by an SCA-funded
consultant combined with
data from the Departments
City Planning, Building and
Housing Preservation and Development,
CEC 25 is projected
to have 22,908 students enrolled
in pre-K through fifth grade by
2026, which translates to a potential
increase of up to 4,653
students compared to current
enrollment.
“We’re excited to bring a
much-needed new school to this
notoriously overcrowded district.
Once complete, the entire
community will benefit from a
wonderful facility with stateof
the-art amenities that our
children deserve,” said Kevin
Ortiz, SCA spokesperson.
Photo via Twitter/ @BarryGrodenchik
Community voices disapproval
after unanimous City Council
vote for Bay Terrace school
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