Tom Grech (r.) called for the Port Authority to renovate the Flushing Bay Promenade. Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
LaGuardia AirTrain coalition proposes
Flushing Bay Promenade renovation
BY MAX PARROTT
After the results of Federal
Aviation Authority’s forums
on its AirTrain plan to
LaGuardia showed that the
majority of local residents
had overwhelming concerns
about how the proposed plan
would not do enough to benefit
local residents, the Better
Way to LGA coalition
proposed an idea: a new
Flushing Bay Promenade.
On Tuesday Nov. 19, the
coalition — an alliance
of economic development
groups, transportation advocates
and unionized labor —
held a press conference stepping
up its pressure on Port
Authority to renovate the
pathway that weaves up the
Flushing Bay waterfront.
“This decades-old promenade
is in desperate need
of revitalization,” said Tom
Grech, president of the
Queens Chamber of Commerce
and co-chairman of
the coalition. “Let’s use this
opportunity to improve the
walkway, replace the fencing,
add lighting and new
benches, make the peer more
storm-resilient, add more
trees and beautify this space
for generations to come.”
Back in March, the Port
Authority shifted its preferred
route for the train
from the median of the
Grand Central Parkway to
just inside the boundary of
the promenade.
“The notion of having to
do some construction gives
us some opportunity as we
Let’s use this opportunity to improve
the walkway, replace the fencing, add
lighting and new benches, make the peer
more storm-resilient, add more trees
and beautify this space for generations
to come.
Queens Chamber of Commerce President Tom Grech
go through this part of the
neighborhood to re-envision
it, repurpose it and update
it,” said Grech.
The coalition pointed to
the rusty, disintegrating
portions of the guard rail,
mossy benches and warped
walkways as promenade’s
deficiencies.
The promenade contains
1.45 miles of railing,
17 drinking fountains, 1,037
trees and 10,944 shrubs. It
was constructed for $14.8
million, funded by the Department
of Environmental
Protection.
The coalition also wrote
a letter to the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey,
urging them to factor in the
promenade renovation to its
plans for the AirTrain, and
encourage the agency to continue
to listen to ideas from
all interested stakeholders.
“The Port Authority has
made it clear that it is willing
to make a substantial investment
in the promenade
to make it a better community
asset, one that is more
welcoming and user-friendly,
and we trust that will become
a reality,” the coalition
wrote in the letter.
Reach reporter Max Parrott
by e-mail at mparrott@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260-2507.
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