A judge tossed two lawsuits that threatened the $1.3 billion Belmont Park redevelopment project that
will be home to the New York Islanders. Courtesy of New York Arena Partners
TIMESLEDGER | 2 QNS.COM | MAY 22-28, 2020
BY BILL PARRY
Construction of a temporary
protected bike lane on
Crescent Street spanning from
Long Island City to Astoria is
set to begin as part of the de
Blasio administration’s Open
Streets initiative in response
to the COVID-19 pandemic,
according to the city’s Department
of Transportation.
The nearly mile-long bike
lane will run from Queens Plaza
North to Hoyt Avenue North
connecting cyclists from the
Queensborough Bridge to the
Triborough Bridge.
“The Crescent Street bike
lane will be opening in phases,
starting with the southern
portion. Our plan is to begin
next week and then continue
northward as resources become
available,” a DOT spokesperson
said. “We will create
this two-way lane by primarily
using barrels and signage.
We will be sure to update the
community as we proceed, in
particular in the area near
Astoria Medical Plaza where
we are still gathering feedback
and in discussions with Mt. Sinai,
and we will continue conversations
about a full Astoria
bike network and a future
Street Improvement Project on
Crescent Street.”
Councilman Costa Constantinides
has called for a holistic
transit network in western
Queens that prioritizes bike
infrastructure when it comes
to connecting neighborhoods.
In September, Constantinides
first supported a protected bike
lane along Crescent Street,
which would provide a northto
south connection from Astoria
to Long Island City.
“Though Crescent Street
deserved this protected bike
lane long before this pandemic
shut down New York City. I am
thrilled to see its construction
finally begin,” Constantinides
said. “Going to work shouldn’t
be a daily life-or-death scenario,
but sadly it too often is.
Those who can cycle deserve
a better north-to-south route,
from the Triborough Bridge
to the Queensborough Bridge.
My office is ready to work with
the Department of Transportation
to get this right, especially
as later phases move north and
interact with Mt. Sinai Queens.
I hope this is just the first step
in creating a holistic transit
network for western Queens.”
Meanwhile, DOT Commissioner
Polly Trottenberg told a
City Council hearing that the
fourth and final phase of the
Queens Boulevard redesign
project, with a controversial
protected bike lane stretching
from Yellowstone Boulevard
to Union Turnpike, will not be
completed this year due to the
pandemic.
“There are some things we
were trying to wrap up with
that project before corona hit,
with a design firm and state
overseers,” Trottenberg said.
“I don’t have a totally clear answer
when we move forward
with that project.”
The DOT remains committed
to the Queens Boulevard
redesign and hopes to be able
to implement the final phase of
the project starting later this
year.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
BY BILL PARRY
The $1.3 Belmont Park redevelopment
plan that will
build a new 19,000-seat hockey
arena for the New York Islanders
is moving forward after a
state Supreme Court Justice
dismissed lawsuits by several
civic groups and the Village of
Floral Park.
The state project includes
a 250-room hotel and a 435,000
square foot retail space which
was under construction adjacent
to the racetrack’s grandstand.
The project broke
ground last August but work
was suspended after Governor
Andrew Cuomo suspended
nonessential construction
work as part of the state’s response
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is not clear when construction
will resume.
The lawsuits opposed the
size and scope of the project
that would inundate the area
with traffic and create noise
and light pollution in residential
areas. In court papers
filed May 12, Justice Roy S.
Mahon ruled the village had
“not shown that it has suffered
an injury, in fact, distinct from
that of the general public.”
The ruling eliminates all
legal challenges against Empire
State Development Development
Corporation which is
overseeing the project.
“Earlier this week, both
lawsuits against the Belmont
Park Redevelopment Project
were wholly dismissed, representing
a decisive victory for
smart economic development
and validating ESD’s vigorous
environmental review
and robust public engagement
process,” Empire State Development
Acting Commissioner
and President Eric Gertler
said. “We look forward to continuing
this project, which
will deliver thousands of jobs
and billions in economic activity
to the downstate region,
which are needed now more
than ever.”
As the metropolitan recovers
from the economic devastation
brought on by the
coronavirus pandemic, the
construction is expected to
create 10,000 jobs and generate
$2.7 billion in economic activity.
After its completion, the
project is expected to sustain
3,200 new full-time jobs, produce
$858 million in annual
economic activity and generate
tens of millions of dollars
in new annual tax revenue,
according to the governor’s office.
Floral Park Mayor Dominick
Longobardi said in a statement
that while the court recognized
the Village of Floral
Park’s “legitimate concerns”
with the scope of the Belmont
Project and the Belmont Project’s
impact on Village residents,
the court determined
that it may not “substitute its
judgment” for the judgment of
the Empire State Development
Corp.
“Of course we are disappointed
with the judge’s conclusion
and believe ESD’s
failure to require meaningful
mitigation of the very obvious
and significant negative impacts
that the Belmont Project
poses to the surrounding communities
warrants that this
project needs to be re-evaluated
and scaled back,” Longobardi
said. “While we still believe
that the development of a
shopping mall at this time is
ill-conceived, we will continue
to monitor the development
of this project as it moves forward
and work tirelessly to
ensure any effects on our quality
of life are minimized to the
greatest extent possible.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
DOT will build a protected bike lane of Crescent Street
connecting Astoria with Long Island City while the final phase
of the Queens Boulevard project is stalled. Google Maps
Temporary bike lane
coming to Crescent St.
Belmont Park redevelopment
project gets green light as
judge tosses two lawsuits
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