8 The QUEE NS Courier • JANUARY 21, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Katz: Lack of local input dooms Flushing Meadows concerts (for now) By Robert Pozarycki rpozarycki@queenscourier.com/@robbpoz They should have asked Queens residents what they wanted. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz charged on Jan. 14 that the city’s rejection of proposed for-profit music festivals at Flushing Meadows Corona Park stemmed from a failure of concert organizers to come to Queens communities, make their case and hear the residents’ input. Speaking to members of local media at a Queens Borough Hall roundtable forum previewing her State of the Borough Address on Jan. 21, Katz said that “nobody talked to anyone” in Queens about the proposed festivals, “and I think that’s a big deal.” Goldenvoice, the organizers of the Coachella music festival, and Madison Square Garden had submitted competing applications to bring large-scale music festivals to Flushing Meadows this summer. Katz spoke out against both plans and three similar festival applications submitted to the city, expressing concerns about a lack of community input on the matter and the potential temporary loss of parkland for the duration of a festival. Two of the failed proposals would have “ostensibly shut the park down,” Katz said, denying local residents the opportunity to use Flushing Meadows Park for several days before, during and after the festivals’ conclusion. She applauded Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city’s Parks Department for rejecting all music festival applications for Flushing Meadows Park, but did not rule out that Flushing Meadows could host a large music festival someday if proper conditions are met. Specifically, Katz called upon the city to create a vetting process that involves community members affected by the concert. The process would also give the city the ability to limit the amount of time and park space the festival would occupy. “I think we need to have a publicly vetted process and hear from the community about what they would like to see there,” Katz said. “We also need to know how many times a year we want to do that. I don’t know the right answer, but I do know that you can’t find the right answer unless you talk to the communities.” Meanwhile, the park and other public spaces in Queens are welcome to host free concerts sponsored by local organizations and elected officials. Katz noted that her office sponsored an entire free concert series last year. The borough president also addressed upgrades at a Flushing Meadows fixture: the New York State Pavilion and Tent of Tomorrow, both remnants of the 1964-65 World’s Fair. In 2015, Katz noted, volunteers from local contracting unions painted the Tent of Tomorrow “American cheese yellow” in an effort to make the weather-beaten structures look brighter. Katz said $10 million has been allocated to renovate the pavilion’s steel infrastructure, stairs and electrical equipment. The contract will be awarded to a company within the next few months and work will begin soon thereafter. Meantime, she noted, contracts have been secured to have the pavilion as well as the Unisphere and Queens Museum externally illuminated later this year ON THE RISE: MAYOR HELPS LAUNCH ASTORIA’S HALLETS POINT DEVELOPMENT By Angela Matua amatua@queenscourier.com/@AngelaMatua Mayor Bill de Blasio joined elected officials and community members in Astoria on Jan. 14 to break ground at the site of what will become Hallets Point, a 2.5-million-square-foot development project featuring seven planned residential towers. Hallets Point will include a total of 2,400 units; two of the buildings will house 483 affordable apartments, and residents in the neighboring Astoria Houses will have a rental preference for 50 percent of all affordable housing units. The project will also include 65,000 square feet of retail space and community facilities, a supermarket, a public elementary school and a waterfront promenade. The development project is a joint effort by Lincoln Equities Group and real estate firm Durst Organization, which purchased a controlling interest for more than $100 million in 2014. The first building will open in 2018 and will include 405 units, at least 81 units of which will be affordable to low-income families earning 40 percent and 50 percent of area median income (AMI). These numbers translate to individuals making incomes of $24,000 to an annual income of $38,000 for a family of three. At the ceremony, de Blasio reiterated his commitment to building affordable housing in the city and announced that 40,024 affordable apartments have been constructed since he took office two years ago. “Hallets Point is going to be good for every surrounding neighborhood. It’s going to be good for all of Queens,” he said. “It’s going to be another phoenix rising in this city and will definitely be good for the people of Astoria and the people of Astoria Houses who deserve better.” Claudia Coger, president of the Astoria Houses Resident Association and 50-year resident of Astoria Houses, thanked representatives from Lincoln Equities Group for listening to community suggestions throughout the planning process. She recounted the struggles that residents of Astoria Houses experienced and noted how important this project is. The $1.5 billion project will add more than 100,000 square feet of public access space and reopen a section of Astoria Boulevard with improved bus service. The Durst Organization has also partnered with Urban Upbound to employ 35 local residents for site preparation work or at other work sites. Hallets Point will also include several green features including onsite power generation and a wastewater recycling system. A cogeneration plant on the site will allow the development to generate its own electricity, hot water, heating and cooling on site, making it the only off-the-grid campus in New York City. “We are a multi-generational company and we have a stubborn dedication to New York City and to the neighborhood in which we build,” said Douglas Durst, chairman of The Durst Organization. “We look forward to many years of continued partnership with this community as we build something beautiful and lasting together.” THE COURIER/Photo by Angela Matua Elected officials and community members celebrated the construction of Hallets Point at a groundbreaking ceremony in Astoria. The project will also include 65,000 square feet of retail space and community facilities, a supermarket, a public elementary school and a waterfront promenade.
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