FOR BREAKING NEWS VI SIT www.queenscourier.com march 14, 2013 • THE QUENS COURIER 3 Photos courtesy of New York City Economic Development Corporation Flushing Commons was approved with groundbreaking slated for fall 2013. COMMONS COMING BY TERENCE M. CULLEN tcullen@queenscourier.com The long-delayed Flushing Commons project is finally starting this fall, with accommodations for parking and small business, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has announced. The $850 million project, a decade in the making, got the green light Tuesday, March 12, and construction Nominate your Favorite! It’s that time of year again — time to nominate your favorites in Queens for Services, Home & Garden. Home is where the heart is, and the Best of the Boro’s Services, Home & Garden category focuses on businesses that improve and beautify Queens and make residents’ lives easier. From March 15 through April 5, simply visit The Queens Courier’s web site — www.queenscourier. com — and click on the Best of the Boro logo. There you can fill out the nomination form. You may nominate in multiple categories. After April 5, all nominees will move on to the voting round. To stay up-to-the-minute on the competition, like the Best of the Boro page on Facebook and follow @BestOfTheBoro on Twitter. is planned to start later this year. The two-phase project will include more than 600 residential units, 500,000 square feet of commercial space and one of the largest YMCAs in the country. “The new plan, which will maintain all existing parking spaces during construction, is the culmination of years of work to address community concerns,” said NYCEDC President Seth Pinsky. “We now look forward to the start of this critical project that will create thousands of jobs and a major mixed-used destination, complete with open space and a brand-new YMCA.” More than 2,600 construction jobs and 1,900 permanent jobs are projected to come from this project. A deal between the city and developers, The Rockefeller Group and Flushing-based TDC Development and Construction Corporation, is expected to be inked sometime this summer, according to the NYCEDC. When the project is complete, there will be a total of 1,600 parking spaces, a 500-slot increase from what is currently there. To ease parking problems and not disturb business, the project was split into two phases beginning first with the south side. The 62,000-square-foot YMCA, with two pools, a full-size gym and an indoor running track, will headline the first phase of the project. Other components include 160 units of housing, 350,000 square feet of commercial space and a 1.5 acre space with a fountain plaza and amphitheater. Phase 2 will have an additional 450 housing units, another 150,000 square feet of commercial space and 15,000 square feet of community space. Borough President Helen Marshall said the phase split “also addresses the need for adequate parking during construction.” Surrounding small businesses that could be affected by construction might be eligible for EDC’s business interruption program. The program, with $2.25 million set aside, can help eligible business owners with outreach and other means. A MONTH FOR JIMMY MENG BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA ctumola@queenscourier.com It’s one month in jail for former Queens Assemblymember Jimmy Meng. The father of Congressmember Grace Meng was sentenced on Tuesday, March 12 in Brooklyn Federal Court after pleading guilty to federal wire fraud charges in November, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “I love my father very much. He made no excuses for his actions, took full responsibility for his behavior and accepted the consequences. Hopefully, we can soon put this difficult chapter in our lives behind us so that he can be back with his family and grandchildren and move on to the next stage of his life,” said his daughter in a statement. Following his prison time, Meng will serve four months of house arrest and two years of probation. The 69-year-old was also ordered to pay $30,000 in fines and serve 750 hours of community service. Meng was facing a maximum of 20 years in jail and a fine of $250,000 for scamming thousands from a state court defendant. He was caught on July 24 at his Flushing lumber yard accepting a fruit basket containing bribe money. “Jimmy Meng held himself out as a power broker, able to buy and sell justice,” said U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch. “In reality, he was a swindler who tried to obtain $80,000 for a nonexistent bribery scheme.”
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