FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com MARCH 17, 2016 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 Much-needed upgrades fi nally arrive at the Flushing LIRR station BY ERICA SIUDZINSKI editorial@qns.com/@QueensCourier Start with the surface and the change will ripple. That was the message Friday as Congresswoman Grace Meng and other local offi cials gathered to commemorate the completion of phase one of the MTA Flushing-Main Street Long Island Rail Road station renovation, unveiling fresh signs and thicker, safer railings to prevent small children from falling or squeezing through the gaps and getting injured. Meng was joined by Assemblyman Ron Kim, Councilman Peter Koo, state Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, LIRR Flushing Station Project Manager Yonelle Baptitse, and Claire Shulman, president and CEO of the Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corporation. Soon the station will be made ADA-compliant. In the next few months, the renovation will enter phase two, including elevator installation, a new ticket window and plaza, new staircases, platform shelters, entrances and better lighting. The station upgrade is a $24.6 million project that has been long in the making. First announced in 2012, the MTA faced some diffi culties acquiring the property needed to construct elevators for the New York-bound platform. After an eminent domain battle, in which the city obtained Ou-Jang Supermarket at 40-36 Main St., the plans fi nally moved ahead. The timeline continued to stretch out. In 2014, the MTA said it was on track to fi nish the renovation by 2017, a date that now seems ambitious. The cost keeps going up, too. The renovation was initially priced at $8.5 million. Since then, the cost has practically tripled. Still, everyone is hopeful. “There’s no question that the population of Flushing is growing,” said Stavisky, noting that as Before and after upgrades at Flushing-Main Street LIRR more people move to Flushing and patronized local establishments, transportation was racing to catch up. “I remember the times when we came and we begged and fi nally we’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Meng has been a strong advocate of this rehabilitation since its inception in 2012, during her time in the State Assembly. “This project has had a few obstacles and bumps along the way, but we are now fi nally on track, no pun intended,” she said, adding that she was looking to invest further in the profi table Port Washington branch by moving forward on the Elmhurst station proposal with Congressman Joseph Crowley. Koo, however, had a different perspective on the situation in Flushing, as he railed against the dilapidated state of the station and the lack of litter removal. He believes that compared to LIRR stations in areas such as Murray Hill and Bayside, the MTA is treating Flushing residents like “secondclass citizens.” Photo courtesy of Congresswoman Meng’s offi ce Koo seems to have a point. The majority of signs at the station are run-down and diffi cult to read, the steep stairs are rickety and dirty, and the surrounding property is covered in litter and graffi ti. He called on the MTA representatives at the conference to relay his message, and urged his fellow local offi cials to see the renovation through, to not just “put in an elevator and leave.” “We all know Flushing is booming. There are million dollar condominiums around here, but our station doesn’t match the quality of life,” he exclaimed. “If Joe Biden were here, he would say the same thing. Our station is worse than LaGuardia Airport!” Kim supported Koo’s claim, noting that the personal nature of his remarks only highlighted the urgency of this renovation, citing the impact dilapidation has on the local quality of life. “It’s like the broken windows theory,” he said. “As you look around, there’s garbage everywhere, and a declining quality of life. Once you upgrade everything, people will psychologically take ownership of the station.” Great rates like ours are always in season. 1.30% 24-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit 1.05% 12-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit To qualify you must open a Flushing Bank Complete Checking Plus account. Get the complete access and control you desire with a competitive interest rate and banking on-the-go with our Flushing Bank Mobile2 app. For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. 1 New money only. APY effective March 2, 2016. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. A new Complete Checking Plus account with a $5,000 minimum initial deposit is required to receive the CD with the advertised rate. Certain fees and restrictions may apply. For new IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $5,000. A new checking account is not required for IRA accounts. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details. 2 Flushing Bank Mobile Banking is available to all Flushing Bank online banking users. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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