52 The QUENS Courier • REAL ESTATE • may 7, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶ real estate Rendering courtesy the Department of Education Two years ago the City Council approved plans to build P.S. 332 although local residents and elected officials were against it. Controversial Bayside elementary school to start construction this summer BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected]/@LiamLaGuerre The School Construction Authority is collecting bids to find a company to construct a controversial four-story, 468-seat elementary school in Bayside on the former Keil Brothers Garden Center and Nursery site. The school, P.S. 332, will cost between $46.2 to $48.6 million and should be open for students from pre-K through fifth grade in September 2017, according to a Department of Education representative. Although a specific time wasn’t given, construction on the nearly 80,500-square-foot facility is expected to start in the late summer, the spokesperson said. Dozens of residents held a rally two years ago in front of the site at 210-07 48th Ave. to protest the new school. Homeowners nearby said it would impact parking and present dangerous traffic problems for students. The City Council gave the green light for the project in November 2013 after a vote. Councilmen Mark Weprin and Peter Vallone Jr. were the only legislators who voted against it. However, state Sen. Tony Avella, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and Community Board 11 also opposed the project. Supporters of the plan said it would relieve congestion from the district’s schools, which, like schools in many other parts of the borough, are suffering from overcrowding. That could be the reason why the size of the proposed school inflated over the years. Original plans were for a 456-student institution. Construction companies have until May 22 to submit their bids. Forever 21’s lower-cost brand F21 Red opens at SkyView Center BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected]/@LiamLaGuerre Clothing retailer Forever 21 opened its new concept store F21 Red at The Shops at SkyView Center in Flushing on May 2 with free giveaways and music spun by a DJ. Although Forever 21 is known for fashionable clothing and accessories at relatively low prices, the national apparel chain’s new store F21 Red offers even lower prices, such as $7.80 for jeans and $3.80 for T-shirts, according to published reports. The first 100 people in line for the 10 a.m. opening received a $10 gift card, which means they could afford a piece of clothing from the store just for showing up. There were other F21 Red locations around the country already, but this 10,093-squarefoot store in SkyView Center is the first in the borough. Forever 21 signed a lease for the space back in November, but decided to open its new concept store F21 Red at the location, because of the success the new brand has had, according to a SkyView representative. F21 Red joins a long list of national and international brands in the 700,000-squarefoot mall, some of which are the only Queens locales, such as the Nike Factory Store, Nordstrom Rack and the recently announced Uniqlo. Photo courtesy of The Shops at SkyView Center The F21 Red at SkyView Center is the first location in Queens.
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