8 The QUEE NS Courier • JUNE 19, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com COMMUNITY BOARD VOTES ON PROPOSED ASTORIA COVE DEVELOPMENT BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected]/@aaltamirano28 A local community board has told developers if they want to move forward with a proposed development on the Astoria waterfront, they had better pay attention to the board’s suggestions. One week after Architect Jay Valgora of STUDIO V Architecture presented the approximately 1.7-million-square-foot mixed-use development known as Astoria Cove to Community Board (CB) 1, board members voted against the proposal unless developers follow recommendations given by the board. “We have put down in writing the recommendations that we think will help improve the situation there and will make the Astoria west area productive and really something to be proud of in our community district,” said Elizabeth Erion, assistant chair of CB1’s zoning and variance committee. The four pages of conditions included an increase of affordable housing units from 20 percent to 35 percent dispersed throughout all five buildings of the site and be included in every construction phase; increase of parking spaces; priority of construction and permanent jobs given to local residents and youth; commercial space set aside for recreational and medical facilities; and the importance of the 456-seat public elementary school constructed at the site. The proposed Astoria Cove by developers Alma Realty is expected to consist of five buildings, three on the waterfront ranging from 26 to 32 stories and two on the upland portion of the site, including a six-story residential building. The project, which is expected to take more than 10 years to complete in four different phases, will also include about 84,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space. Howard Weiss, attorney for Alma Realty, said his clients are happy the community board did not raise objections to the project and most of the conditions presented have already been changed. He said that developers will be submitting revisions to the proposal. “The community board had some concerns and they expressed those concerns,” Weiss said. “But the important thing is that if you listen carefully to their vote they support the project itself.” Although Weiss said developers are working with Department of City Planning to increase the number of affordable housing units, 35 percent would not be “realistic.” “We are working with City Planning to increase the number of affordable units to what would be a realistically and economically viable affordable housing density,” he said. The Astoria Cove proposal will now head to the borough president and make its way to the City Council by the late fall. Rendering Courtesy STUDIO V Architecture New organization created to unify merchants around Corona Plaza BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 A group of Corona merchants have come together to create a unified voice for a beloved pedestrian plaza. Earlier this month commercial stakeholders around Corona Plaza, an open public plaza located on Roosevelt Avenue between National and 104th streets, came together to talk about ideas that could help business and improve quality of life for pedestrians and merchants alike. The group then decided to create a new organization called Friends of Corona Plaza with the purpose of bringing together all the commercial tenants to create a brighter future for the space. “The goal is to have all the merchants, such as myself, to be unified as one voice,” said Edgar Gutierrez, store manager at the Walgreens located at 103-14 Roosevelt Ave., who was elected as president of the organization. “We want to have all the merchants as one and have one voice for all of Corona Plaza. We want to make sure the merchants are aware of what is going on in the plaza.” The group also elected Pastor Victor Tiburcio of Aliento de Vida Church, located at 103-12 Roosevelt Ave., as vice president and Diego Ratzlaff, a physician’s assistant at Procare Health & Wellness, located at 40-03 National St., as secretary. “What we want to do is unify the commercial tenants,” Ratzlaff said. “We want to be here, we work here, we are here daily. We want to advocate for Corona Plaza so it could be a great experience for the people who work and live here. We want more people to come in, and the more people that come in, the more business.” Members of the group have been reaching out to other merchants to let them know about Friends of Corona Plaza, according to Gutierrez. During the organization’s meeting in July, Gutierrez said the group plans on discussing its support for the expansion of the Jackson Heights-Corona Business Improvement District and also the planned renovation project for Corona Plaza slated to begin early 2015. “We want to touch base on the construction of the plaza and how will it affect the merchants in the area,” Gutierrez said. The date and location for the next meeting of Friends of Corona Plaza are still pending. HYAT PLACE HOTEL OPENS IN DOWNTOWN FLUSHING Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Meyer Jabara Hotels and F & T Group announced the opening of Hyatt Place Flushing/ LaGuardia Airport on May 29. The hotel is the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Queens and is a part of One Fulton Square, a development project of F & T Group. “Flushing continues to undergo an incredible transformation and thrive economically, and we are excited to add to the community’s momentum by teaming up with Hyatt Place to bring the first Hyatt-branded hotel to the area,” said Jennifer Chiu, the owner of the hotel. The hotel offers 168 rooms, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast for guests, gyms, a yoga studio, a rooftop swimming pool and meeting and function space. “Hyatt Place Flushing/LaGuardia Airport is centrally located in the heart of one of the most dynamic neighborhoods in New York City,” said Tony Schatz, general manager of the hotel, “and we’re looking forward to creating a positive experience for each and every guest that walks through our doors.”
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