28 The QUEE NS Courier • june 30, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Restoration of Flushing Meadows Park lake complete By Brianna Ellis bellis@qns.com/@briinformed It may not be the most active part of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, but the tranquil area around Meadow Lake now looks a little nicer. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation joined with elected officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 23 to celebrate a $3 million restoration of the Meadow Lake shoreline. Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver joined with City Council members Rory Lancman and Karen Koslowitz to hail the upgrades, which are designed to prevent stormwater contamination of the lake’s ecosystem and thousands of native plants in the area. The City Council funded $1.4 million while a state Department of Environmental Conservation Clean Water- Clean Air Act grant brought in another $1.4 million. “Since the 1939 World’s Fair, the story of Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been one of continued improvement – eight decades of building, public programming, and now, environmental restoration,” Silver said in a press Three million dollars will be geared toward restoring Meadow Lake. release on June 23. “Meadow Lake is the heart of the World’s Park, and in the coming months and years, we will continue to collaborate with our volunteer stewards to make sure it stays as green, healthy and cared-for as it is today.” Through the efforts of NYC Parks horticulturalists, disruptive phragmites (tall reeds) along the wetland were replaced with 22 different species of herbaceous plants and grasses, including the rare species Cyperus flavescens, as well Photo by NYC Parks Department as Arrow arum, catail, softstem, swamp milk weed, bulrush and fox sedge. “Today, we can see Meadow Lake as nature intended it to be: surrounded by thousands of native plants and without stormwater contaminating its ecosystem,” Lancman said. “This investment is crucial for the southern half of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and hopefully represents just the beginning of needed improvements in my portion of the park.” Photo courtesy of Sol Bar & Grill Facebook page Brand-new Latin-themed Sol Bar & Grill opens in Bayside By Brianna Ellis bellis@qns.com/@briinformed Are you ready to add some spice to your life? The news of Sol Bar & Grill opening up on Bell Boulevard has been shaking up Bayside this week. The spanking new venue had a grand opening on Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25, at 40-09 Bell Blvd. The exciting occasion allowed guests to sample delicious menu items as well as refreshing drinks. While you nibble on complimentary hors d’oeuvres, tortas and tacos, visit one of Sol’s two bars to sip on a cool mojito or a glass of tap wine. Burn off those food calories by getting down on the dance floor at the upstairs Luna Lounge, where a DJ blasts upbeat music. “I like the overall feel and location of Sol, so I want to keep some of the feel of the previous bar but just kind of execute a little bit better,” Paul Rhee, managing partner at Sol told The Courier. “We are looking for a young, professional crowd.” The Latin-themed bar and lounge, which took about 15 months to construct after Conga’s Bar and Lounge closed, also features happy hour specials with discounted drinks and appetizers, as well as Ladies Night. “We definitely want to focus on the women,” said Rhee, who also owns a medical equipment business. “We feel like if we can keep the women happy, then guys will just tend to follow wherever they go.” Beer hall, food and retail tenants will move into LIC’s Blanchard Building By Angela Matua amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua The Blanchard Building in Long Island City will get a $15 million renovation along with a beer hall and food and retail tenants. Located at 21-09 Borden Ave., the 168,000-square-foot property was purchased by Related Companies in March. It was previously owned by J.F. Blanchard, who was a manufacturer of fireproof doors and shutters, according to Forgotten NY. Joanna Rose, a spokesperson for Related Companies, indicated the renovations will include significant upgrades to the building’s aesthetics, mechanical systems and amenity packages. The company has not chosen an operator for the ground-floor beer hall or how many square feet it will be. They will also market the office spaces to food and retail vendors. Related Companies also purchased the seven-story Paragon Oils & Burners Building, located at 21-00 49th Ave., and will pour $30 million into renovations for all new windows, elevators and a penthouse roof terrace. The building was previously used as a storage facility. Patrick Sweeney, a senior vice president at Related Companies, told The New York Times that asking rent will be in the $40s and $50s per square foot. “We are transforming these ideally located buildings into premier office space and an important piece of our strategy is creating dynamic amenities Photo courtesy of Property Shark The Blanchard Building will be renovated to include a beer hall and food and retail vendors. for gathering, including indoor and outdoor public spaces, restaurants, shops and cafes that will be appealing to workers and residents of the community alike,” Rose said. The buildings will open in 2017 and expect the tenants to open their doors to the public then as well,” she said. Developers have increasingly been renovating large warehouses and office buildings including The Factory at 30-30 47th Ave., which is home to Madewell, Polo Ralph Lauren and Gwynnie Bee. Alma Realty, who redeveloped the former Apple Tag & Label building located at 30-30 Northern Blvd., plans to lease office space to major technology and media companies.
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