8 The QUENS Courier • JULY 2, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Corona Plaza becomes first public plaza in Queens with free Wi-Fi BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected]/@aaltamirano28 Visitors to Corona Plaza this summer will be able to surf the net while enjoying some sun. Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras announced June 29 that Corona Plaza, located on Roosevelt Avenue between National and 104th streets, will be the first plaza in Queens to offer residents and visitors free WiFi, along with two AT&T StreetCharge stations. This service is provided by the Neighborhood Plaza Partnership, a citywide program to help plazas flourish in high-need communities. “Corona Plaza is a booming community space deserving of all the amenities. I am thrilled to have these free services that will increase Internet access and eliminate the digital divide for thousands of people in this neighborhood,” Ferreras said. Sky-Packets, which brings high-speed Wi-Fi services to about 30 neighborhoods throughout the city, will provide the Wi-Fi service at the plaza. Corona Plaza’s service will accommodate several hundred users at any given time. AT&T has also donated the two solar-powered mobile charging stations to Corona Plaza for the summer and each unit can charge up to six phones, tablets or other wireless devices. “The new tech amenities at Corona Plaza are another milestone in the transformation of this former street space into an even more inviting destination for residents and visitors alike,” said DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia. Before 2012, Corona Plaza was a busy area filled with trucks and traffic, with no open space. After the Queens Economic Development Corporation (EDC) partnered with the Queens Museum, Ferreras and other local groups, the plaza became an open public space allowing residents and visitors to sit down and relax. Corona Plaza is now one of 70 DOT pedestrian plazas throughout New York City and on average about 20,000 people go through the subway station by the plaza every day. “In many parts of the city, free Wi-Fi and charging stations are now expected amenities, while in high-need areas they’re a luxury. Bringing this service to Corona Plaza is one of several ways in which we work to ensure that clean, beautiful, vibrant public spaces flourish in every kind of community,” said Laura Hansen, managing director of Neighborhood Plaza Partnership, a program of The Horticultural Society. Photo courtesy of Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras’ office Rendering courtesy of Family & PlayLab LIC and Astoria waterfront to be tested as potential sites for floating pool BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 The Long Island City or Astoria waterfront might become the home of a floating pool that will filter water from the East River to become safe and swimmable water. The designers behind +POOL, the world’s first water-filtering, floating pool, has reached the next step into making their design into reality as they announced they will be looking at 10 locations across the city as potential homes for their pool, first reported by Curbed. +POOL, which brings collaborators from design offices Family and PlayLab, plans a pool area “for everyone” as it brings four pools into one plus-sign-shaped complex, including a kid’s pool, sports pool, lap pool and lounge pool. Described “like a giant strainer,” according to the +Pool official website, the floating pool will filter the river water within its walls, removing bacteria, contaminants and odors. Dong-Ping Wong, one of the founding partners of the project, said the main key of the design is to try to filter all the water without chemicals. The reason behind this is because the filtered water will later go back into the river as there is a turn over every few hours. Of the 10 locations being looked at, one is the Hunters Point in Long Island City, while the other is Hallets Point in Astoria. According to a +POOL representative, they will look into the water conditions at both Queens sites to understand the depth, access points, navigable channels, 100-year flood wave heights, current speeds, tidal elevation and harbor conditions. Water quality testing for sites that might be able to accommodate +POOL will include testing various parameters to understand how +POOL’s filtration system will support the site, the representative said. The other sites that will be looked at include Bush Terminal Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Domino Sugar Factory, Governor’s Island, Hudson River Park, St. George and Transmitter Park. Wong added that he understands people’s reactions into the idea of swimming in water that had been in the river but their goal is to invite people to the areas and over time desensitize their thoughts when it comes to the body of water. “It’s not just a cesspool. It’s a pretty incredible body of water,” Wong said. “The hope is eventually people will see it as a real natural resource.” He also said that their plan is to bring the floating pool to the neighborhoods that are in the process of developing, such as the Long Island City and Astoria waterfront, and work to have a positive impact on those communities. The group has started to look at the potential sites and a location is hoped to be confirmed by the end of the year.
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