8 The QUEE NS Courier • july 14, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com LIC TOWERS TO BREAK GROUND THIS YEAR BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua Two new office towers will add to the growing skyline in Long Island City. Tishman Speyer and Qatari Diar have purchased two lots on Jackson Avenue from Queens Boulevard to 42nd Road and will turn them into 27-story office spaces. Construction will begin next year and the towers are slated for completion in 2019. According to the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), which sold its space for the towers, the project will create 1,500 new construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs. More than 80,000 square feet of the space has already been pre-leased including 250,000 square feet to co-working company WeWork. The towers will be connected by a fourstory ONSITE DOCTORS • EYE EXAMS • CONTACTS • 1 HOUR SERVICE • VISION PLANS ACCEPTED • SUNGLASSES • LOWEST PRICES st of the 2013 THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com Place WE ARE A GVS & DAVIS VISION PROVIDER Summe r S a v i n g s ! BAY TERRACE SHOPPING CENTER 211-51 26 AVENUE • BAYSIDE, NY 11360 718.631.3699 *FREE Eye Exam with the purchase of glasses. Contact Lens Exam and fi tting add’l. *See store for details. $8999 NO-LINE BIFOCAL EYEGLASSES Includes: EYE EXAM, No-Line Bifocal Lenses & Frame Select frame with select clear plastic no-line bifocal lenses\ +/- 4 sph., 2cyl. up to 2.50 add. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Some restrictions apply, see store for details. Offer valid at this location only. Expires 8/4/16 $99 DISPOSABLE CONTACTS Includes: EYE EXAM, 2 Boxes of Lenses Clear Soft brand clear sphericalLenses/ *Contact lens tting additional. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Some restrictions apply, see store for details. QC Expires 8/4/16 QC QC QC QC $6999 2 PAIRS OF EYEGLASSES Includes: EYE EXAM,Frames & Lenses Select frames with clear plastic, single vision lenses+/- 4 sph., 2 cyl. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Some restrictions apply, see store for details Expires 8/4/16 $100 OFF Buy 1 Pair of Prescription Glasses and GET 2nd Pair FREE Includes: EYE EXAM. (From select group) Some restrictions apply. See Store for details. In stock items only. Expires 8/4/16 Varilux Progressive Lenses Includes: EYE EXAM (no-line Bifocals) w/metal frames $16599 Select frames with clear plastic no line lenses +/-4 sph., 2 cyl. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Some restrictions apply, see store for details. Expires 8/4/16 podium, which will feature retail space, a food hall, a restaurant and a parking garage for employees. NYCEDC and Tishman Speyer previously collaborated on Two Gotham Center, an office building on the corner of Queens Plaza and 28th Street, which is occupied by the Department of Health. The additional two towers will be known as One Gotham Center and Three Gotham Center. “Long Island City continues to emerge as a vibrant hub of jobs and economic activity,” said NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer. “These new towers will bring 2,000 permanent jobs to western Queens, and represent a major step forward in solidifying Long Island City as a premier business district.” According to the commercial Observer, this project is estimated to cost $706.7 million. Tishman Speyer will receive $65 million in tax breaks from the New York City Industrial Development Agency and New York City Department of Finance. Tishman Speyer is also working on a three-tower $875 million residential project at 28-10 Jackson Ave., 28-30 Jackson Ave. and 30-02 Queens Blvd. Earlier last month, four non-union steamfitters walked off the job citing issues with low wages and unsafe working conditions. Photo courtesy of Tishman Speyer The 1.1-million-square-foot commercial project will start construction in Long Island City next year. Photo courtesy of Tishman Speyer A 1.1-million-square-foot commercial project will start construction in Long Island City next year. Politician wants Astoria hookah lounge to drop ‘Isis’ name By Angela Matua amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua A congressional candidate for the 14th District is calling on the owner of Isis Hookah Lounge in Astoria to change the name of his business that bears resemblance to the global terror group. The hookah bar made headlines in 2014 when the Daily News wrote about the establishment’s name. According to the Daily News, owner Michil Gadalla said he would be willing to change the name but that the price of changing the name on permits and signage would be too expensive – he estimated it would cost $8,000 to get a new sign. Frank Spotorno, a Republican running for Joseph Crowley’s seat in November, is willing to “make a significant contribution to pay for the cost of taking down this sign,” said Dan Murphy, a spokesperson for Spotorno. “In memory of those lost in Orlando and San Bernardino, I am asking the owners to change the name of their cafe,” Spotorno said in a statement, referencing two mass shootings carried out by individuals who pledged allegiance to the terrorist group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). “Every morning I drive by their establishment on my way to work, I’m reminded of the senseless deaths of our fellow Americans. To honor and respect their memory, I will work with the owners to get the name changed.” An Astoria resident, Spotorno is the founder of Park Avenue Elevator Designs, which operates in Astoria. He is also the CEO of Parkline Elevator Inspections Inc., an elevator inspection company. “While I understand that Isis has different meanings, the name is now often associated with Islamic terrorism and the killing of innocent Americans,” Spotorno said. “The name not only offends our Queens community, but our nation.” Murphy added that the candidate has been trying to reach out to the owner for a meeting but has not been successful. He said if the owner of Isis Hookah Lounge agrees to a name change, Spotorno will make a contribution and also ask signage companies in the community if they would be willing to help by creating a sign for a reduced price. When QNS reached out to Isis Hookah Lounge, Reda Labib, who identified himself as an owner, said the establishment is not looking to change its name. “I don’t need to change the name,” Labib said. “All the customers, everybody understands that it does not stand for the Islamic State.” Labib said the store name was inspired by Isis, an Egyptian goddess, and that he would not change the name even if the money was raised. The word “isis” is also the Greek form of an ancient Egyptian word for “throne.” Photo via Google Maps A candidate for congress wants Isis Hookah Lounge in Astoria to change its name.
QC07142016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above