FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com october 10, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3 development THUMBS UP FOR HALLETS POINT BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com The development that would bring thousands of residential apartments, retail space and parkland to the Astoria waterfront at Hallets Point has gotten the final thumbs up. The City Council voted on Wednesday, October 9 to approve the plan presented by Lincoln Equities Group, the company behind the estimated If You’re Ready to Buy a Home,We are Ready to Help. The State of New York M ortgage Agency offers: Up to $15,000 Down Payment Assistance 1-800-382-HOME(4663) for Housing www.sonyma.org $1 billion complex called the Hallets Point project. According to Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., the City Council came to an agreement with developers to cut the “community supportive project” down to half its original size. The new deal also includes $500,000 in city funded research to see the feasibility, engineering and design of a proposed ferry service in order to take the large number of incoming residents to and from the peninsula of Hallets Point. “It’s going to bring development to an area that sorely needs it,” said Vallone. The development group initially announced in 2012 it would build the seven multifamily residential towers made up of 2,200 units on the waterfront presently home to the NYCHA Astoria Houses. Twenty percent of the apartments are expected to be affordable housing. The complex will also include Rendering courtesy NYCEDC retail space featuring an affordable supermarket, a bank, drugstores and restaurants. Along with the building, the plan is expected to include a 100,000-squarefoot public park, outfitted with pedestrian walkways and bike paths winding along the waterfront, giving the community better sight lines of the waterfront. The project will also create a spot for a K-8 public school. In May, Community Board 1 voted unanimously to approve the plan. The City Planning Commission unanimously approved the plan in August and in July Borough President Helen Marshall approved the plan as well. Construction is expected to begin in late 2014 or early 2015. IN THE ZONE Council approves 5Pointz application BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com Developers have reached the final step in seeing the Long Island City graffiti mecca, known as 5Pointz, become two apartment towers. The City Council voted on Wednesday, October 9 to approve the land use application that would allow the Wolkoff family, owners of the property on Jackson Avenue and Davis Street, and developer G&M Realty to build apartment towers to larger dimensions than allowed by current zoning rules. One tower would reach 47 stories and the other 41 stories, with close to 1,000 rental apartments, 32,000 square feet of outdoor public space and 50,000 square feet of retail space between them. According to Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, developers agreed to build and staff the two buildings with 100 percent union workers, bringing more than 1,000 jobs to Long Island City, and also increase the number of affordable housing units from 75 to 210. As a “commitment to the arts in this building,” Van Bramer said the developers agreed to keep the altered plans they made in July after listening to comments from Community Board 2, which voted against the application. G&M Realty’s plan will now include an addition of 10,000 square feet to the initial 2,000 square feet planned for artists’ studios. Borough President Helen Marshall approved the application in July. Van Bramer said the Wolkoffs have also given a written agreement to offer Jonathan Cohen, widely known as Meres and curator of 5Pointz, the chance to select art on the new building’s walls and panels. Marie Cecile Flageul, a 5Pointz spokesperson, said to date no 5Pointz artists have been contacted or offered to work within the art studios or be featured on the art panels. There have also been no commitments in writing stating everything promised would actually take place once the towers come up. “The artists feel disrespected, they feel profiled,” said Flageul. “We’re all volunteers. We all work our butts off.” Although the artists have until December 1 to leave the property, Flageul said business will continue as usual with artists from around the world currently putting up their work and more making the trip to the borough. COUNCIL CLEARS $3B WILLETS POINT PROJECT BY MELISSA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com The City Council approved a major $3 billion Willets Point project Wednesday, clearing the way for a mega mall near Citi Field. Developers Sterling Equities and Related Companies needed the council’s permission to move Citi Field parking to Willets Point in order to build a 1.4 million-square-foot shopping center west of the baseball stadium. It was the last hurdle the joint venture needed to jump over after Community Board 7, Borough President Helen Marshall and the City Planning Commission gave the project the green light this summer. The ambitious project includes the cleanup of 23 acres of contaminated land east of Citi Field and eventual construction of housing units with commercial and retail space. It was long stalled as Councilmember Julissa Ferreras, who represents the area, waited for better relocation plans for soon-to-be-displaced Willets Point business owners. Auto shop owners who make up the Iron Triangle said they can only survive if they are moved as a whole and can continue as a one-stop shop for motorists. The pooled $12.5 million offered in total relocation aid payouts was not enough for the approximate 100 auto shops in the first phase of the redevelopment site, advocates said. The city agreed to spend $15.5 million on moving expenses and relocation of Willets Point business owners as part of a deal struck with the City Council, Ferreras said. About $17 million more will be given to the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Alliance for upkeep and maintenance of the park and construction of a green rooftop farm on top of the mall. “This deal would be a win for our constituents, a win for Willets Point and a win for New York City,” Ferreras said. “This vote has always been about improving the lives of our constituents.” Construction of 2,500 housing units — 35 percent of which will be affordable — will also be moved up from its original set 2025 date, officials said. About $66 million in the city budget will be set aside to put up new ramps off the Van Wyck Expressway, Ferreras said. Developers also agreed to shell out $7 million for traffic improvements and mitigations. Written commitments by the joint venture also include funding traffic mitigation measures, building a 1,000-seat K-8 public school, giving $1.87 million to the Willets Point Infrastructure and Traffic Mitigation Fund and hiring locally. Critics of the plan still say the area needs affordable housing before a colossal shopping center. Officials said the project would provide 7,100 permanent jobs and generate more than $310 million in tax revenue. “Today’s approvals mean that the historic vision for a redeveloped Willets Point is finally going to become a reality,” the joint venture said in a statement.
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