4 The QUEE NS Courier • october 15, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com City called to task on Pan Am shelter by pols, civic groups BY ALINA SURIEL [email protected] @alinangelica A homeless shelter housed at the former Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst continues to draw criticism from a local lawmaker and city groups demanding accountability. State Senator Tony Avella held a rally with civic group Elmhurst United on Sunday to oppose the conditions of the temporary homeless shelter, which does not include kitchens in the family units. Despite having been thrice rejected by the city comptroller, Samaritan Village, a nonprofit organization that runs the shelter, submitted another proposal to make the emergency shelter permanent. Avella argued that the city needs to provide more appropriate shelters for those in need and include the community in the site selection process. The Queens Boulevard site has multiple open complaints and violations, along with civil penalties related to a failure to certify a correction of one of the violations, according to the Department of Buildings’ website. “When it comes to site selection, rather than proactively finding suitable buildings capable of housing the homeless population, it settles for the first warehouse that presents itself,” he said. The rally came following a Senate task force hearing on Wednesday, at which Department of Homeless Services A rally against the fourth proposal to turn the Pan American shelter into a permanent facility. (DHS) Commissioner Gilbert Taylor testified that he was completely unaware of allegations that Building Department officials were denied access to the Pan Am facility (also known as the Boulevard Family Center) for inspections. Avella, a vocal opponent of the shelter who led the Senate forum, brought up the issue after a testimony by Taylor that references routine inspections on shelters. The senator pointed to records on DOB website that indicated that inspectors were denied access to the site during a Sept. 22 inspection related to complaints that the site was having renovations done without the proper permits. While no alterations were observed on the building’s exterior or in first-floor common areas, a man in the lobby denied the agency access to guest rooms. “You’re reporting that you have these inspections going on, but what happens when the agency who is responsible is denied access?” Avella said. Taylor claimed that, to his knowledge, the DOB, the Department of Housing Preservation and Photo courtesy of the office of state Senator Tony Avella Development and the Fire Department have all had routine access to the site. He said that he would need to follow up with Avella to get more information on the reported refusal at the Pan Am shelter. “To your question about the Buildings Department being denied access to the boulevard family shelter in Queens now housed in a former Pan Am hotel, I am not aware of that,” Taylor said. Representatives of Samaritan Village were not immediately available for comment. More than half of the office condos at Flushing Commons site sold Photo courtesy Conway+Partners More than half of the office condos up for sale at the Flushing Commons development site have been sold. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport It’s going, going, (almost) gone at Flushing Commons. In less than one month of sales, more than 50 percent of the Flushing Commons Phase I office-condominium units have been sold. The first phase includes a 148-unit residential building housing one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom residences, a commercial building with 75 office condominiums, as well as retail space. “We certainly expected demand, but the get-innow mentality we have witnessed from buyers has truly been unprecedented,” said Michael Meyer, president of F & T Group, one of the partners on this project. “Flushing Commons has been realized as a result of the coming together of F & T Group, The Rockefeller Group and AECOM Capital, a partnership that includes a global developer with deep ties to Flushing, a leading national developer and a powerful investment and development company. Buyers recognize the transformative nature of this project and are eager to get in early.” Once completed, Flushing Commons will feature residential units, office space, retail stores, parking and community space, as well as the first open-air public space in downtown Flushing. The office lobby will feature a 24-hour staffed concierge with security, a state-of-the-art office directory and four dedicated high-speed elevators. Flushing Commons will also offer complimentary bicycle storage. The 164,000-square-foot, LEED-certified, Class A office tower will be the first glass curtain office tower in the downtown Flushing area. The 11-floor building will feature 75 office condominiums ranging in size from 1,200 gross square feet to 4,000 gross square feet with prices ranging from nearly $1.38 million to more than $4 million. “Flushing Commons is the only Class A office building in downtown Flushing, and as such, we’re seeing professionals who are in the top of the community’s medical and professional fields purchasing office condominiums here,” said Helen Lee, executive vice president of F & T Group. “Our buyers recognize that Flushing Commons is the ideal location in the neighborhood and offers the highest quality construction and amenities. We expect that sales will continue to move swiftly.” Construction on the Flushing Commons site — a former municipal parking lot — began in June 2014, and the first phase of office buildings is expected to be complete and ready for occupancy by the end of 2016. “Flushing Commons has been one of the borough’s — if not the city’s — most highly anticipated developments,” said Rick Sondik, vice president of development for The Rockefeller Group. “This is an exciting milestone for us and our partners, as well as for the many civic leaders, community members, neighborhood residents and eager prospective buyers who have been supportive of our vision for Flushing Commons and how it will benefit the future of Flushing, which we are already seeing.”
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