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QC10272016

16 The QUEE NS Courier • OCTOBER 27, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Photo via Related Affordable Two new buildings for veterans will be added to Marine Terrace in Astoria. New Astoria apartments won’t become a homeless shelter, developer says BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua After rumors began swirling that two new apartment buildings being constructed in Astoria would become a homeless shelter, representatives of development firm Related Companies revealed the official plans during a Community Board 1 meeting last week. Marine Terrace, a Section 8 housing complex at 20-24 21st St., was recently purchased by one of the largest development companies in the country and is managed by its affordable housing leg – Related Affordable. “We heard about it from previous owner Benjamin Companies, who came to us singularly because they wanted to make sure that the next owner of Marine Terrace was going to take care of it, renovate it, preserve it and improve it,” said Matthew Finkle, president of Related Affordable. The two new apartment buildings should be constructed by October or November 2018. The three-story building will include 21 units and the fourstory building will feature 32 units. The buildings will also include new tenant services such as a laundry facility, fitness center, resident lounge and computer lounge. All Marine Terrace residents will be able to use them. The 53 units will be constructed on the northern most portion of the site and will be rent restricted but not Section 8 Housing. An on-site management office, nurse’s office and meeting room will also be included in the new buildings. “I know there have been some rumors that we’re creating a homeless shelter,” Finkle said. “That is not what this is obviously. These are rent-restricted, income-restricted apartments for veterans.” A studio apartment will cost approximately $850 per month with utilities and a one-bedroom apartment will cost approximately $962 per month. Related Affordable will partner with the Jericho Project, a New York-based nonprofit that helps low-income veterans find housing and employment, to choose veterans for the project. The veterans will be chosen through a lottery process. According to Jamar Adams, project manager for Related Affordable, because the buildings will be built with federal money, the company cannot restrict the housing to only Queens-based veterans. To construct the new buildings, 22 parking spaces in Marine Terrace will have to be eliminated. According to Finkle, only 12 of those spots are typically occupied. Related Affordable is working with the city to possibly add 25 diagonal parking spots on 21st Street, he said. In addition to the new buildings, the company will be completely renovating each of the 444 units in the seven existing buildings starting in August. Though rents will increase for existing units because of the renovations, only the portion covered by the department of Housing and Urban Development will increase. According to Michael Antonik, senior vice president of construction and design, the existing units will receive full kitchen and bathroom renovations, and the courtyards and hallways will also be renovated. Tenants can stay in their homes while the renovations take place and a hospitality lounge will be set up in the hallway during the day while work is being done. Related Affordable will also convert 33 units into ADA-accessible units so that some of the older residents can age in place, Finkle said. Tenants currently living in the 33 units will stay in a nearby hotel paid for by Related Affordable until renovations are complete. Existing facades will get a makeover, new roofing will be installed and current pathways will be improved with a new connection to Ralph Demarco Park. Play areas and activity zones will also be installed for children and seniors. The renovations will be completed by January 2018. Queens Village rehab centers renamed for caring individuals On Thursday, Oct. 20, IRI: Innovative Resources for Independence named two of its day rehabilitation programs after two key figures in the agency’s history in a special ceremony at IRI headquarters in Queens Village. The Day Hab 2 and 3 programs were formally be renamed Ana Magalee Day Habilitation and Robert Snyder Day Habilitation, respectively. In 1992, Magalee founded the Queens Parent Resource Center (QPRC), which managed the two day habilitation programs solely until merging with IRI earlier this year. She looked to ensure that that individuals with disabilities The Day Hab 2 and 3 programs were formally be renamed Ana Magalee Day Habilitation and Robert Snyder Day Habilitation, respectively had a place to live, a day program to go to during the week and a socialization program to attend until their parents came home from work. “Ana was a pioneer in that she didn’t believe in turning away people who needed help,” IRI’s Associate Executive Director of Administrative Services, James Magalee said. “Many agencies were not equipped to handle the medically frail, but Ana moved mountains to provide the supports these people needed. Thanks to her hard work and dedication, we are able to support people with varying needs.” Snyder was an assistant Residential Director while with IRI and dedicated over three decades to working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Known for his loving personality and caring demeanor, Snyder’s go-to phrase, regardless of where he worked or who he worked with, was “Take care of MY guys.” “The way in which he said this phrase, you automatically knew ‘my guys’ was a blanket term – everyone was his ‘guy,’” Dovina Simon, IRI Day Habilitation Manager said. “Individuals and staff alike, he cared deeply for everyone that he came in contact with.” Ana Magalee Day Habilitation provides support for 21 people with developmental disabilities, while Robert Snyder Day Habilitation works with 13. Helping people with developmental disabilities live more meaningful and increasingly independent lives is at the forefront of IRI’s mission. The agency serves more than 1,600 people. The official naming of two of its day habilitation programs preserves the memory of Magalee and Snyder and the work they carried out on behalf of improving the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities. Teacher saves student’s life BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com @AngelaMatua A sixth-grade student was saved by a teacher on Oct. 21 after suffering from a seizure at her East Elmhurst middle school. According to the Daily News, the student at Louis Armstrong Middle School, located at 32-02 Junction Blvd., began convulsing on Oct. 20 outside the classroom of teacher Amy Spears. The 44-year-old math teacher, who is trained in CPR, stepped out of her classroom to attend to the girl. “I started doing CPR immediately and called people to get help and call 911,” Spears told the Daily News. “Another teacher grabbed the machine.” The 21-year teaching veteran used a defibrillator to shock the student before the paramedics arrived. The child was taken to Elmhurst Hospital. “I never thought in a million years I would have to do this or want to do it,” Spears told the paper. “I’m so glad I was trained and I was able to hold it together enough to do what I did. Everyone worked together.” Photo via Flickr/Matt Green


QC10272016
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