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QC11052015

8 The QUEE NS Courier • november 5, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Airport expo to be held at JFK’s historic TWA Terminal BY SUZANE MONTEVERDI editorial@queenscourier.com @QueensCourier The JFK Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Airport Expo on Thursday, Nov. 12, in the historic Saarinen Building, formerly the TWA Flight Center. According to JFK Chamber President Joe Clabby, the event will feature displays, expo tables and tours run by members of the aviation community. Former TWA flight attendants and pilots as well as students from LaGuardia Community College’s Aviation Program will be in attendance. Guest speaker Robin Hayes, president and CEO of JetBlue, will discuss the history and future of the structure. The Saarinen Building opened in 1962 but closed in 2001 after TWA merged with American Airlines. The structure was later taken over and renovated by JetBlue, but has been unused since JetBlue relocated to another terminal. Designed by Eero Saarinen, the structure is a one-of-a-kind surviving piece of the futuristic architectural style of the “Mad Men” era. Taking notice of its striking architecture, plans were announced earlier this year by Governor Cuomo to build a 505-room hotel inside of the original structure. In conjunction with MCR Development, current plans include the addition of attached restaurants, a 40,000-square-foot reception space, a museum to highlight the building’s rich history, and a 10,000-square-foot observation deck. These renovations are currently projected to be complete in 2018. The Saarinen Building was declared Photo via Flickr/pheezy a New York City Landmark in 1994 and included in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The expo will take place on Nov. 12 from 9 a.m until 2 p.m. Click here for more information. The historic Saarinen Building at JFK airport. Whitestone Lanes in Flushing listed for $60M BY ALINA SURIEL asuriel@queenscourier.com/@alinangelica A renowned 24-hour bowling alley in Flushing has been listed online at $60 million, according to a listing by commercial real estate agent Cushman & Wakefield. The agency was detained in June for the sale of the 80,510-square-foot lot where 48-lane bowling alley Whitestone Lanes is located. It is currently set to be sold at $150 per buildable square foot. It marketed as a “rare Flushing development opportunity” in the increasingly popular area, which has another five-story hotel being developed a block away at 31-06 Linden Pl. A proposed zoning change will increase the site’s potential for a mixed-use project or hotel development, but broker Stephen Preuss says that the most aggressive potential buyers seem to intend to go forward with a mixed-used development of commercial and residential space rather than a hotel. After upzoning, the amount of buildable square feet would be in the range of 385,000 square feet, with around 200,000 square feet of that total used for residential space. With the upcoming rezoning used as a key factor in the site’s sale, Preuss expected the change to be approved as planned, and said that the city planning department is already going through the necessary process to codify the new zoning. “Everything looks positive at this point,” Preuss said. THE COURIER/Photo by Angy Altamirano Elmhurst residents will receive a new $40 million LIRR station, replacing the old one at Broadway, between Cornish and Whitney Avenues. Elmhurst LIRR station will be rebuilt in approved MTA capital plan BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@queenscourier.com/@AngelaMatua The next stop for the Long Island Rail Road is Elmhurst. The MTA recently announced the approval of the 2015-2019 Capital Program, which includes the $40 million reconstruction of the Elmhurst LIRR station that was closed in 1985 and later dismantled. The Elmhurst stop on the Port Washington branch disappeared amid a sharp decrease in ridership during the 1980s. In 2012, Councilman Daniel Dromm, Congressman Joseph Crowley and Congresswoman Grace Meng called on the LIRR to reopen the station, which was located on Broadway between Cornish and Whitney avenues. “Restored LIRR service to Elmhurst will help bolster the local economy by providing greater access to the neighborhood’s wide variety of cuisines, top-notch cultural institutions and other unique destinations,” Dromm said. The MTA included the project within the LIRR’s $380 million Capital Program. The new station will include two new 12-car platforms, staircases, platform railings, platform shelters, ticket vending machines, lighting, communication and security systems, and site improvements, according to the capital plan. The agencies will spend $4 million in 2016 for initial planning, environmental reviews and design, and the remaining $36 million will be spent on construction in 2018. “For Elmhurst, one of Queens’ most vibrant and fastest-growing communities, the reopening of its LIRR station will be transformational,” Crowley said. “I applaud the MTA board for approving the project as part of its 2015-19 capital program and I thank both Congresswoman Grace Meng and Council member Daniel Dromm for their roles in helping to make this a reality. After years of advocating for this new station, the MTA board approval means we are yet one step closer to not only ensuring local residents have the transportation options they deserve but also making sure Elmhurst lives up to its full economic potential.”


QC11052015
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