8 The QUEE NS Courier • november 26, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com 20-story hotel near Silvercup Studios to be erected Rendering courtesy of ARC Architecture and Design A 20-story hotel will be constructed in the Blissville section of Long Island City. THE COURIER/Photo by Brooke Smith BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@queenscourier.com/@AngelaMatua A 20-story hotel will be constructed in the Blissville section of Long Island City near a film studio, according to plans filed with the Department of Buildings (DOB). Express Hotel, located at 52-09 31st Pl., will hold 200 rooms in a 101,410-squarefoot space. Hotel rooms will be located on floors three through 19, and seven to 14 rooms will be placed on each floor. The hotel is situated in a manufacturing district, with several auto repair and construction equipment shops dotting the area. Silvercup Studios East, home of shows such as NBC’s “Person of Interest,” “Elementary” and USA’s “White Collar,” is just a two-minute walk away. The project will tower over other buildings in the area, it will be 210 feet high and will feature amenities such as a roof deck, gym and conference rooms. ARC Architecture and Design, the architect firm responsible for the design, is a Queens-based firm located in Forest Hills. Developer Delwar Hussain of Queens Plaza South LLC is based in Syosset, Long Island. According to a recent New York Times article, the cheapest hotel prices outside of Manhattan can be found in Queens, specifically around Long Island City. The average price for a one-night stay at a hotel in Queens is $154. New York Yimby first reported the story. Bayside residents and state Senator Tony Avella held a protest rally against the proposed high school at the defunct Bayside Jewish Center the week before the SCA announced that the proposal would not be moving forward. Proposed high school at Bayside Jewish Center not happening: SCA By Alina Suriel asuriel@queenscourier.com/@alinangelica The proposal to build a 730-seat high school at the former Bayside Jewish Center will not be moving forward, according to the School Construction Authority (SCA). “Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach a consensus with Bayside residents and local elected officials on our proposed development site for a new high school in their neighborhood,” SCA President and CEO Lorraine Grillo said in a statement on Nov. 24 announcing the authority’s decision. “The proposal will not be moving forward, however, we remain committed to addressing overcrowding communities face.” One of the earliest critics of the plan following its announcement in May, state Senator Tony Avella, welcomed the news. He thought the proposal shouldn’t have gone this far but the reversal demonstrates how powerful the community can be when it speaks out, adding that his office has already communicated with the Department of Education on their willingness to help find a more appropriate site. “This was a terrible proposal for the beginning,” Avella said. “It took us a while to line up support from the other elected officials, but I’m glad the community won the battle.” Bayside resident Chadney Spencer—a vocal opponent to the proposal who has two young children attending schools in the area—said that the change in plans is due to efforts of the community and elected representatives. “We look forward to working with the SCA in choosing a site together that is most fitting to the needs of our greater community of northeast Queens,” Spencer said. The Courier reached out to City Councilman Paul Vallone for comment, but he was not immediately available; Vallone sent a letter to Grillo last week expressing his opposition to the plan.
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