2
QUEENS WEEKLY, JUNE 30, 2019
BY MAX PARROTT
Queens Community
Board 1 approved a mixed
use development in Long
island City with the
stipulation that the 10-story
building include affordable
housing at lower income
levels.
The 44-01 Northern
Bloulevard LLC is
planning the 355-unit
building on Northern
Boulevard between 44th
and 45th streets,according
to documents presented to
the community board on
June 18.
The proposed building
will also include 36,000
square feet of floor retails
and 156 parking spaces,
with about 88–100 units of
affordable housing.
Richard Bass of the
Akerman law group
presented a plan to
rezone the block of from a
manufacturing district to
an R7X and R6B zoning,
which would include a
commercial floor plan. Bass
pushed for an option two
Mandatory Inclusionary
Housing (MIH) plan with
an average area median
income of $62,000 for a
family of three.
The Community Board’s
Land Use Committee
decided that they would
recommend greenlight
the development with the
stipulation that its use
an option one MIH plan,
which would offer fewer
units of affordable housing
at $47,000 on average, a
lower level of income than
the original offer.
According to the U.S.
census borough 39.2%
of households in CB1
are rent burdened. The
median household income
is $51,000.
The board voted for the
plan on June 18, with 23
in favor, eight against and
one abstention.
“If you look at the
dollar ratio to what people
in the community make
compared to what the
rents are in option two,
those rents are a bit
higher. People within the
community couldn’t afford
option two in most cases,”
said CB1 District Manager
Florence Koulouris.
Next the plan will go to
Borough President Melinda
Katz’s office for review
before if heads to the
City Council.
Rawlings Architects
will design the
new building.
Reach reporter Max
Parrott by email at
mparrott@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718) 224-
5863, ext. 226.
The proposed building at 44-01 Northern Blvd. in Long Island
City. Rendering courtesy of Akerman
NE Queens schools earn high marks
Over 40 public schools ranked as top performers under ESSA plan
Bayside High School was included on the 2018-19 Recognition Schools list Photo via Google Maps
BY JENNA BAGCAL
The State Education
Department recognized 44
public schools in northeast
Queens as high achieving
institutions under New
York’s Every Student
Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan.
These institutions
in Community School
Districts 25 and 26 are part
of the 92 district schools
and 6 charter schools in
the borough with high
academic achievement,
student growth and
graduation rate as per
the 2018-19 Recognition
Schools list.
In total, Commissioner
MaryEllen Elia announced
that 562 high achieving and
high progress schools had
made the list this school
year. 241 of those schools
are located in New York
City, 280 are in the rests of
the state and 41 are public
charter schools.
“We are taking a more
holistic approach to school
and student achievement
under ESSA and I am
excited to recognize
these schools for their
accomplishments and
progress,” Commissioner
Elia said in a written
statement. “I commend the
teachers, administrators,
staff, parents and students
for the hard work and
dedication they bring each
day—it is truly paying off.”
Under ESSA standards,
Recognition Schools
are top-performing
institutions in several
categories. These include
student growth and/or
graduation rate, meeting
or exceeding either the
school or state measures
of progress for English
language arts and math,
rate of chronic absenteeism
and college, career and
civic readiness.
Officials also see if
schools meet the required
95 percent participation
rate in the English
language arts and
mathematics assessments.
“The teachers and
administrators at these
Recognition Schools have
taken to heart the critical
mission of educating the
whole child,” said Board of
Regents Chancellor Betty
A. Rosa in a statement.
“Our priority is fostering
equity for our children
across New York. These
schools serve as models of
the levels of performance
we seek for all schools to
be able to achieve in the
future.”
Chalkbeat reported
that under a different
accountability system,
only 82 New York City
schools were labeled top
performers — under a third
of the schools recognized
this year.
For a full list of schools,
visit QNS.com.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by email at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone at (718)
224-5863 ext. 214.
CB 1 approves 10-
story LIC tower
/QNS.com
/qns.com
link
