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QUEENS WEEKLY, JULY 14, 2019
New LIRR station part of Belmont Park project
BY BILL PARRY
A new Long Island
Rail Road station will be
built as part of the $1.26
billion Belmont Park
Redevelopment Project,
Governor Andrew Cuomo
announced on July 8.
The $105 million
station will be built
between Queens Village
and Bellerose stations on
the LIRR’s main line just
north of Belmont Park,
and just east of the Cross
Island Parkway, helping to
mitigate traffic concerns
raised by the planned
19,000-seat hockey arena
that will be home to the
New York Islanders.
“The Belmont project
will help drive the region’s
economy forward while
building the Islanders a
state-of-the-art facility
at home on Long Island,
creating thousands of jobs
and hundreds of millions of
dollars in economic output
along the way,” Cuomo said.
“Now with the addition
of the first full-time LIRR
train station in almost
50 years, we will provide
millions of visitors and fans
as a fast and affordable way
to get there and continue
New York’s nation-leading
investments in 21stcentury
transportation
infrastructure.”
The new station will
provide direct service to
Belmont Park from both
east and west as opposed to
the LIRR spur, which can
only provide westbound
service. Currently, LIRR
commuters from the east
must go to Jamaica and
backtrack to the park.
“My colleagues and
I, working with local
community leaders, pushed
hard for the inclusion of a
full-service LIRR station
as a part of the Belmont
Redevelopment Project
because we understood
that the long-term success
of this plan depended on
significant improvements
to transportation access
to Belmont Park and the
Queens Village-Elmont
area,” state Senator Leroy
Comrie said. “This new
station will not only be a
boon to the redevelopment
project, which will create
10,000 construction jobs
and 3,200 permanent jobs,
but also for commuters who
are dealing with crowded
conditions at the Queens
Village and Bellerose
stations and heavy traffic
on the Cross Island
Parkway.”
In addition to the hockey
arena, the redevelopment
project also includes a 250-
room hotel and 350,000
square feet of retail space,
restaurants and movie
theater.
“The Belmont
Redevelopment Project will
turn unused state land into
an economic engine for
Long Island and Queens,
creating jobs both in the
construction of a new LIRR
station, and the hotel and
retail village that can
service Belmont’s visitors,”
Congressman Gregory
Meeks said. “Today’s
announcement shows
New York’s commitment
to investing in public
transit.”
The developers of the
proposed project, New York
Area Partners, will cover
$97 million, 92 percent of
the total cost of the LIRR
station, and the state will
invest $8 million.
“Eastern Queens and the
Elmont community has been
in need of transportation
alternatives for a very
long time,” Assemblyman
Clyde Vanel said. “Also, we
are encouraged about the
economic opportunities in
the community.”
Cuomo also released
the economic impact study
of the redevelopment
project, which says
nearly $50 million in new
public revenue will be
generated each year while
creating $725 million in
annual economic activity
and generating annual
employees earnings of
roughly $133 million.
Cuomo unveils the latest renderings for new LaGuardia
BY BILL PARRY
The massive $8 billion
LaGuardia Airport
redevelopment project is
on schedule with the first
of four concourses that
will comprise Delta’s new
state-of-the-art terminal
on track to open this fall.
The new 105,000-
square-foot concourse
will feature floor-toceiling
view of Citi Field
and Flushing Bay, gates
that can accommodate
a wide range of aircraft,
and a wide range of
dining options.
The opening of Delta’s
first new gates represents
another step forward in the
multi-phase construction
plan that allows
LaGuardia to remain
fully operational while the
entire airport undergoes a
complete reconstruction.
“This new milestone
in LaGuardia’s
transformation brings
us another step closer in
converting the airport
into a world-class flight
hub in line with New
York standard,” Governor
Andrew Cuomo said. “Our
collaboration with Delta
in the development of this
concourse and the new
LaGuardia terminal is
another demonstration of
the effectiveness of publicprivate
partnerships at
work to modernize our
state’s infrastructure.”
The first new concourse
opening this fall will
feature options including
H&H Bagels, Rossi
Pizzeria and Flatiron
Tavern & Provisions, a
contemporary tavern that
will feature chops, burgers
and fresh fish.
“The transformation of
LaGuardia Airport is part
of New York’s bold efforts
to modernize our airports
and improve the travel
experience,” Lieutenant
Governor Kathy Hochul
said. “The new Delta
concourses at LaGuardia
will bring additional
dining and retail options,
highlighting many local
products New York has
to offer.”
The overhaul includes
building a new Terminal
B which will replace
the outdated terminal
that opened more than
50 years ago. Terminal
B’s first 18-gate new
concourse opened last
December featuring floorto
ceiling windows, an
indoor park with benches
and landscaping, and
modern restrooms.
The Port Authority
submitted its case to the
Federal Aviation Authority
for the controversial
$2 billion LaGuardia
AirTrain that would would
bring riders to Willets
Point for connections to
the 7 train and the LIRR.
“LaGuardia Airport
is undergoing this
massive redevelopment to
ultimately offer travelers
a world-class facility that
New Yorkers deserve,”
Port Authority Executive
Director Rick Cotton said.
“And the opening of Delta’s
newest concourse at LGA
will be an important
next step.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
A rendering of the new Elmont Long Island Rail Road station.
Rendering courtesy of the Governor’s office
The new terminal at LaGuardia Airport Rendering courtesy of the Governor’s office
/schnepsmedia.com
