16 times • FEBRUARY 11, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com After three denials, Stringer approves permanent contract for Elmhurst shelter BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua City Comptroller Scott Stringer gave his approval on Feb. 5 to a contract that makes the temporary homeless shelter at the former Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst permanent. The latest contract for the shelter, located at 79-00 Queens Blvd., was submitted on Jan. 6 for a two-year, $23,870,000 deal ending on June 17. According to a spokesperson for Stringer, this contract is contingent on an agreement by Samaritan Daytop Village Inc. to clear open violations. Stringer has repeatedly said the emergency homeless shelter must address outstanding violations before he can accept any proposal for a permanent contract. He denied the contract last May, July and September. “The Department of Homeless Services has provided the comptroller’s office with the required documentation that health and safety violations have been cured or that there are plans in place to address those violations at the family shelter located at the Pan American Hotel,” spokesperson Eric Sumberg said in a statement. According to officials, the contract is currently only registered through June 30, 2016. After this date, the Department of Homeless Services will conduct a performance review to decide if the contract should be extended for the full two years. Samaritan Daytop Village Inc. also plans to turn Pan Am into a Tier II shelter and will have to provide construction plans for kitchens in each unit, a playground and an outdoor recreation area, officials said. The old hotel was turned into a temporary homeless shelter in June 2014, and residents and local elected officials were not informed of the change. The site has suffered from vermin infestation and has been cited for a number of health and safety and fire code violations. Elmhurst residents and politicians have staged several rallies calling on Stringer to deny previous contracts. Grassroots organization Elmhurst United has argued that approving the contract would further burden School District 24, the most overcrowded in the city, and that its numerous outstanding violations make it uninhabitable. The city approved a permanent contract on Friday for the Pan Am homeless shelter in Elmhurst. Cleaning & Maintenance Where perfection is not an accident! 718-894-0400 Magic Touch Cleaning & Maintenance provides quality service to all customers. No jobs are too big or too small. Commercial and Residential Cleaning and Maintenance Specialists in cleaning all types of awnings and canopies. SERVICES INCLUDE: •Sidewalk Restoration •Gum Removal •Vinyl Floors Stripping •Vinyl Floors Waxing •Tile Floor Restoration •Grout Restoration •Graffiti Removal •Window Cleaning •Bird (Pigeon) Control •Construction Clean-up •House Detailing •Office Cleaning •Light Bulb Maintenance •Power Washing •Carpet Cleaning •Property Maintenance •Parking Lot Maintenance •Snow Plowing Ask for our Specials on Office Cleaning. ****10% Discount with this ad**** 60-68 Metropolitan ave., ridgewood, nY RIDGEWOOD TIMES/File photo Own A Building? Check Out Our Rates FREE INSURANCE QUOTES PACKAGE POLICY • FIRE/DWELLING • LIABILITY $1,000,000 • LOSS OF RENTS - ACTUAL LOSS • DEDUCTIBLE $1,000 Specializing In Apartment Buildings and Structures in Ridgewood and surrounding areas. WE HAVE MANY COMPANIES & PROGRAMS. LET US QUOTE YOUR AUTO/LIFE/HOME. DON’T DELAY- CALL TODAY AND SAVE! Se Habla Español • SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1949 MOSER GROUP INC. 73-06 Metropolitan Avenue (2nd Floor)Middle Village, NY (Near 73rd Place) Phone 718-326-1982 • Fax 718-326-2662 • www.gracemoseragency.com Mark V. Burke, MD, FAAFP 87-47 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale 718-849-8609 Primary Care and Chronic Disease Management *Only $100 for Employment/CDLPhysicals (testing@ add’l cost) No Fault Accepted Drug Testing/Addiction Treatment offered (Counselor Available) Prompt Appointments Available Open until 10pm Thursdays
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