36 MAY 10, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
REAL ESTATE
NYC and Amtrak to commence Sunnyside Yard master planning in summer 2018
BY JENNA BAGCAL
JBAGCAL@QNS.COM/JENNA_BAGCAL
Planning for the much anticipated
Sunnyside Yard project in Long
Island City is getting underway
in earnest.
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic
Development Alicia Glen and
Amtrak Chairman Anthony Cosica
announced today, May 3, that they will
begin the master planning process for
Sunnyside Yard. The City of New York
and Amtrak signed a letter of intent
to formalize their agreement, and the
18-month process is slated to begin this
summer.
"This is a once in a generation opportunity
for civic groups, public offi cials
and residents to create a vision for
their borough, one that delivers on
the central challenges Queens faces
like aff ordable housing, open space,
more school seats and better public
transit. We are ready to listen and to
work with all our partners to develop
a plan that Queens can be proud of,"
Glen said.
The yards are majority owned by
Amtrak. The other parts of the property
are owned by New York City and the
Metropolitan Transit Authority, who
the New York City Economic Development
Corporation (EDC) said will also
be part of the master planning process
later on.
EDC Vice President Cali Williams
was named as the director of Sunnyside
Yard. Williams has been with the
EDC for nearly 10 years, and has had
extensive experience in implementing
neighborhood planning, economic
development and rezoning. Her most
recent experience involved overseeing
comprehensive action plans for
Jamaica and Far Rockaway.
Prior to beginning the project, the
EDC conducted a feasibility study in
2015 to determine the possibility of the
overbuild project. The study found
that 80 to 85 percent of the 180-acre
yard could be built over, creating the
potential for building 24,000 homes,
19 schools, 52 acres of public parks and
other community amenities.
The Sunnyside Yard steering
committee will be lead by both Elizabeth
Lusskin, president of the Long
Island City Partnership, and Sharon
Greenberger, president and CEO of
the YMCA of Greater New York. In
addition to these women, the steering
committee will be made up of 35
diverse individuals including elected
offi cials, local community leaders and
planning experts.
According to the EDC, the steering
committee will meet quarterly
over the 18-month planning process.
During that time, they will be getting
community feedback through public
meetings and workshops, attending
civic meetings and canvassing. Williams
and members of the EDC highlighted
the importance of community
engagement and input during the master
planning process.
One of the key reasons that the EDC
gave for building in Sunnyside Yard is
the exponential population growth in
Queens and New York City as a whole
over the next 20 years. The population
is expected to grow by half a million
people, 80,000 of which will be in
Queens alone.
This large-scale growth will put a
strain on the city's current resources,
including schools, parks, mass transit
and housing. The EDC said that the
project presents "an opportunity to
address these challenges head-on and
do so in a way that integrates new development
into the established fabric
of surrounding communities."
Following the announcement,
Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan
voiced her disapproval on the steering
committee's failure to reach out
to her and the lack of diversity on the
panel.
Ridgewood Times Sales Guide
Listings selected at random. Courtesy MLS
RIDGEWOOD
Stephen Street Cypress Avenue 58th Avenue 82nd Place
Under $600,000
63-15 Forest Ave.
$449,000
Condo
1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Iwona Wojcik
Charles Rutenberg Realty
$600,000-$1,000,000
1881 Suydam St.
$875,000
1-family duplex
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Marek Sobolewski
Trademarko Realty
Over $1,000,000
1634 Stephen St.
$1,500,000
2-family townhouse
6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Cindy Yu
Keller Williams Realty Gold Coast
GLENDALE
Under $600,000
78-08 Cypress Ave.
$590,000
2-family duplex
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
James Macchio
Agnelli N Y Real Estate
$600,000-$1,000,000
62-16 80th Ave.
$979,000
2-family duplex
4 bedrooms, 2 full-baths, 2 half-baths
Jaroslaw Kaszuba
Exit All Seasons Realty
Over $1,000,000
80-72 59th St.
$1,200,000
2-family home
5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Andrew Gouzoulis
Krisch Realty
MASPETH
Under $600,000
62-15 53rd Ave.
$325,000
Co-op
2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Beata Fil
Exit All Seasons Realty
$600,000-$1,000,000
71-26 58th Ave.
$968,800
2-family Colonial
4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms
Indira Hamilton
Exit Kingdom Realty
Over $1,000,000
61-42 56th Rd.
$1,380,000
4-family apartment house
8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms
Adam Krzesniak
Keller Williams Landmark II
MIDDLE VILLAGE
Under $600,000
61-06 82nd St.
$598,000
1-family townhouse
3 bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms
Chung Kit Cheung
Winzone Realty
$600,000-$1,000,000
61-44 65th St.
$769,000
1-family home
3 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 2 half-baths
Donna Russo DiCesare
Russo Realty Properties
Over $1,000,000
64-28 82nd Pl.
$1,225,000
1-family home
4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Gabriele Kapp
Werba Realty
/JENNA_BAGCAL
