FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 18, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Forest Hills Jewish Center
to be reconstructed
Rumors have been swirling about the future of
the Forest Hills Jewish Center (FHJC), but according
to Executive Director Deborah Gregor, the center
is embarking on a plan to upgrade the outdated
building.
In addition to holding religious services, the center
at 106-06 Queens Blvd. also houses a nursery
school, a universal pre-K (UPK) program, a religious
school and a self-help senior citizen center.
Th ough some Forest Hills residents feared that
the center was shutting down, Gregor said the
board intends to temporarily relocate while a new
building is constructed to house these services.
“Th e project and the concept of redeveloping
this site is very old,” she said. “It’s something that
we at Forest Hills Jewish Center have been thinking
about and working on for over 20 years and
we’ve gone through several diff erent scenarios in
terms of how that might be accomplished.”
For the fi rst time in many years, they appear
close to fi nalizing plans. But because the FHJC
is a nonprofi t, the plan must fi rst be approved by
the board of trustees, voted on by membership
and approved by the New York State Attorney
General’s offi ce.
Th e new site would rise 120 feet and would
include commercial space on the side facing
Austin Street and a residential component as well
as parking, though Gregor did not reveal additional
details. All of the services currently provided
would continue at the new center and the interim
center.
Staff at the FHJC have a temporary location in
mind but have not fi nalized plans to move in yet.
“Th is building is just really old and things are
beginning to fail and the expenses of maintaining
an old building and especially maintaining a
building that was not designed for effi ciency and
was designed for a congregation that was much larger
don’t make sense,” she said.
Gregor added that documents still have to be
drawn so they plan to have the fi nal proposal fi nished
and approved sometime this year and to move
into the temporary location in 2019.
Angela Matua
Crowley outlines ‘A
Better Deal’ for Queens
Congressman Joseph Crowley unveiled a number
of proposals aimed at providing “a better deal” for
his Queens constituents.
Crowley announced “A Better Deal for Queens
and the Bronx” at Vaughn College of Aeronautic
Engineering, Aviation and Technology in East
Elmhurst on Jan. 16. Democrats announced their
“Better Deal” platform last summer with proposals
to provide higher wages and better jobs, lower the
cost of living for families, and train Americans for
21st-century jobs.
“It has always been my belief that Americans can
do best when their communities are secure and they
are strong, when they have the opportunity to seek
out the kind of life that they want for themselves,”
Crowley said.
In the proposal, Crowley has pledged to push
for an increase in funding Campus-Based Aid programs.
To battle school overcrowding, Crowley will
introduce legislation to increase federal school construction
funding for schools in overcrowded districts.
In order to make living in Queens and the Bronx
more aff ordable, Crowley is introducing the Rent
Relief Act, which would provide a tax credit to renters.
Angela Matua
Board 7 fumes over ‘wasted time’ as
Willets Point development spins its wheels
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Community members demanded
to be “part of the process” while
plans for a long-awaited Flushing
development project continue to
hang in the balance.
On Jan. 10, local leaders and
city offi cials met at the quarterly
Community Board 7 Willets
Point committee meeting to discuss
updates to a $3 billion development
proposal made by the Queens
Development Group LLC (QDG).
Th e two-phase development plan
fi rst proposed in 2013 by QDG,
a joint venture between Sterling
Equities and Related Companies,
included plans to construct a shopping
mall, hotel, movie theater, public
school and aff ordable housing on
land surrounding Citi Field.
In June 2017, phase-one plans for
the project came to a halt aft er the
New York State Court of Appeals
ruled that QDG’s development
proposal on public parkland, the
23-acre “Willets West” portion,
would not be able to move forward
without approval from state legislature.
Councilman Francisco Moya,
who just weeks ago replaced former
Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-
Copeland in District 21, was present
for the Jan. 10 meeting.
“I’m here now, and I’m a very
hands-on kind of member,” Moya
said to attendees. “For me, it’s very
important that your voice is heard.”
Moya said his offi ce has already
made plans to have “real meetings
with the appropriate people about
where this plan is.” He also called
for the creation of a community
advisory council, which would give
the community a venue to voice their
thoughts and concerns with the project.
“Th e city has been very clear
about not moving on anything until
we have had those discussions,” the
lawmaker said.
City Economic Development
Corporation (EDC) spokesperson
Eleni Bourinaris told attendees that
conversations between QDG and the
city are ongoing. QDG currently has
title to less than two of the 23 total
acres; the rest belongs to the city.
“It sounds to me like we’re not
getting the full conversation,” board
member Joe Sweeney said. “We’re
not in the loop. We want to be in the
loop and give our valid input.”
“We want this community board at
the table as we continue our conversations,”
Bourinaris replied. “We’re
not at that point just yet.”
Board members were audibly dissatisfi
ed with the response.
“We don’t want this ‘seat at the
table,’” Sweeney fi red back. “We want
you guys — it’s our tax money — to
come here, sit here. Let’s have a discussion.”
After a few more members
expressed concerns about the project
timeline, Bourinaris said the city
is “looking to advance the project
as quickly as possible.”
“Th e mayor has said he wants to
accelerate the timeline,” she said.
Aff ordable housing remains a priority
in the plan, the city spokesperson
added.
“You’re telling me when they
knew this lawsuit was coming there
wasn’t a contingency plan?” Board
7 Chairperson Gene Kelty asked to
EDC reps. “I’m getting tired of my
time being wasted.”
“I hear the frustration in the room,
and I understand it,” Moya said. “My
goal is to help alleviate some of that
frustration because, like you, I want
to make sure that we can get the
best deal possible … Your input is
extremely critical to getting this deal
done right.”
Similar frustrations were vented
by board members at the previous
meeting in September, where another
EDC representative told attendees
there was “not much to report”
before presenting images of some
demolition work the city completed
at the site.
It was also noted that the contract
has a provision that allows both the
city and the developer the option
to terminate the development agreement
with notice.
“I think it’s clear to the administration
that we want full transparency
— not a one-way mirror,” Building
and Zoning Committee Chairperson
Chuck Apelian said. “We want to
be part of this process, and if they
expect our support, then we expect
that they’ll include us into the design
process and selection process as far
as what Willets Point is going to
look like.”