FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com FEBRUARY 11, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 3 CROSS BAY BOOM: Howard Beach supermarket site rung up in $12.6M sale By Robert Pozaryc ki [email protected]/@robbpoz Another big real estate deal has gone down on Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach. Cushman & Wakefield announced on Monday it brokered a $12.6 million, all-cash sale of 163-30 Cross Bay Blvd., a retail property currently home to a Key Food supermarket. According to the broker, the building was constructed in 2009 and includes a rear parking Glendale group is concerned over ‘vibration’ from proposed freight line changes BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @QueensCourier The Glendale Property Owners Association (GPOA) is not yet on board with recently presented plans regarding changes on the Long Island Rail Road’s Montauk branch through the area. The rails, which are currently being used by New York and Atlantic Railway (NYA) to transport freight, were the focus of debate at the group’s monthly meeting on Feb. 4 at St. Pancras Pfiefer Hall. Attendees discussed the already disruptive freight activity and were unsettled by reports that the NYA wished to increase it. “It’s not so much the noise — it’s a little bit the noise — but the vibration,” said Brian Dooley, GPOA president. “When you’re putting that much weight on these rail tracks, and going by, you can rattle the pictures off the wall.” Another attendee voiced air quality concerns, and suggested that a study be done on how an increase in freight activity will affect the air in the area. The group also focused on a second plan for the Montauk branch from Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who proposed creating a light rail line along the tracks between Glendale and Long Island City. Concerns were raised over expenses related to such an endeavor, and whether the line could accommodate both a passenger light rail and heavy freight activity. Crowley’s representative at the meeting, Amanda Farias, defended the lawmaker’s proposed plan, stating that it is a proactive effort on her part to combat the freight company’s desire to increase traffic across the lines. Farias also pointed out that the rails were used for LIRR passenger service in the past, and stated that they have been evaluated and are “still in perfect condition to be used as a commuter rail.” “In order to accommodate both the commuter rail and the freight, they’ll have to implement temporal separation, which accommodates both the heavy freight and the commuter services,” Farias said. Despite heavy criticism, many in attendance recognized that either approach would have its benefits and detriments. “It seems to me that there is a natural conflict between the freight and the commuter. And I think, eventually, it might turn out to be one or the other,” Dooley said. “There’s always consequences to whatever the trade-off is. We just need to think about them.” lot with 42 spaces. The store was damaged by Hurricane Sandy’s floodwaters in October 2012 and underwent a significant renovation. This marks the second multimillion dollar real estate deal involving a major Cross Bay Boulevard retail space in as many months. As QNS reported in January, the Pan- Bay Center — a 50,000-square-foot shopping strip and office building with a 100-space parking lot — was sold for $27 million to Urban Edge Properties, a record price for the area. Though it was reported that the Pan-Bay Center may be renovated to attract new tenants, changing things at the Key Food location may be more difficult for the new owners. Key Food opened in 2014 at the site, which was previously a Duane Reade pharmacy. Under its parent company Walgreen’s, Duane Reade maintains a lease on the site through October 2028 and sublet the location to Key Food after it closed the pharmacy. “Retail properties throughout the outer boroughs have experienced tremendous demand given local retail rent growth,” said Bob Knakal, chairman of New York Investment Sales at Cushman & Wakefield, who handled the sale with brokers Jonathan Hageman and Brian Sarath. “The leases here made the upside more challenging to derive, but nonetheless, we were very pleased with the reception this property received.” THE COURIER/File Photo The site of a Key Food supermarket at 163-30 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach was sold recently for $12.6 million. Photo via Facebook/Valerie Scafo Gunther Coastal flooding has caused problems for many residents in southeast Queens. Coastal flooding hits SE Queens By Anthony Giu dice [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport Streets in areas of the Rockaways, Broad Channel and Howard Beach experienced flooding on the morning and evening of Feb. 8 as a result of a coastal storm. The water had mostly dissipated by the morning of Feb. 9, according to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder‘s office, but a coastal flood advisory was set to take effect that evening during high tide. “Our reports show some residual flooding along the Rockaway peninsula,” Goldfeder’s office said. “Most of the water seems to have receded.” Tides on Feb. 8 and 9 were roughly 2 feet above normal due to strong winds out of the north, and there has been an elevated level of ground saturation due to the storm on the weekend of Feb. 6 and 7. “This morning Feb. 9, coastal areas in our city experienced flooding during the high tide,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “From clearing storm drains to salting roads that could turn icy, we’re taking all necessary steps to respond to the impacts of this flooding. We are also taking the long-term steps needed to protect our coastal areas through our $20 billion investment in climate resiliency,” Goldfeder had been in touch with the presidents of all the area’s major civic associations, disseminating important information as it came in, trying to keep the communities as up to date as possible on the flooding. “I’ve been speaking with the president of every major civic association in the area all day,” Goldfeder said. “The truth is this is happening because we are surrounded by water. I don’t think there is anything we can do or build that can prevent it from happening. We just have to be vigilant to be prepared for when it happens again.” Goldfeder’s office mentioned that there was some damage done by the flooding, including reports of flooded basements and damaged vehicles.
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