8 The Courier sun • september 4, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Dolphin Diner opening soon, replacing shuttered eatery BY LIAM LA GUERE lguerre@queenscourier.com/@LiamLaGuerre The Dolphin Diner in Hillcrest is set to make a splash with its grand opening just a few weeks away. The eatery already has its sign up, and owner and veteran restaurateur John Papas told The Courier that he plans to open the establishment in the second week of September, after completing certain filings with the city. The new diner, which is blocks away from St. John’s University’s main campus and Queens Hospital Center, will replace Cornerstone Diner in the mall where Union Turnpike and 164th Street meet. Papas, who has previously owned diners around the city and one upstate, said he thought it was a good spot for a restaurant, and that’s why he decided to open there despite Cornerstone recently shutting its doors. Dolphin will offer everything from seafood to steaks, and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily from 6 a.m. to midnight. The new establishment will be able to seat up to 125 people, Papas said. The diner is still hiring employees for positions, and expects to have more than 20 workers when it opens. THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre PHOTO TK THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Dolphin Diner, which will replace Cornerstone Diner, expects to open in mid-September. THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Savanna, a real estate and development firm, gained a controlling interest in One Court Square, which is the tallest building in the borough. New owner buys Queens’ tallest building BY LIAM LA GUERE lguerre@queenscourier.com @liamlaguerre The tallest building in Queens — and in New York State, outside of Manhattan — has a new owner. Savanna, a real estate investment firm, announced on Aug. 25 that together with a partnering company it acquired a controlling interest in One Court Square, the 51-story building in Long Island City occupied by Citibank. “We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of this terrific asset in Long Island City,” said Nicholas Bienstock, managing partner of Savanna. “One Court Square not only features attractive building amenities and convenient transportation access, but is also located in the heart of Long Island City, which has transformed over the past 10 years into one of the most attractive up-and-coming residential and office markets in the city.” The group of investors led by David Werner, who previously owned the 1.5-million-square-foot building, will remain a smaller partner of the building. Savanna did not release the price it paid for the tower, but Crain’s New York Business reported that the purchase would have been a much greater value than the nearly $500 million that Werner paid for it in 2011. One Court Square was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, and built by Turner Construction in 1989. Photo courtesy of Dancehall Got Talent/Nicole Duhaney Judges from left: Ed Robinson, DJ Roy, Timberlee and Dougie Platinum. Jamaica hosts auditions for new dance competition show BY SALVATORE LICATA slicata@queenscourier.com/@Sal_Licata1 Residents of Jamaica got to show off their reggae and dancehall moves in hopes of landing a spot on a new reality TV show named Dancehall Got Talent. Auditions for the show, which will air on the OPM Digital Network, were held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, located at 153-10 Jamaica Ave., on Aug. 30. This was the first site for the competition and more than 60 performers came out to try to wow the judges. The competitors were so talented that only about 10 of them were eliminated, according to Nicole Duhaney, the host and executive producer of the show. “There were so many talented performers,” Duhaney said. “It was a lot of fun.” The competition is the first of its kind and is solely based on reggae and dancehall music. Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican music. The acts included all types of Jamaican music, according to Duhaney, who said she is known as the “number one dancehall media diva worldwide.” This filming was the first of eight live New York tapings for the show. The competition was the brainchild of Kevin Royal, who is a partner at the OPM Network. They hope to air the competition on the network, which can be seen on such devices as Xbox or Apple TV, among others, at the end of fall. The fate of the contestants will be determined by viewers of the show through a voting process. “This is going to be the show that everyone, no matter where they are, can watch,” Duhaney said. Even though the first filming was a success, Duhaney said she wishes more people would have come to compete. “I think a lot of people missed out on the opportunity to compete,” she said. “I’m inviting all of them out to any competitions coming up, even if you were eliminated already. We want a person who is willing to work in the competition.” The next audition at the same venue in Jamaica will be held on Sept. 12 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to the show’s website. To find out more about the competition, visit “Dancehall, GOT TALENT” on Facebook or www.dancehallgottalent.com.
SC09042014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above