FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 27
Observation towers at New York State Pavilion to be restored
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
The climax of “Men in Black”
(1997) would make you think they
are derelict spaceships waiting to be
hijacked by extraterrestrials, but they
are actually observation towers adjacent
to the New York State Pavilion.
And this month, the city will begin
work that has been in procurement
since 2015 to restore the rusted monuments
erected for the 1964 World’s
Fair in the 1960s just as Borough
President Melinda Katz’ office has
worked to redeem the pavilion itself.
Up to $24,097,000 has been secured
from the mayor’s office, the borough
president and City Council to
reconstruct “portions” of the towers
which will be completed by the city
Department of Parks and Recreation
by March 2021, the agency said.
Parks will reconstruct stairwells, fi x
drainage features, restore suspension
cables as well as concrete and the lighting
design. Waterproofi ng of the tower bases
will also be completed.
While a groundbreaking ceremony
is in the works – date to be
announced – this revitalization project
will not give visitors the ability to
actually access the observation towers
as they would have done nearly
60 years ago, a Parks spokeswoman
said. There will still need to be further
investment in the integrity of
the structure before it is safe for public
access.
But the agency hopes accent the
skyline with new lighting.
Designed by Philip Johnson, the
towers have not seen any significant
The observation towers adjacent to the New York State Pavilion will have major renovations done in the fi rst major investment since they were build
for the 1964 World’s Fair.
investment since they were built.
About $13.118 million of the funds
were allocated by Katz’s office, while
$1.979 million from City Council and
Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
$9 million from the mayor’s office
also helped the project along.
Photos by Dean Moses
Maspeth remembers the victims and heroes of 9/11
Days before the nation commemorated
those lost on that fateful day.
Squad Company 288/Haz-Mat 1, which
the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11,
Th e ceremony was held at Maspeth
suff ered tremendous losses in the attack
2001 terrorist attacks, Maspeth residents
Memorial Park at the corner of 69th
on, and collapse of the World Trade
gathered together on Saturday, Sept. 7,
Street and Grand Avenue, a few steps
Center’s Twin Towers.
for the community’s annual tribute to
away from the headquarters of FDNY
Firefi ghters laid a wreath at the park’s
memorial, which includes the names of
local victims and pieces of the World
Trade Center’s steel. Th e ceremony also
included prayers, words of comfort and
song.
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