8 The Courier sun • OCTOBER 9, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Grand Street Bridge started construction last week BY SALVATORE LICATA [email protected] @Sal_Licata1 The Grand Street Bridge, linking Maspeth and Brooklyn, began construction on Oct. 4 for much-needed repair work, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said. It was the first of three Saturdays that the bridge will be closed to strengthen the deck gratings and replace the pedestrian path. The DOT will be closing the bridge again on Oct. 11 and 18 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. During that time motorists can use Metropolitan Avenue as an alternate route. These repairs are not part of the DOT’s plan to replace the decrepit bridge entirely. It expects those plans to be finished by 2016. But the DOT had promised to make shortterm repairs to keep the bridge stabilized while plans are being drawn up. “The agency continues to monitor the structure and make any necessary short-term repairs prior to the start of this project,” a DOT spokeswoman said in June. “DOT will also continue to update local stakeholders, including the community boards, on any temporary closures required for repair work.” Grand Street Bridge started much-needed repair work on Oct. 4. THE COURIER/Photo by Eric Jankiewicz Downtown Jamaica commercial portfolio near trains selling for $6.2M BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] /@liamlaguerre A mostly vacant row of buildings in the heart of downtown Jamaica with lots of room to build up has been listed for $6.2 million, according to Modern Spaces, which is marketing the properties. The listing includes four lots with two-story attached buildings beginning at 97-01 to 97-09 Sutphin Blvd., and is the first listing in Jamaica for the new commercial division of Modern Spaces, which is based in Long Island City. Currently, a church occasionally uses part of the building for service and a deli is another tenant. The properties have about 10,000 square feet combined, but nearly 50,000 square feet of buildable space, according to Evan Daniel, executive vice president of Modern Spaces’ commercial division. The building has a C4-5X zoning, and could be demolished, Daniel said. He added that it is a likely possibility that developers could buy with the intention to build up since the buildings are placed in an attractive location. The E and J subway lines and the Jamaica LIRR station are just three blocks away, meaning it’s just a short train ride to Manhattan. The AirTrain to John F. Kennedy Airport is also just a few blocks away as well, and downtown Jamaica has lots of foot traffic because of the huge amount of retail in the area. The property is owned by 901 Honeywell LLC, which could make a substantial profit after purchasing the buildings back in 2007 for $3.4 million, city records show. Photo courtesy of Modern Spaces A row of mostly vacant buildings near the subway and LIRR stations in downtown Jamaica are selling for $6.2 million.
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