FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 11, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Frank Padavan, Queens’ giant in the state Senate, dead at 83
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Former state Senator Frank Padavan,
who represented northeast Queens for
nearly four decades in Albany, has died.
He was 83 years old.
Sources close to Padavan speculate that
he may have died of a heart attack at New
York Presbyterian Hospital, though his
offi cial cause of death has not been confi
rmed.
Padavan served as the senator for State
Senate District 11 from 1973 to 2010, the
second-longest serving state senator in
New York history. He was unseated in
2010 in a close race won by Tony Avella.
Th e current senator released a statement
this aft ernoon mourning the death of his
predecessor.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the
passing of former state Senator Frank
Padavan. He will be well remembered as
someone who fought diligently for northeast
End is in sight for long-awaited Hunters Point Library project in Long Island City
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL
adomenech@qns.com
@AODNewz
Th e Hunters Point Library will fi nally
open next summer, as construction
on the building scheduled to be completed
by December of this year, according
to the New York City Department of
Design and Construction (DDC).
Once construction is completed, control
of the building will be handed over
to the Queens library who will add furniture,
shelves, books, desks and computer
stations among other things.
“We will be in charge of basically turning
the building into a library,” said
Elisabeth de Bourbon, communications
director for the Queens Library. Bourbon
did not know of any reason that would
prevent the library from opening next
year.
Th e library’s construction has been
plagued with setbacks since before it
even began. Plans for the Steven Holl
designed concrete building with inkblot
shaped windows were revealed in
2011. But construction did not begin to
take place until 2015 aft er fear of overspending
was mitigated. A boost from
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer helped
the project move forward.
But disaster still seemed to follow. In
2017, construction halted when a glass
shipment was stopped due a workers
strike in Spain. Glass for the library’s
windows had to be purchased in Europe
due to limited glass availability in the
United States.
“We have had our challenges with
contractors,” said Th omas Foley, deputy
commissioner for the NYC Department
of Design and Construction.The
22,000-square foot library was expected
to be opened early 2017. But fi nancial
issues with the building’s contractor
Triton Structural, a California-based
construction company, and unexpected
design additions kept pushing completion
behind schedule.
Aft er construction began, it was decided
that the building needed higher railings
and “scope changes” according to
Foley.
But Hunters Point community members
are not confi dent in the DDC’s
ability to complete the library on time.
Residents at the Oct. 4 Community
Board 2 meeting in Sunnyside said they
were tired of the announcements of construction
setbacks and a lack facilities.
“Th ere are bunch of things that were
part of the original plan that are not
going to be included,” said Brent O’Leary,
president of the Hunters Point Civic
Association. Th e last time the Hunters
Point Civic Association was given a
walking tour of the library, it was unclear
if the proposed rooft op coff ee shop and
refl ection pool would be completed.
“When things started getting too expensive
they started cutting,” said O’Leary.
Th e initial budget for the library’s construction
was $30 million, according to
Foley. Th e city has now spent $37 million
on the project.
“We hope that with Lorraine Grillo
she can speed it up and be more transparent,”
he added. Grillo was appointed
commissioner of the Department of
Design and Construction in July of this
year.
Rendering courtesy of the Queens Library
Queens and served our community
well,” Avella said.
Before becoming senator, Padavan
earned his degree in electrical engineering
and spent 30 years as a reserve member
of the United States Army. He then
served as Deputy Commissioner of the
New York City Department of Buildings
for four years.
Th e Queens GOP were the fi rst to confi
rm Padavan’s passing on Twitter:
“Rest peacefully @FrankPadavan you
were a champion of the Republican Party
and the NYS Senate you will be sorely
missed. Our condolences are extended to
the Padavan family.”
Councilman Eric Ulrich also took to
Twitter in the wake of Padavan’s death:
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the
passing of former NYS Senator Frank
Padavan. Sen. Padavan was a staunch
advocate for his NE Queens district and
a fi ghter for the forgotten middle class.
Overall, he was an absolute gentleman
and raised the bar for public service. RIP
Frank.”
Former Queens Borough President
Claire Shulman spoke highly of Padavan’s
work for the borough of Queens and of
his solid work ethic as a senator.
“He did an enormous, wonderful service
for the borough of Queens and the
state of New York. He was a hard worker
who did very well for his constituency,”
said former Queens Borough President
Claire Shulman.
One of Padavan’s long-time colleagues,
former state Senator Serphin Maltese,
called Padavan “a towering fi gure in the
state Senate” and stressed that he was true
to his conservative roots while still retaining
independence from traditional partisan
politics.
““For 38 years he was an independent
voice in the Senate with a great amount of
credibility,” Maltese said. “Th at’s why he
kept getting re-elected in a district where
Democrats outnumbered Republicans 3
to 1.”
Padavan was the loving father of Scott
and Allison; father-in-law of Pratisha
Budhiraja; and grandfather of Sofi Kush
Padavan. He was preceded in death by his
wife, Johanne.
Visitation for Padavan’s family and
friends will take place on Saturday, Oct.
13, from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 10 p.m.,
at Martin A. Gleason Funeral Home’s
Whitestone location, 10-25 150 St. Th ere
will be a second wake there on Sunday,
Oct. 14, from 2 to 5 p.m., with a religious
service taking place at 4 p.m.
In lieu of fl owers, the Padavan family
requests that memorial donations
be made to any of the local organizations
which Padavan supported during
his life. Th ey include the Alley Pond
Environmental Center, alleypond.com;
the Bayside Historical Society, baysidehistorical.
org; the Bowne House, bownehouse.
org; and NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital, nyp.org/giving.
Bill Parry and Robert Pozarycki contributed
to this report.
Photo via nysenate.gov
/
link
