4 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 13, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photos: Mark Hallum/THE COURIER
Schneps Communications presented Kings of Long Island 2018 awardees with checks for over
$1,000 that will go toward funding operations for their organizations. Nicole Thornton from
Autsim Speaks and Anthony Gurino from the Dad’s Away Foundation each received $1,300, while
Michael Aharoni from VetsEDU and Tina Moreno from Life’s WORC both received $1,050. Joanna
Austin, associate publisher of the Long Island Press, presented the checks.
Flushing hotel shelter
rumor is false: Koo
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@cnglocal.com
@QNS
Rumors that the city plans on opening
a homeless shelter at the Parc Hotel
in Flushing are greatly exaggerated,
according to Councilman Peter Koo.
A spokesman for Koo told Th e
Courier on Dec. 10 that the councilman
had a discussion with the owner of the
hotel, Guangyang An, located at 39-16
College Point Blvd., and that there are
no plans for homeless individuals to be
housed there.
An anonymous source, however, told
Th e Courier that there had been a deal
with the city for a shelter at the hotel, but
it had been recently terminated.
Th e city Department of Homeless
Services has yet to respond to multiple
calls and emails from Th e Courier
requesting comment on the matter. Th e
Courier also tried reaching out to An
and has yet to receive a response.
Th e rumor came amid an ongoing
battle between College Point residents
and the city over a proposed homeless
shelter in the neighborhood. Residents
have held two rallies against the proposal,
and are in the process of suing the
city to stop it.
Carlotta Mohamed and Robert
Pozarycki contributed to this report.
Community coalition calls on
mayor to recoup Willets Pt. land
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@cnglocal.com
@QNS
A newly formed coalition of over a
dozen local organizations were joined by
community leaders and local elected offi -
cials Monday urging Mayor Bill de Blasio
to honor the original Willets Point redevelopment
plan that guaranteed aff ordable
housing.
Th e group, Nos Quedamos (We Stay
Queens), called on de Blasio Dec. 13 to
reclaim two acres of land purchased by
the city, which was transferred to the
Queens Development Group for $1 by
exercising an option in contract with the
developer that expires Dec. 20, 2018.
Former City Council member and current
Democratic District Leader Hiram
Monserrate, who negotiated the original
2008 plan, said the 17 acres of cityowned
property that is vacant should be
used to create desperately needed aff ordable
housing.
“Th e city spent $200 million dollars
in acquiring 23 acres and pushed out 60
small mom and pop shops owned and
operated by mostly immigrant Latinos,”
said Monserrate. Th ey were displaced
because the city promised 2,000 aff ordable
housing units and more.”
Monserrate added, “Th e people have
been subjected to broken promise aft er
broken promise. Th is must change, we
need real public investment for aff ordable
housing and an end to deals that unfairly
benefi t the super rich.”
Rolandi Bini, of Parents in Action,
called the two-acre dollar deal a “greedy
corrupt land grab.”
“Th is along with the Amazon deal in
Long Island City shows how misdirected
this administration is and how they have
failed miserably in building aff ordable
housing,” said Bini.
Th e Willets Point Development Plan
sought to transform the iron triangle into
a major engine for economic growth for
New York City, generate local employment
and business opportunities, and
improve the overall quality of life for local
residents, according to the New York City
Economic Development Corporation.
In February, the de Blasio
Administration announced Phase 1A
of its plan to construct 1,100 aff ordable
housing units and a school on six
acres of land at Willets Point Boulevard
and Roosevelt Avenue. A task force was
formed to make recommendations for the
other 17 acres of Phase 1 land that will be
built upon next.
Th e full buildout of the entire 62 acre
Willets Point Development Plan included
more than 3,000 additional housing units,
of which over 1,100 would be aff ordable,
additional community facilities and public
school, offi ce space, a convention center,
parking, and a minimum of eight
more acres of public open space, according
to the New York City Economic
Development Corporation.
City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez
said the mayor needs to reclaim the land
the city gave away, and start a discussion
on using it to build the aff ordable housing
that was already promised to the community.
“Th is community of hardworking families
is speaking loud and clear and their
saying they’re tired of being pushed out
of their own community by developers
who continue to make millions by taking
what isn’t theirs,” said Rodriguez.
“Th ese families deserve aff ordable housing
not for their community to be sold
for one dollar!”
Giving back to great charities
Photo courtesy of NYCEDC
A rendering of the future Willets Point
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