Governor Cuomo stands on one of the towers of the newest span
of the Kosciuszko Bridge during a press tour on Monday.
Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
Second K-Bridge span
opens in Sept.: Cuomo
BY MARK HALLUM
The Kosciuszko Bridge,
or the K Bridge as Governor
Andrew Cuomo calls it,
will have its second cablestayed
span open this
September, bringing the
reconstruction project
to a close well ahead of
schedule.
Cuomo conducted on
Monday a press tour of the
work site up more than 10
f lights of stairs unveiling
a nearly completed
roadway as well as cabling
to suspend the concrete
and steel above Newtown
Creek.
“This replacement
bridge was done in a totally
different method than
the state had used before:
it’s what is referred to as
design build construction,”
Cuomo said. “This bridge
is four years ahead of
schedule from what the
original time estimate was
if the government had done
the job. So just the initial
change, the design build
saved us four years.”
There will be five
Queens-bound lanes and
four Brooklyn-bound
lanes upon the second
spans completion and will
include a pedestrian and
bike path.
Making the bridge
accessible to foot traffic
and bikes was a opportunity
for the state to build green
space on each side allowing
access to the waterfront.
The project totaled $873
million for the state with
over $100,000 incentive for
everyday the contractors
push closer to completion
ahead of schedule.
Until the May 6
announcement, the
expected completion date
had been December.
In April 2017, Cuomo
cut the ribbon on the
eastern span of the bridge
with flare by arrive at
the ceremony driving a
1932 Packard owned by
President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, who also served
as governor of the New
York.
“That bridge is now
handling the same volume
of traffic that the old bridge
was handling,” Cuomo
said. “I think it enhances
the Brooklyn and Queens
skyline … When you think
about this bridge being
the first bridge since the
Verrazzano, 1964, that
means a entire generation
has grown up having not
seen any new dramatic, big
projects.”
The original Kosciuszko
Bridge was built in
1929 and named after a
Revolutionary War hero
from Poland. The new
spans between Brooklyn
and Queens will increase
capacity and decrease
delays by 65 percent,
according to Cuomo.
The old bridge,
dismantled over the course
of 2017, was built to endure
about 10,000 vehicles, but
was actually seeing double
that amount of crossings
per day, Cuomo said.
Reach reporter Mark
Hallum by email at
mhallum@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4564.
Keep it open for good!
LIC pols seek permanent home for Court Sq. Library
Court Square residents rally for a permanent home for their library branch which is currently on
borrowed time at One Court Square. Courtesy of Van Bramer’s offi ce
BY BILL PARRY
A day after Queens
Public Library (QPL) and
Citi reached an agreement
with Citi that enables its
Court Square branch to
remain open at its current
location until March
2020, community leaders
rallied outside One Court
Square on May 1 calling
for a permanent home for
their library.
QPL opened the branch in
a 3,200-square-foot ground
f loor space in 1989 paying
$1 month on a sublease
deal that was to expire in
August.
“Extending the Queens
Public Library’s sublease
at Court Square is an
important, short-term win,
but we will not stop fighting
until we secure a permanent
home,” City Councilman
Jimmy Van Bramer said.
“The Court Square Library
is an indispensable resource
for our rapidly growing
community. We must do all
we can to protect, enhance,
and expand it invaluable
services. Closing a public
library is never an option.”
The Court Square branch
attracts nearly 100,000 people
a year, and offers hundreds
of programs for the growing
community of residents and
employees of local businesses
and government and
nonprofit organizations.
“The outpouring of
support for the Court
Square branch from this
community, our elected
officials, Citi and others
is a major indicator of the
importance of this library,”
Queens Public Library
President and CEO Dennis
M. Walcott said. “It further
fuels our determination to
find a permanent space for
this treasured asset that
has put tens of thousands of
people on a path to success.”
Savanna, the real estate
company that bought the 53-
story tower formerly known
as the Citigroup Building,
is said to be seeking market
rent for the space. Savanna
was burned by Amazon’s
decision to scuttle its HQ2
campus plan in Long Island
City, as the e-commerce giant
was set to lease more than 1.5
million square feet of office
space in the tower to use as
a temporary headquarters
during the build-out of the
HQ2 complex.
“Local residents are
grateful the Court Square
Library lease was extended
through early 2020, however
this is a continuation of
ad-hoc band aid solutions
we’ve seen,” Court Square
Civic Association President
Frank Wu said. “More
permanent solutions need to
be found for the community,
including placement of
a new zoned elementary
school that we’ve been
promised.”
Meghan Cirrito, the
president of the Friends
of Court Square Library,
explained why the
community was so upset
about pending sublease
expiration.
“The Friends of Court
Square Library are pleased
that our beloved community
library will be staying in
its current location until
next March,” she said. “The
public library is a vital
‘third place’ for Long Island
City and we will continue
to support and advocate for
Court Square Library, its
staff, and the surrounding
community. Public library
service is a right, not
a luxury.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM MAY 10-16, 2019 3
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