The new home of the Islanders at Belmont Park gets renewed
support from state Senator Leroy Comrie and two of his Long
Island colleagues. Courtesy of New York Arena Partners
Comrie places bet
on Belmont plans
BY BILL PARRY
State senators
representing the
neighborhoods that border
Belmont Park have signaled
new support for the $1.18
billion redevelopment plan
that would build a new 19,000-
seat hockey arena for the New
York Islanders, a 250-room
hotel and a 435,000 square foot
retail complex adjacent to the
racetrack’s grandstand.
State Senator Leroy
Comrie, who has been
concerned about the project’s
potential strain on Cambria
Heights and Queens Village
along the western edge
of the racetrack campus,
joined state Senators Todd
Kaminsky and Anna M.
Kaplan in updating their
communities.
Comrie has insisted
publicly that any final project
include the full-service LIRR
station instead of limited
service at the current facility
with the cost of the new station
passed on to the developer.
He has also called for a
year-round Park-and-Ride
for commuters at the 6,000
space parking lot adjacent
to the racetrack, as well as a
significant expansion of the
Cross Island Parkway.
“We have been united in
insisting that the voices of our
constituents and stakeholders
be heard throughout the
planning and redevelopment
process,” the elected officials
said in a joint statement
Wednesday. “After extensive
community outreach and
numerous public hearing,
we identified a critical need
for improved mass transit
options, including a fullservice
LIRR station, and
a comprehensive traffic
mitigation strategy for local
roads and the Cross Island
Parkway. We are encouraged
to hear the needs of our
constituents are being heard.
Specially, that discussions of
a full-service LIRR station
to serve the community are
progressing, and that an
ongoing study of local roads
and traffic patterns will
result in the implementation
of a multi-pronged plan for
traffic mitigation.”
The redevelopment
plan announced by
Governor Andrew Cuomo
in 2017 will create 12,000
construction jobs and 3,100
permanent jobs.
“With these concerns
now being addressed by the
developer and Empire State
Development, we are eager
to see the project proceed
so that we can deliver the
community improvements
and responsible economic
development attendant to
this project,” the Senators
concluded. “We look
forward to continuing to
work with our constituents,
Governor Andrew Cuomo,
and our colleagues on the
state and local level to
ensure that this project
brings the tangible results
and benefits that our
communities need and our
residents deserve.”
New York Arena Partners,
a development consortium
behind the project, is hoping
to begin construction later
this summer so it can be
completed in time for the
Islanders to open the 2021
season at the new arena.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
Two for one at LIC mall
Warehouse mart, clothing store get board approval
The parking lot of a Long island City shopping center where a BJ’s Wholesale Club and a Burlington
Coat Factory are planned to be developed. Photo via Google Maps
BY MAX PARROTT
A BJ’s Wholesale Club
and Burlington Coat
Factory took a step toward
landing in Long Island City
last week as the Community
Board 1 recommended a
rezoning that would permit
the big-box retailers to
open in Plaza 48.
Heidenberg Properties
Group, the owner of the
plaza located at 35-50 48th
Street, got the nod on June
18 from the board to rezone
the two buildings in the
plaza in order to fit the use
of the new stores .
The 136,000 squarefoot
plaza will be getting
a BJ’s Wholesale Club
in the building that
was formerly National
Wholesale Liquidators and
a Burlington Coat Factory
into the building that was
formerly Toys R Us.
Representing the
property owner, attorney
Vincent Petrano argued
that the change in zoning
was purely a technicality
and would not affect the
plaza’s day-to-day function
or traffic patterns.
“There’s really nothing
changing on the site. The
buildings that you see
today are the same ones
that you will hopefully
see after this approval.
They’re not going to be
expanding or anything,
it’s just a matter of the use.
Toys R Us is allowed as of
right and some future uses
are not,” Petrano said.
Members of the Board
pushed back over traffic
issues. One member
pointed out that the
environmental review for
the plaza was based on the
premise that the use of the
stores was the same, but
she questioned whether the
new retailers would attract
more customers and clog
the intersection of 48th St.
and Northern Boulevard.
Both Petrano and a
Department Housing
Preservation and
Development consultant
who came with him
argued the new businesses
as well as the old ones
are considered large
destination retailers, so a
new study would yield the
same results.
At the end of the
meeting, the Board voted
29 in favor, two against
and one abstention, with
the condition that the
facility should provide
traffic personnel during
peak hours and based on
seasonal needs to move
traffic off of the plaza’s
side streets.
Reach reporter Max
Parrott by email at
mparrott@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
224-5863, ext. 226.
TIMESLEDGER,TIMESLEDGER.COM JUNE 28-JULY 4, 2019 3
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