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Willets Point Plan Approved

soupcan Nov 14 2008 09:40 AM

[url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/11142008/news/regionalnews/new_sparkle_for_queens_138653.htm]City Council Approves Willets Point Plan[/url] ]NEW SPARKLE FOR QUEENS By SALLY GOLDENBERG November 14, 2008 -- The City Council yesterday gave a thumbs-up to a pair of Mayor Bloomberg's pet projects intended to transform Queens industrial areas into sparkling new communities with more than 10,000 apartments. Plans to transform the 62-acre Willets Point industrial area by Citi Field and the 30-acre Hunters Point South district in Long Island City into multi-use areas received council approval in a 42-2 vote. "For nearly half a century, Willets Point has been an environmentally degraded area in the heart of Queens, but today it finally has a brighter future," Bloomberg said. He estimated that the project, which includes a hotel and conference center, 5,500 housing units, restaurants, stores, parks and a public school, would create at least 5,000 permanent jobs and generate $1.3 billion in tax revenue. Nearly 2,000 of the units will set aside for middle- and low-income families. The city intends to spend $400 million to acquire the land. Hunter's Point South would create 5,000 housing units - 3,000 of which will be set aside - retail space, community facilities, new schools and a waterfront park. "This is probably the single biggest day for affordable housing in Queens history," said Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens), who sponsored the project. "We are at a point where the middle class is being pushed to the suburbs and the poor are being pushed to squalor." The primary criticism of the Willets Point plan is the city's use of eminent domain to get rid of businesses and landowners unwilling to leave on their own. Jake Bono, who owns Bono Sawdust Supply on a quarter-acre of land, said he would take the city to court if it seizes his property. "We're not going to get pushed out of our property that's been in our family for 75 years," he fumed. sgoldenberg@nypost.com

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 14 2008 09:47 AM

Gotta love the term "20% affordable housing." What does that makes the majority of it?

Willets Point Nov 14 2008 09:52 AM

I don't approve of this. Eminent domain is pretty evil.

Vic Sage Nov 14 2008 09:52 AM

]We're not going to get pushed out of our property that's been in our family for 75 years," he fumed This land bleeds, but not for Virginia. This land bleeds, but not for the south. This land here is Anderson land, by the strength of my hand and the sweat of my brow, for as long as the lord will allow!

Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 09:53 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 14 2008 09:59 AM

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":ujcarzsw]Gotta love the term "20% affordable housing." What does that makes the majority of it?[/quote:ujcarzsw] Vacant luxury condoms waiting for DINKies to get their insane consumer confidence back. Vic Sage Nov 14 2008 09:55 AM ="Willets Point":3ctoqhfp]I don't approve of this. Eminent domain is pretty evil.[/quote:3ctoqhfp] Spock said "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few... or the one". filthy Vulcan commie. Benjamin Grimm Nov 14 2008 09:57 AM The Daily News, in its article about this, is still saying "near Shea Stadium" instead of "near Citi Field." I like the idea of this project. I'd prefer to see it get done without eminent domain, though. Hopefully all the landowners will end up happy with the way it turns out. Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 10:01 AM Eminent domain for commercial development isn't about the needs of the many. Willets Point Nov 14 2008 10:01 AM ="Edgy DC":1ylk3h5q] ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1ylk3h5q]Gotta love the term "20% affordable housing." What does that makes the majority of it?[/quote:1ylk3h5q] Vacant luxury condoms waiting for DINKies to get their insane consumer confidence back.[/quote:1ylk3h5q] Damn! The rich even have luxury condoms for their dinkies. How are they different from regular condoms and why do they need to demolish so many businesses to store them near Citifield? Vic Sage Nov 14 2008 10:03 AM what are "DINKies"? Willets Point Nov 14 2008 10:05 AM ="Vic Sage":35oihk9c]what are "DINKies"?[/quote:35oihk9c] Penises. Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 10:06 AM <b>D</b>ouble <b>I</b>ncome <b>N</b>o <b>K</b>ids --- a key demographic that helped bring high property costs back to American cities in recent years. metirish Nov 14 2008 10:09 AM I'll believe all this when I see it , like The Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 14 2008 10:14 AM It's not like the city sees eminent domain as anything but a last resort. It's all about the benjamins for these businesses, and so getting the city in as tight a jam as possible with the threat of a major asskicking drawnout lawsuit is one means to squeeze the most from it. This was on the editorial page in the Snooze the other day. I'm sure someone on Bloomy's staff did the ghostwriting, but its not like the biz owners on the other side are saying things without lawyer approval neither. ] Why I'm glad I sold my Willets Point property to the city By Carlos Canal Tuesday, November 11th 2008, 9:46 PM For more than 20 years, my family business, Flushing Towing, has been operating at Willets Point, Queens, where the city wants to clean up the land and build housing, parks, hotels and stores. The City Council is set to vote Thursday on whether to move forward with the city's plan to develop the site - the area right next door to the new Citi Field and close to LaGuardia Airport. Willets Point has been polluted and dirty since I can remember - even before I started my business here. The big landowners are fighting the city. They don't want us to sell our land. But people who want to stop this development need to hear what Willets Point is really like. They need to hear the story of my business, and why I decided to sell. Flushing Towing has three tow trucks, and our clients include anyone whose car breaks down in the five boroughs, in New Jersey or even in Connecticut. We tow cars back here to Willets Point or to another garage nearby to fix. At first, we were renting a lot, and then about six or seven years ago, we bought a 4,000-square-foot lot. I came to America when I was 18 years old from Cali, Colombia. I live in Flushing with my family, and part of my family still lives in Colombia. When I first heard about the city's project to develop Willets Point, I was not very interested in what was happening. The big landowners in Willets Point came around and said that the city was trying to steal the land. They told the small businesses to not talk to the city, and they are still pressuring owners and workers. They are using the small guys to push against the project. You get tired of this place. It's a disgrace. It's too dirty. It's filled with garbage and dust, and there are potholes everywhere. You can't keep anything in our shop clean. The area is filled with rats. If you put a piece of bread in the middle of Willets Point, a thousand rats would run out and attack it. There isn't a place like this anywhere else in New York City. The only people who come down here are people who don't want to pay too much to fix their cars. We worked with the city, and they explained the project to develop Willets Point - and then we agreed to sell our property. When we made a deal, the big businesses asked us why. But the big guys have a bigger interest in the property, and they make more money here. The city paid us more than we paid for it. For me, that was a good deal. I think everyone in Willets Point is different, and you have to find what is right for you. Some people around here think their land is worth a gold mine. They think they'll get a lot of money for their land. But no one will buy it. And why would anyone want to? This place is worse than an eyesore. It's not healthy and it needs to be cleaned up. My company is going to move to a better location in Queens. It's going to be better for us. We will have access to the same highways. We need space to park and store cars, and the new site gives us more room to expand. We are going to spend some money and buy another truck and maybe pay more drivers. It's going to be clean, and we will have sewers and bathrooms. The city has to do something with this property. It's disgusting, and you can't work here because it makes you sick. I think what Mayor Bloomberg wants to do at Willets Point is good for Corona, is good for Flushing, is good for Queens and is good for the city. I hope others, including members of the City Council, can understand that. Canal is the owner and operator of Flushing Towing, a family-owned business that has operated out of Willets Point for two decades. metirish Nov 14 2008 10:17 AM I read that and I thought it was funny , I was thinking that when the guy signed the contract that putting his name to that article above was part of the deal. Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 10:21 AM I think he got a nice incentive for his 12 paragraphs. Centerfield Nov 14 2008 10:36 AM Not mentioned by Carlos Canal from Cali, Colombia is why the city would allow Willets Point to exist in this filthy state, without sewers, and only now seeks to clean it up since a developer of their choice has plans to develop it. I can see both arguments for eminent domain, but since I don't own any land there and would like a better environment when I go to games, I'm all for this one. Go Bloomy. Build me some places to take the kids. Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 11:00 AM Since I don't own any land there and would like a better environment when I go to games, I'm all for the city bringing the full range of utilities to the area that the property owners should be entitled to. Valadius Nov 14 2008 12:35 PM If nothing else, this will FINALLY allow for a sewer system. metirish Nov 14 2008 12:36 PM ="Valadius":2jrwc3or]If nothing else, this will FINALLY allow for a sewer system.[/quote:2jrwc3or] For shitty field? John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 14 2008 12:46 PM It's not like you can go build on unimproved land then demand sewer pipes as if its your right. You notice these bizzes aren;t clamoring for that since they know that would mean the end of them anyway. Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 12:51 PM I thought you could.