The landmarked Richmond Hill Republican Club, next to the now demolished Simonson Funeral Home, is up for public auction because of the exorbitant tax liens on the property.Richmond Hill’s Fading History
Councilman Dennis Gallagher (R-Middle Village), who stood beside Kasper in the Jamaica courtroom, cited the building’s historical significance in his effort to postpone the auction. He further told Hart that he and Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills) planned to petition the city to purchase the property and establish it as a community center, setting up a potential bidding war.
So Dennis is asking the city to buy a historic structure in Katz's district, and turn it into a community center, but when his own constituents ask him to do the same thing for the St. Saviour's property in Maspeth, he lobbies for a zoning change on behalf of the developer. Especially abhorrent considering that a recent study showed that the area is too polluted for new housing.
That Pinky is an interesting fellow.
Photo from Queens Chronicle
25 comments:
Even though this building is part of Katz's district, is is part of a bigger downtown proposed district, which includes the Carnegie library, RKO Keith's , Jahn's and Hofbrau, which are across the street. It was proposed as a whole, and everything is in Gallagher's District, across the street from Simonson's and The Republican Club.
Does it get any worse than this guy Dennis Gallagher? Dishonest Dennis has now destroyed any credibility he had left as far as the neighborhood of Maspeth is concerned. He has once again turned his back on our community. We must expose this man for the disgusting vile hypocrite that he is. Queens Crap, please keep reporting his assault on Maspeth. The word is getting around.
Where's our anonymous poster lecturing us on our betrayal of Pinky?
Well, PPW poster, do this buffoon's treasonous actions now speak louder then any of our words?
Isn't it at all obvious that the "pink" in Pinky's name just might refer to his desire to get into the Pink Panties of his fellow lapdancer for developers?
Pinky, give it up! She's not really into you as much as you want to be into her!
Or, just hold hands, and skip off into the sunset - after resigning.
That's just dan-dee. I guess the Richmond Hill developers haven't paid Pinky off or hired the Parkside group yet.
Here's a QC quiz: How many landmakrs are in Pinky's district?
Ella, that's nice. But he is asking for the city to purchase the Republican Club property for use as a community center. It would take millions of taxpayer dollars to fix up because it is a landmark and therefore must be restored according to LPC standards. Why is he doing this for a building that sits in Katz's district and not for one in his own?
I was going to say, "Well there's a lamppost on the Ridgewood plateau that's landmarked," but lo and behold, that is in Gioia's district... Then I was going to say, "the Onderdonk House," but it turns out that it is in Reyna's district. It looks like Pinky doesn't have any. The developers bought him out.
Can we landmark the office where Ognibene and Gallagher took bribes from Lattanzio? I mean we did landmark Tammany Hall, so why not another bastion of corruption?
Hey anonymous, Pinky did more than take bribes in that office. He also serviced, er, I mean served his constituents there.
"Dishonest Dennis has now destroyed any credibility he had left as far as the neighborhood of Maspeth is concerned."
Unfortunatley, he hasn't left. Only his morals have - if he ever had any to begin with. If he did leave via resignation or arrest, the community would be much better off.
funny, how centered on maspeth and gallagher this discussion keeps going. noone except anonymus had anything to say about the building that the article was about. if something is listed on the National Register or landmarked and is owned by a not for profit, the money is available with matching grants and fundraising to restore the building.Speaking of taxpayers money, it is so wasted on things that are ridiculous and this is not a bad use for money.There is nowhere in the area of Richmond Hill or Kew gardens to have as a center.The Republican Club is never going to be restored properly by any of these idiots looking to purchase it to make it into something other than a community center..because they are not from the community and could give a crap.That building is the last hurrah with Simonson's gone.What's next? The library...?
extra land in front and back.
If the city is purchasing the property then a not-for-profit won't own it, the government will. The comments keep focusing on Maspeth and Gallagher because that is what the Crapper wrote about in the post. There also is nowhere in the western part of Maspeth for a community center and St. Saviour's would be the perfect place for one.
Julie, not for profits have their funding from the government.In many cases, the properties are turned over to not for profits and that is a good thing. It is important that building is occupied before it collapses. I would rather have a not for profit than the developer who knocked down Simonson's, that is for sure. Every community deserves a place where people can go, along with green space, that is for sure. It is just so hard in Queens all around for all of us!
I agree with Ella- there should be more discussion of Richmond Hill and some of our issues. As far as Gallagher is concerned, he has done absolutely nothing over here.
No one is saying that Richmond Hill shouldn't have their historical structures saved; on the contrary, most readers of this blog would probably agree that it is something positive for the community and want to see it happen. The issue here is why a councilman would actively pursue preservation in one community while taking the opposite approach in his own district. Follow the flow of the lobbyist money.
EXTRA! EXTRA! Pinky's gonna tie the knot.
Pinky: Oops, just remembered, er, gotta get through Alan's turf. Bummer!
AlleyKatz: (Questioned at City Hall) But I don't know what c-a-n-o-o-d-l-i-n-g means. Anyone have a dictionary?
Big AL: (Peeking out his Forest Hills window) Watcha lookin' at?
I've taken notice that Gallagher & Katz are in favor of preserving buildings that are not technically in their district. That way, they can fund their campaigns through contributions from developers in their own district; which is better known as "bribes."
Everything that was a landmark candidate in Gallagher's district gets desecrated. Simonson's and other buildings get chucked, but St. Saviour's is only hanging on thanks to JPCA & Avella (Saviors!). Imagine your history being thrown in a landfill for the rats to feed on, only for Gallagher, Katz, developers, and sleazy contractors to prosper on.
In Katz's district, she helps destroy the Cord Meyer section's earliest Tudors and Colonials, and then says she's disgruntled by the excess of mcmansions in that section to some constituents while backing those scum developers. Also, some of the most significant aspects of the Trylon Theater's entryway were decimated (i.e. Trylon mosaics, a last remnant paying homage to the '39 World's Fair) while she kissed up to Nachem Kasiov. And where the hell is Marshall's Community Board on this issue?
First Brian McLaughlin, then Alan Hevesi, but who will be next? Feds, please investigate Gallagher and Katz. You're getting hot! They bring our community's precious landmarks down under, & now it's their turn. Au revoir bitches and bastards! And we can't forget Maspeth Development, Nachem Kasiev, the Baharestanis, Thomas Huang, and a ton of other weeds in Queens who feel they're exempt from acquiring permits for their projects, and work on their own behalf. As the saying goes, "what goes around, comes around."
Going after personalities are fine, but you miss several other problems here.
First, the Queens preservationists are weak when it comes to the larger picture. Something like this should be pounded time and again in every 'city-wide' read Manhattan-centric publication. Anyone who fancies themselves a Queens preservationist (we know who you are) should be asked again and again to apply pressure everywhere to get the job done. They should be reminded of that gentle adage, "lead, follow, or get out of the way."
Secondly, the root problem I suspect is the great large homes in Richmond Hill are not being landmarked because the machine has red-lined that neighborhood as the perfect place for large immigrant families.
The last thing they want are quality-of-life yuppies complaining when each building can be an opportunity to 'tweed.'
Now we come to the rub. How can we defeat that effort and that attitude?
You are missing an important point.
If the city buys the Republican Club (which is a city landmark) they have no legal requirement to preserve it!
Any city owned designated landmark (read the landmarks law) is exempt from protection if the city wishes to demolish it!
NYC protects one of their own officially designated landmarks merely as a courtesy!
H-m-m-m....maybe that's what "Dirty Dennis" has in mind!
DENNIS GALLAGHER, WHILE DOING NOTHING FOR THE LAST 1.5 TERMS, IS TRYING HIS BEST TO GET HIS MUG IN AS MANY LOCAL PAPERS AS POSSIBLE. THIS WAY IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S ACTUALLY WORKING WHEN IN REALITY HE IS JUST POSING FOR PICTURES. PROBLEM IS HE IS ALSO POSING AS A COUNCILMAN. OUR NEIGHBOR DESERVES AND NEEDS A WORKING COUNCILMAN WHO IS A LEADER IN THE CITY COUNCIL. NOT A PHONY LIKE GALLAGHER WHO IS A WALLFLOWER INSIDE CITY HALL. THROW THIS JERK OUT OF OFFICE NOW!
Well stated, krieger! Dennis Gallagher will only be remembered for crapping on his district in years to come.
I propose Gallagher as the "King of Crap"!
Melinda Katz is already the "Queen"!
For a politician this guy Dennis Gallagher is just plain dumb. Why would any politician start a huge fight with a civic association especially one as large and as influental as the Juniper Valley Civic group? What was this guy thinking? Sounds like he is arrogant and thinks he is more powerful than he really is. I picked up a copy of their newsletter in the Atlas Mall and I must say that you don't want to mess with this group...wow what a masterpiece!!! Mr. Gallagher: What were you thinking?
"Mr. Gallagher: What were you thinking?"
He's thinking about the future at the expense of his current constituents, that's what.
Dennis has promised not to run for another office. But Katz hasn't. It is likely she will try to canoodle her way into some other elected or appointed city position. I'm sure that Dennis, who's already fighting hard to protect developer's profits, wants to stay cozy with her for the days ahead when he can make his lobbyist title official.
As far as the civic group, I'm sure Dennis feels threatened by a group that can't be bought off by his friends and fights for quality of life, not developer's wallets.
Would Jim Beam, Johhny Walker, and Dennis Gallagher make a great political running ticket or what?
Dennis has got to go over to the developers when his term expires.
He doesn't have any other friends elswhere.
Who else is gonna take him?
That goes ditto for that whoring buiders' canoodler Melinda Katz!
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