Monday, May 28, 2007

Is QW just a middle class mirage?

The mayor announced in October that the city would create 5,000 new affordable housing units in the borough following the city's purchase of 24 acres along the Queens waterfront from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. But affordable housing advocates said they were concerned that Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff had recently been meeting with the Real Estate Board of New York, the lobbying organization for many of the city's largest landlords and developers, to discuss construction of the Queens units.

LIC leaders rally against large developers

...members of the Real Estate Board, many of whom are luxury developers from Manhattan, are known for buying sites which once included affordable housing, such as Manhattan's Stuyvesant Town, and turning them into high priced apartments.

"This is a beautiful area, but who can afford to live here but the monied class?" said Father Robert Robinson, of the local St. Patrick's RC Church. "I'm told we no longer have segregation. It's going to be a dull, flat city if we do not have ordinary people living here, too. It is immoral, destructive and disheartening."


“West” is Not Best for Queens Community

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What community leaders? Gioia? Pratt Institute? Connelly?

Again the arguement does not include the folks from the community.

This is an arguement over WHO can fill up the community with THEIR people and maintain political control.

It is kind of funny. The machine is so pro-development that they are blinded by the reality. You see, when a community gets swept away, not only do you get rid of the people, but also their institutions.

Including, yes, the clubhouse.

Revenge is sweet.