Thursday, July 24, 2008

Beginning of the end for NYS Pavilion?

Once portals to the highest point of the 1964 World's Fair, two futuristic elevators are being stripped from cables on the New York State Pavilion this week - for fear parts might fly off in strong winds, officials said.

Contractors have already removed one "Sky Streak" lift - which had been rotting away in a pit beneath the tallest of three towers - and are trying to reach another stuck mid-rise at 150 feet for decades.

The city finally set out to remove the pods after heavy gusts sent debris - probably from an elevator shaft door - onto the roof of the neighboring Queens Theatre in the Park last month, officials said.


City begins stripping Sky Streak's two rotting '64 World's Fair elevators

Greg Godfrey, president of the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park World's Fair Association, accused the city of dismantling the pavilion so it would be less likely to gain landmark status.

"They're creating the perfect glide path for demolition," he said, noting the lifts were the last reminder that fairgoers were whisked to the observation deck in what was then futuristic style.

5 comments:

Steven said...

They're putting up the fence moreso because teens are sneaking in there at night.

Anonymous said...

If any one event could perfectly symbolize the complete destruction of the Queens I happily grew up in, the demolition of the Pavilion would be it. I never thought I would ever think about moving out of here, but the Queens I knew and loved is dying a rapid yet prolonged and painful death.

Anonymous said...

Yes and to add to the above who rightly says the Queens he grew up in is as good as dead, invesion this,

The non english speaking muck muck , just the plain old low life construction crew-----

either one or both together---

These guys get to go in their and rape and steal all sorts of things they find while doing the job...can you imanige the muick muck who gets that the car out and finds all this old stiff, what do you think he dose, either streals it or tosses it in the trash.

Anonymous said...

The story of the Pavilion is a long painful chapter in the history of FMCP. Incompetence, neglect, missed opportunities and a total disregard for the structure have led to this. To think that Parks could spend millions to build an addition to QTIP but couldnt find the money to put a coat of paint on this rotting huld next door, boggles the mind. The pavilion will be dismantled. Its just a matter of time. Expect a nice new parking lot for QTIP in its place. Courtesy of the Parks Dept.

Anonymous said...

Going to be alot of eye's watching when that car comes down just like the Hall of Science rockets (turned out to be a real Mercury capsule atop the Titan II)

I doubt anbodys crazy enough to crawl inside wile its up there. The car has actually started to pull itself apart.

I know of guys that been up in the towers.
There were glow in the dark badges from 1965 found on the lowest deck.

This is going to be a very dangerous operation with the counterweights and all. Those cars look small from the ground held 20 people ----we are talking tons.

I remember riding them in 1965 as a kid, never forgot. The plexie glass was so big and crystal clear its was as if you were floating up open.

Chas Abar was the last to park them by opening a circuit breaker in the theater Parking 1 in the sub basement and one up high.
The 2 car system built by Otis only used 1 motor in this "engine room".

To this day I dont know how Johnson (R.I.P) did it !!!


The 1 pod withstood the vandels up there but not the NYC Beurocrats 40 years neglect.
Just Like WILLETS POINT !

Joe

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