City may not come through for Willets landowner

The city is planning to make a last-ditch effort to avoid the collapse of their largest property acquisition deal with a Willets Point business owner later this week.

City’s largest Willets Point property deal in jeopardy

The city will meet Thursday morning with Sambucci Bros. Inc., which owns more than 52,000 square feet of property at Willets Point, in an effort to smooth a snag in their relocation agreement, Daniel Sambucci Jr. said Monday afternoon. Sources familiar with the negotiations have told the TimesLedger that rumors have been swirling around the deal for weeks, and that problems have arisen with the city’s plan to relocate the business to College Point.

Sambucci declined to go into detail, but said he will meet with the Economic Development Corporation Thursday morning to try and get the deal done.

The EDC did not immediately return a call for comment Monday.

An article in Crain's New York Business reports that the Economic Development Corp. (EDC) has run into problems with the site in College Point where it planned to relocate Sambucci Bros. Inc. Salvage, an auto parts business that sprawls across 52,000 square feet, according to one of the salvage yard's owners.

"This is just one more example of the EDC's complete incompetence. Like this deal, the entire Bloomberg boondoggle is destined to fail," said Anthony Fodera, WPIRA member. "We wish the best for the Sambucci family, but we know you can't trust the EDC and you certainly can't trust Bloomberg. That's why we will keep fighting everyday to protect our land and businesses in Willets Point from Bloomberg and his lawyers. Four agreements signed in two months is not a very impressive record. What about the other 256 businesses with no deals?"