Friday, January 16, 2009

Frozen Cup in its final days?

From the Queens Chronicle:

Despite appeals to city agencies and officials by Bellerose residents, it looks like the beloved Frozen Cup ice cream on Jericho Turnpike stand will soon be demolished.

Developers, who want to turn the site into a three-story hotel, have applied for a demolition permit. The permit is still in the processing stage by the Department of Buildings, but it could be just a matter of time before it’s issued.

“Once we get it, we will tear down the Frozen Cup,” said Harshed Patel, one of the developers.

In a Jan. 1 letter to DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri, Augugliaro discussed her concerns about a hotel that will have visitors staying there, 24 hours, seven days a week. “There are fears that should this hotel not be successful, it will become vacant or be turned into a Section 8 facility,” she wrote.

Augugliaro told the Queens Chronicle that she also has fears the planned hotel could become a “hot sheet” facility for short-term stays. Patel denies that will happen.

“People are afraid of hanky panky,” he said. “We are not in that business.”

The developer also disputes that the area is over-saturated with hotels. His building would house 40 to 42 rooms and have up to 12 parking spaces. “We have other hotels in Queens and still see a need for more,” he said. “People want something new to stay in.”


(Guess word of the hotel crash hasn't reached the other end of Queens yet.)

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