From the Daily News:City Councilman Tony Avella's pending departure from his Queens seat - which he often used as a soapbox to protect endangered historic sites - will leave the borough sorely in need of a new champion, preservationists said.
Facing battles to spare Douglaston, Flushing, Richmond Hill and other areas from overdevelopment, advocates fear no one will fill the void left by Avella (D-Bayside), who is running for mayor.
"Who's going to take his place now? God only knows," said Jeff Gottlieb of the Central Queens Historical Association.
Avella, who was first elected in 2001, has pushed several sites for landmark status and written a bill to ensure the upkeep of landmarked structures.
He vowed to keep rallying for preservation if he becomes mayor. But he's a long shot, and preservationists wonder if his Council colleagues will prioritize Queens history at a crucial stage.
12 comments:
We've HAD NO PRESERVATION in Queens...with or without Avella... for decades and decades.
Oh yeah...Tony is a super-great guy and has held many press conferences...but the city's power brokers were out to f---k him good...
and they did in spades!
Result: His departure will mean little UNLESS HE'S ELECTED MAYOR.
Yuck, yuck, yuck....to even call the likes of a Jeff Gottlieb (along with the borough's other boastfull empty headed nut-less wonders) a preservationist is a joke!
What has Gottlieb accomplished even while he held his prominent position as chief of staff to that wealthy political powerhouse Councilman Morty Povman?
VERY LITTLE as is evidenced!
He's, apparently, a political hanger-on-er...a no talented tit baby clinging to power.
The Central Queens Historical Association is, petty much, an organization in name only like so many other "preservation" orgs and societies!
It's best that it (and the other ersatz groups) close down than to remain a beacon of false hope to the people of Queens.
I will continue the fight....
btw: see Chuck I don't post as Anonymous!
Little late boys and girls.
This fellow is doomed because you did nothing but 'hope' and 'wish' and ... well we get the picture.
For eight years QCC fell over themselves being nice to pols.
This month, HDC has a waterfront focus on ... looking at South Street (we need to do SOMETHING ANYTHING on development THERE) and ignoring everthing else on the waterfront (LIKE WILLIAMSBURG, AND QUEENS) tells us that its business is usual.
Nothing has changed. Its still 1980 in their world.
Except the stain of overdevelopment, decay of services, and squeezing the poor and middle class will continue.
You have no one to blame but yoursevles.
Now go back to 'hopeing' and 'wishing.'
Losers.
"Who's going to take his place now?"
It's funny that Jeff Gottlieb asks this question.
Gottlieb was initially poised to run in the 24th Council District, but when Jim Gennaro declared his run for a third term, Gottlieb dropped out of the race.
Gottlieb is more about talk than action, too timid to face down an incumbent.
And by the way, I don't appreciate my councilman running unopposed. It reminds me of my birthplace, the USSR. I came to America for this?
"Queens preservationists concerned about Avella's departure"
Right on! What a fuckin' nitemare!!! .....they might have to do some work.
What will happen to all of Tony's groupies?
Right on "Sergey"!
Like I said earlier...Gottlieb and his likes are nut-less wonders with no balls to face anything let alone an incumbent in a hot race.
He's suited only to be some pol's go-fer...not even as a chief of staff anymore!
By the way...what's the address of the Central Queens Historical Association...Jeff...your living room?
Do you get paid a bonus for each error that you make while conducting your historic walking tours?
I carry a tour guide license to ensure accuracy in my tours. I hope Gottlieb has his.
In my opinion, the best guide to Queens is Kevin "Forgotten-NY" Walsh, followed by preservationist Michael Perlman.
It's the grassroots self-starter preservationists who are making the difference, rather than the politically-connected "official" borough historians.
I'm with you on that "Sergey"!
Another buffoon making money off of his many mistakes is that "urban geographer tour guide" Dr. "jerkoff" Eichenbaum!
What's the other Jeff (Kroessler) doing these days...warming a chair at HDC...maintaining his delusions of being a pro Queens booster?
The 2 Jeffs (Gottlieb & Kroessler) have become the dynamic duo of destruction by their non participation in the trenches of real preservation.
We know...it's much safer to command your troops from the high ground than to get bloodied with them!
Ersatz castrated preservationists make me puke!
You expect these fearful "preservationists" to come out and fight?
They've got books to write, studies to compile and political jobs to hold onto!
They'd lose all in a flash if they actually stood behind what they give lip service to!
Let's face it folks...these are preservation-pansies!
Where's is he going?
Where is who going?
I'm sorry but overseeing the shipment of two vintage diners ("Moondance" & "Cheyenne") out of New York hardly qualifies calling Perlman a successful preservationist.
I thought that a real preservationist fights for the preservation of historic buildings TO REMAIN ON THEIR ORIGINAL SITES (or at least keeping them within their original communities) not transporting them out of state...out of sight...out of mind.
Where's his track record?
The Trylon Theater is a bust.
Partnering with Gottlieb didn't do much for this very well intended novice.
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