From the Times Ledger:Plans to build a 14-story building with 140 affordable housing units, ground-floor retail space, a day-care center and church on the site of downtown Flushing’s Macedonia AME Church are moving forward rapidly.
Construction is expected to begin on the project in the fall of 2011 and in 2012 people will start moving into Macedonia Plaza, a tax-subsidized project whose progress has been obscured in recent weeks by that of Flushing Commons, a larger, mixed-use development project located in the same area.
Macedonia, being built by the Macedonia Church Development Corp., a group formed by Macedonia AME Church, is designed to provide affordable homes for young professionals, starter families and people with disabilities.
Monetary details of the project, such as how much the city will sell the land for, are still being discussed.
Some meeting attendees expressed concerns that the church corporation would simply build the project, sell it for a windfall and skip town. McEachern countered that line of thought by pointing to the congregation’s long history in the community.
The project, which was the only topic of discussion at last Thursday evening’s Community Board 7 meeting, will offer studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments to eligible applicants through a lottery system.
Applicants will be required to earn 60 percent or less of the area’s median income, which means a family of four will need to earn less than $47,520 per year to qualify, according to the city Housing Department. A percentage will be reserved for people with disabilities and a large portion will go to current Community Board 7 residents.
The rent will be subsidized through sources including the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which will help keep the units within the reach of lower- to middle-class residents.
“Who is this housing targeted for? This is for the young people getting out of college who are beginning their careers and who can’t afford to live in downtown Flushing,” said Irving Poy, director of planning and development for Borough President Helen Marshall.
Is it for families with children or recently graduated college students? Seems to be a conflict here... And downtown Flushing is rife with illegal conversions that the city doesn't give a shit about, so who couldn't afford to live there?
It's interesting how all these churches are in the real estate business all of a sudden. And was there a bid put out for this since city owned land will be sold and the project will tax subsidized?
11 comments:
Churches, who needs em.
College kids who can't afford to live in downtown Flushing. Well with this project they will be able to.
The second ethnic cleansing of Flushing is upon us and I welcome it with open arms. Re-Anglify America!!!
A little
quiet dirty history lesson:
The city used eminent domain in the early 1950s to oust a long established African American community supposedly to build the Bland Houses on the site of Municipal Parking Lot #1.
H-m-m-m....but it was later built off College Point Blv'd. instead.
Why?
Wattsa matta...was that Muni Lot #1 site was too good for Blacks to occupy?
Wasn't the city acting illegally by switching the site for the Bland Projects?
Could Wellington Chen's TDC boys have some plans to get rid of the Macedonia AME Church and move it to another site too?
The old bait and switch game is one of the ugliest forms of racism.
Oh, but the Asians rule the roost now and we don't want to offend them (or their money sources).
And doesn't everyone dislike the Blacks anyway?
So who's going to complain about the injustice....Toby Stavisky?
I'd prefer to live near black people over asian people ANYTIME.
Not black carribeans, I mean Black Americans/Americans.
True dat last poster...Asians are used to being crammed into close living quarters...nose to ass.
Look at some of their cities.
Really civilized people just don't live that way.
Asian art, music, poetry, etc. is what we admire and appreciate in their culture not how they live.
Overcrowded cattle pens are for animals not for human habitation.
The creative human spirit needs a certain required amount of space to be inventive...a free range...not caged like poultry in a live market.
That's why America will continue to lead in research & development.
The Japanese, for example, were always great copiers of high quality.
Maybe someday China will learn to do more than produce shoddy knock offs of Rolex watches, etc.
(LOL) How much more "bustling" can Floo-shing get and survive with its shitty infrastructure?
The crime rate is already growing despite the 109th PCT's attempts at downplaying the crime stats.
That doesn't matter. It's all about the property pimps getting high rents.
Flushing is only successful to the likes of the Mehran Group, Kent Realty, etc. the real estate rich.
It sucks for African American community that's being eased out!
"call me "bigot" said..."
Ok, I'll call you bigot and blind idiot as well.
Take a look at who now dominate the leading research labs and affiliated universities...Hint: They don't "sag" and have gold teeth.
Answer: Asians.
Asian people live in close quarters in their native countries because of too rapid growth of cities and their culture of keeping generations of families together.
I have an apt in an older condo in Bangkok, -none- of the residents live "nose to ass" .Typical city dwellers over there have 2-3 kids.
The city itself is very crowded but in practical on-the-street experience it is no different than here in Manhattan...only a lot more polluted.
The kind of extreme overcrowding you refer to in Asia is mostly associated with poverty which will ease as their economies become more viable and advanced.
I am out in Flushing every week or two, it is nowhere near the hellhole you seem to try an portray it.
you may not care fro them, but you should be grateful that decent, hardworking and family oriented people chose Queens.
Lug your sorry butt over to Brooklyn or the Bronx to see the alternatives.
I know this church. My husband and I got into a fender bender with the Reverend of this church. He is nasty man. Our car was at a complete stand still waiting for a spot. He backs up FULL SPEED without looking behind him. No apologies and acted like WE bumped him. His wife sits in their expensive SUV with a mink coat acted like the queen of england. Didn't even act concerned that we've all been in an accident. These are rotten people. It's obivous these people scam people out of money in God's name. May God have mercy. They're crooked people. And I'm not surprosed one bit this 'church' has shady dealings in real estate.
If you can't afford Flushing then get out!
Question: Why is it African American always need helping with housing cost? And WE have to pay for it with taxes?? How is it that laziness is rewarded??? Only in America.
Correction. I'm not sure if it was THE Reverend, might have been the pastor/elder/deacon. Someone of high standing in the church. .. Don't want to defame the wrong person.
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