From the Queens Chronicle:The future of the old Flushing Airport remains in limbo as community leaders and the city cannot agree on its future use.
The 26-acre site is the last undeveloped property in the College Point Corporate Park and the city’s Economic Development Corp. promised a year ago to study the area for future use and review the results with Community Board 7.
In April, EDC officials attended a meeting of the College Point Corporate Park Task Force, which includes several CB 7 members, for an update. The task force has been pushing for soft recreation at the airport for years, but EDC Vice President Tom McKnight said it would be too costly to develop the site for that use only.
Area residents, civic leaders and the community board say ballfields, miniature golf or a driving range would be a good use for the site and not create traffic backups along 20th Avenue. The airport, which closed in 1982, is bounded by 20th Avenue, the Whitestone Expressway service road and Linden Place.
Task force co-Chairman Chuck Apelian said members are unanimous in their support of the recreational use and the clean- up of any contamination on the site. “We told EDC to convert it as a park,” Apelian said. “They said it’s very expensive to do.”
Part of the area is wetlands. McKnight had said earlier that nothing may be feasible because of the soil and bedrock.
CB 7 Chairman Gene Kelty said after the recent meeting he doesn’t see the city moving forward on any proposal for some time. “There are no concrete plans,” Kelty said. “They are not happy with us and want to keep the plans fluid for the future, while we want the area protected. There is no movement.”
You know, only in this city do we have brain freeze when it comes to land with potential to teach us something. Go to any other community, and you'll see what they have done with abandoned airfields, areas reclaimed by nature, etc.
Take a look at this place for inspiration.
Our city took an abandoned rail line in Manhattan and created a park out of it. Meanwhile they want to take a de facto nature preserve in Ridgewood and destroy it, and "don't know what to do" with this site. This is coming out of the most advanced, progressive city in the world run by a business genius? How freaking pathetic.
28 comments:
No, this is the result of both the preservation community and the local civics with their brains up their ass.
This is what happens when everyone is too afraid to open their months, or afraid that their sorry-assed ice cream money for some dipshit program they run will be threatened because they display a flash of balls.
It seems that NYC is no longer run by true New Yorkers, but cosmopolitan types without any real vested interest in the city.
Just hop out to the Hamptons, or run down to Bermuda. Everything else is like that famous NY Magazine cover from a few decades ago.
Nature reclaims more and more of the site as each year passes. I say let nature win and leave the property undeveloped as a giveback to the people of College Point. It provides sanctuary to various animal species and a respite from the development that occurred in the rest of the corporate park over the last several decades.
the highline was privately funded.
Uh, no it wasn't.
High Line costs enter stratosphere
Businesses to shoulder cost of high line
Expensive new park will be difficult to maintain
This property, unfortunately, is a potential source of tax revenue for the people's republics of NY state and NY city, who must maintain their bloated payrolls and slush funds. Eventually, it will be built up, simple as that.
the high line was a private initiative started by a grass roots organization
highline.org
the have received some city/state and federal funding like everything else but it was largely built and maintained by a private foundation.
A Business Improvement District is not a government entity last i checked.
No, they haven't received "some" city and state funding, most of the funding for the park is coming from the city and state.
Most projects have been started by grassroots organizations that raised funds. Most projects, however, don't have celebrity backing and aren't in tourist areas.
"the High Line's founders are proposing a business improvement district that would tax nearby property owners."
This means that the Friends of the High Line can't afford to pay for the park. Get it?
Now get back on topic.
This is about promises made with regards to Flushing Airport.
Promises now broken.
"This property, unfortunately, is a potential source of tax revenue for the people's republics of NY state and NY city, who must maintain their bloated payrolls and slush funds. Eventually, it will be built up, simple as that."
The city and state could have, and should have, been earning revenue on the property years ago. As someone who has involved with the EDC's RFP for the property several years ago (the blimp port proposal), I can assure you that there were many viable proposals for soft recreation for the site.
The project chosen by the Bloomberg administration, the Korean wholesale/warehouse businesses, were shot down by the community because it would have created more traffic and other nightmares. The other proposals, which included ball fields, nature paths, miniature golf, etc. were acceptable and would have been beneficial to the people of College Point and the city in general.
I continued to be involved because many developers wanted to have a museum on the property that would recognize its aviation heritage. Each developer who submitted a response to the RFP spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to prepare and submit the detailed paperwork that was necessary in order for their projects to be considered. The developers chose not to complain publicly for fear of jeopardizing future relations with the NYC EDC.
It's not enough that the College Point community has endured massive development over the last several decades and still faces continuing commercial and residential growth. The construction of the city's police academy, the relocation of Willets Point businesses, and other new construction is reaching a breaking point for a community that has limited access roads in and out of the area.
So we now have a large tract of land in north Queens that has primarily designated as wetlands with a small patch in the center that the city still wants to develop. In order to get to this patch, some of the wetlands will have to be destroyed, or so I believe. As a previous poster suggested, it might be best to leave it to nature. Unfortunately, the property is on the radar of a city that only worships the almighty dollar and not mother nature. How sad.
The project chosen by the Bloomberg administration, the Korean wholesale/warehouse businesses, were shot down by the community because it would have created more traffic and other nightmares.
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Tony Avella showed strong leadership in defending the community he represented. I don't think Halloran has the same motives and intentions. Maybe the Bloomturd administration is going to tweed him at the expense of the community? I thought Halloran was going to fight overdevelopment. Yes that and the check is in the mail. Unfortunately, it's in HIS mail!!!
I don't think Halloran has the same motives and intentions.
I'm so sorry I wasted a vote for that jerkoff. He's turning into a real backstabber.
If we all remain quiet we can hear the sounds of Halloran making a deal with Bloomturd about Flushing Airport's future. Wanna bet it won't be pretty?
I see that Halloran is supporting the controversial Flushing Commons project...and it's not even in his council district:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens
/2010/03/24/2010-03-24_councilmens_voices_rise_above_din_at_parking_
hearing.html
It's kind of like John Liu approving the Korean project at the Flushing Aiport site which was not in HIS district. Seems like a disturbing pattern is developing in Queens.
but EDC Vice President Tom McKnight said it would be too costly to develop the site for that use only.
Part of the area is wetlands. McKnight had said earlier that nothing may be feasible because of the soil and bedrock.
___________________________________________________
Halloran and McKnight sitting in a tree
k-i-s-s-i-n-g!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, we always have State Senator Frank Padavan to protect us.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha cough cough Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha HA!
Thanks. I needed that.
Speaking of Padavan, Avella, and Flushing Airport:
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2004-04-14/Political_Page/001.html
I also just found this old article about Flushing Airport's future:
http://www.queenstribune.com/archives/
featurearchive/feature2000/0831/feature_story.html
Bring back the blimps. My kids love 'em!
"Bring back the blimps. My kids love 'em!"
That (air)ship has sailed a long time ago. Sorry.
I say this every time someone mentions developing Flushing Airport but why is our government so afraid of undeveloped land? Just leave the place alone.
I thought there were illegals building a tent city in there.
Maybe thy'll get squatters rights to the land.
I thought there were illegals building a tent city in there.
Maybe thy'll get squatters rights to the land.
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The dirt bikers will have something to say about that!
You folks don't get it, do you? The tax revenue is not an issue here. It's WHO gets to profit from the land's use. In other words, which of Bloomtard's developer buddies will make out like a bandit while destroying sensitive wetlands and animal habitats?
Notice how "Dirty Dan" has been quiet about this property. Maybe he's getting a little under the table as well. He ran as if he could be trusted and then turns around and starts sharpening the knives that he is about to stick in our collective backs. Hey Halloran! Man up and defend your constituents NOW or your political future will stink as bad as granny shulman's drawers.
Oh Apelian and Kelty opened their mouths claiming they want a soft recreation park there.
But when the first hard nosed over development plan for the area is unveiled by the EDC at a future date those 2 bobble heads will vote yes!
The problems with CB7 are:
#1. Gene Kelty
#2. Chuck Apelian
#3. Marilyn Bitterman
DUMP 'EM!
In fact
do away with ALL community boards.
They're just jerking us all off while draining tax dollars that could better be spent keeping libraries, etc. open!
Oh...what's that I hear from the peanut gallery?
It gives the public an opportunity to express their views?
Laughing extremely out loud;
What's the f-----g use if their vote is advisory?
Then so are the public's opinions.
Brothers & sisters....if you don't know you're being had by the system then keep on saying that CBs are important.
Don't worry about Halloran.
He won't get re-elected.
People voted against Kim and not for Halloran.
There's something weird about this man and I don't mean his religion.
It's sort of like he didn't completely grow up.
And those Libertarians he beds down with...they've got a lot of loose screws...worse than the tea-baggers!
Seems like the poor people of College Point are left without representation.
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