From the Daily News:
Futuristic elevators from a World's Fair landmark now lie shattered in a weed-strewn pile in Queens - two years after the city promised to protect the historic lifts, the Daily News has learned.
The SkyStreak pods from the New York State Pavilion are rotting in a jumble of twisted parts - a far cry from the 1964-1965 expo, when they soared to the highest point of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
After the fair ended in 1965, the steel-and-glass capsules were left at the mercy of decay and vandals - as one rusted away in a pit beneath the pavilion, and the other was stuck mid-rise at 150 feet.
The city Parks Department stripped the pods off their cables in July 2008, fearing parts might blow off in strong winds. At the time, both were largely intact.
The agency's historic preservation director, John Krawchuk, said then that the city was retaining the elevators so they "could easily be replicated" in the future.
"Bullshit ! Translation = Drawings or perhaps a non working model...The building’s old manager Charlie Aber who now owns an aircraft company out west contacted Otis Elevator who can replicate them. Otis still has all the engineering diagrams, plan’s and schematics. Charlie offered his engineers and some funds to stabilize the building.
Its an amusement elevator design for the period that used a single electric motor that allowed the 2 pods operate independently.
I saw the elevators up close. The one car that was up away from the vandals looked good (aside its fiberglass skin) now its stripped, its control panel and stainless steel headliner with all the lights - gone.
With the 2nd elevator out of the service pit, the systems motor and control room has been stripped as well." - Joe
13 comments:
This comes as no surprise to me, as one historic artifact or structure after another meets its fate. Where is the LPC?
Where is LPC?
Calling the 250 year old Queens Plaza 'Decorative Sidewalk' and letting them rot in the salt and traffic of Queens Plaza - a postion, incidentally, supported by Queens Civic Congress.
sorry... Queens Plaza Millstones
Well, since our new borough historian is against landmarking, maybe he can have a walking tour (and charge people for it as he is now the 'authoritative' voice on all things historical) and show them where these things used to be.
I think the millstones are older than 250. Anyone?
Every time somebody has a plan to restore the NYSP the City acts like chimps in the courtroom proceeding in "Planet Of The Apes"
See no evil
Hear No Evil
Speak No Evil
The firm who rebuilt the Theater offered to restore it or at least paint it.
They were sent orders not to lay a finger on it.
Its $80 million to restore, $40 to knock down.
The city gets State funds to knock it down if makes emergency status.
It’s my opinion that’s why the city keeps doing studys on it. (so they can get state money for demo and dig another soccer field or USTA crap).
However Albany is now near bankrupt.
I've always enjoyed reading Nick Hirshon's stories. Like me, he is a young reporter who truly cares about his borough.
This is community journalism as it should be.
I’m not to sure about that, I'd say Hirshon's was assigned to do lip service for the City & Parks Dept.
--and duped at that with this crock of shit from Krawchuk .
Both the Parks Dept and don’t give a shit about those elevators or the whole structure.
And its Its 100% clear their puppet Krawchuk doesnt eather.
Krawchuck doesn’t even know what hes talking about where he says "The pods are made of steel and glass"
--So much for hands on care. Its clear Krawchuk never even looked at or studied them.
1- There is NO GLASS on or in them with the exception of some small 12 volt bayonet base ligtbulbs in the control panel, headliner & illumination escutions.
(This is called low voltage lighting)
2- The pods are built like more a horse riding stirrup consisting of only a couple of I beams and a floor.
Guide wheels on the side keep it on a track much like a monorail but operating vertically.
Clear Plexiglass and yellow fiberglass fenders make up most their size and shape.
WTF kind of preservation director is Krawchuk and who hired him ?
He clearly know's nothing about these items
Stop these NYS Pavilion preservation stories - the pavilion is an eyesore long past rehab and should be torn down and build a multi-use theater instead of wasting time.
It is a theatre, complete with a mezzanine, dressing rooms and kitchen.
Led Zeppelin played both there and the Singer Bowl with the Igloos in the 60’s.
The tent towers need to be stabilized and backfilled since those are on wood pylons.
The arena can then be cleaned up and enclosed. The 3 observation decks are rock stable on good steel pylons.
For some reason not one dam City official will admit it.
The map, floor and retaining wall would have to go to do this work.
The maps already gone and the wall is just simple cinderblock.
It's far FAR cheaper to re-use the Queens Icon then the cost of taking it down safley and building another new bland euro-fucco theater of the same size.
The powers that be are jackasses and currupt people IMHO
Where are the elevators right now? Anywhere near the pavilion?
It's still rotting away in 2016. Such a shame I habe been documenting the park for some time now and that whole structure has so much potential
It doesnt look like it could be rescued anymore.
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