From the Queens Chronicle:After touring Astoria’s historic Steinway Mansion on Friday, Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) was inspired to write letters to city officials and preservationists asking that they purchase the building for use as a museum, park or community facility.
“It would be a great loss to the city to let this property slip away,” Vallone said in a statement. “Rarely do we get opportunities like this to open up historical treasures to the community.”
In an attempt to secure the building for the city, Vallone has written to Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Trust for Public Land and the Historic House Trust of New York City for assistance.
25 comments:
I can see the vast potential to use the mansion to highlight the history of the Astoria area and it's role in manufacturing the finest pianos and other instruments for the arts of the period. We do this in Manhattan, why not preserve something in Queens before it is turned into a SRO for illegals?
I also am glad that Peter Vallone is becoming a preservationist. Too bad it took the destruction of most of Old Astoria for him to see the light. Of course, maybe he chose to focus on this project because it's already landmarked, is out of sight, and won't inhibit the overdevelopment of the residential core of his district.
if this building was in manhattan, it would have already been saved.
The house is wonderful. The location is unfortunate.
The city should buy it! And raze it! and turn it into "affordable" housing! Diverse! Vibrant!
"A museum, park, or community facility."
They're back! How about a beer garden? I remember as, a kid, way back when, that indeed there was a beer garden at the end of Steinway Street.
One block from a sewage plant that makes the area unlivable and its overrun with rats on the block.
The mansion itself needs millions in rennovations - recently it has a musty smell - never a good sign.
Why doesn't Halberian give it to his kids - I know them and they would move in there in a heartbeat and have the resources to restore it.
Come on, guy, stop milking this place for publicity and move on!
Why doesn't he give it to Steinway and Sons in exchange for life tenancy of Halberina and give the tax payers a break.
If you got all that time Peter, and all that money, how about some schools, sewers, and other infrastructure?
How about concerns that the neighborhood is going downhill (Asoria Park smelling like a shithouse during the July 4 fireworks is a clear signal) and for God's sake, do something about the sick commerical strips on Steinway and Broadway.
Because you can't name a clean street the Steinway-Vallone Mansion.
I also am glad that Peter Vallone is becoming a preservationist.
hahahahahaha
hehehehehehe
hohohohohoho
"The house is wonderful. The location is unfortunate."
This was farmland - back in the day.
"They're back! How about a beer garden? I remember as, a kid, way back when, that indeed there was a beer garden at the end of Steinway Street.:
It's now a Greek social club, that I do not think is used anymore.
LET'S DESTROY IT AND PUT UP A 50 STORY LUXURY CONDO AND OVERBURDEN THE POWER GRID SOME MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Petey V.,
How 'bout cleaning out the sewers here and putting all the landlords that have illegally extended their backyards into community driveways and covered up their drainage in jail so we don't have to swim to work anymore?
But maybe you never thought about that one.
What do YOU get from all the payoffs to the DOB?
How about St Saviours or Bowne House.
Something is fishy here.
Yeah, the city will buy the mansion and convert it into condos. Just what this area needs.
Why should the city buy a white elephant with taxpayers' money during these hard times?
They didn't want to use the St. Saviour's site as a badly needed park because it would have been too costly an undertaking!
Screw owner Mike Halberian!
Let him find another real estate broker OR lower his asking price!
It's already a landmark so WTF else does he want?
Why can't the Steinway corporation exercise some philanthropy and honor its founder by restoring this mansion?
Why can't the Steinway corporation exercise some philanthropy and honor its founder by restoring this mansion?
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Because they are not sucking the community dry like the developers and politicans and leaving a wasteland that looks like a logged over Brazlian rainforest.
Steinway is actually providing jobs and maintaining traditions that put Astoria on the map instead of the eyerolling joke that its become after your tender mercies.
Why are you putting your hand out and begging, Peter?
Why can't Vallone and Constinople Consulting excercise a little philantropy, get their friends Pistilli and Suna and all the other playas to pitch in, and well you know where this is going.
Start a fund boys, and use it to donate to worthy causes in the community - just like Steinway and other civic leaders did for generations - as a matter of fact - right up to the time your boys took over.
And for God's sake don't slap your names on everything. Give for the sake of giving back something to us who put you where your are.
If you can get Callous Carolyn Baloney to show up with millions for the Queens Plaza communters and Great Neck developers why not get her and other politicans to put something into the community - something that benefits us here for a change?
Do answer. Inquiring vocies all over want to know.....
Please don't mention Pistilli and Vallone in the same sentence again with me in the room.
I just threw up.
Perhaps Vallone can prevail upon his good friend Pistilli to purchase the old Steinway Mansion, stucco it over, make some cheap cosmetic improvements, and market it as a flophouse for illegal aliens.
um, i think that is excactly what will happen.
Because the Halberian nephews have Greek lawyer cominglitis disease
Pistilli builds crap.
NYC should buy the Steinway Mansion. Vallone is right.
Sadly, Mr Mike Halberian passed away on December 28th, 2010. The mansion will pass to his children, Mimi and John and hopefully will stay in our family forever.
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