Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Community working with developer to maintain character

From Little Neck Patch:

Changes are coming to the 1.3-acre former headquarters of Leviton Manufacturing Co. on Little Neck Parkway.

Early next month, community leaders will meet with representatives of developer Steel Equities to discuss the future of the site.

Based in Bethpage, N.Y., Steel Equities purchased the property for $18 million on Sept. 27, according to city Department of Finance records.

Leviton had moved much of its operation to a 143,000-square-foot facility owned by Steel Equities in Melville, N.Y. in June 2009.

Among those at next month's meeting at Queens Borough President Helen Marshall's office will be Community Board 11 chairman Jerry Ianecce, who says he will try to get assurances that the low-density character of the neighborhood will be maintained.

"What we don't want in the Little Neck-Douglaston area is another Station Road," Iannece said, referring to an industrial zone in Auburndale — currently a mix of auto repair shops and light manufacturing.

Another item of concern for residents like Judy Cohen of the North Hills Estates Civic Association was the future of old-growth trees on the current campus, which stretches along Little Neck Parkway between 59th Avenue and 61st Avenue.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Leviton is a traitor employer. They first left Brooklyn for the far corners of Queens to the end of it's last US site the wasteland of Farmingdale on 110.

They do this because each move allows them to leave behind an underpaid work force that cannot afford the commute to the new location. Farmingdale an old brownfield area, has many empty manufacturing buildings and a large unemployed work force willing to work at minimum wage and some benefits. Next stop for this Swingline type Co : Mexico!

Anonymous said...

Hard to imagine maintaining the character of anything when they paid $ 18 million for barely more than an acre. They will need to put up a skyscraper just to break even.

Anonymous said...

I guess it's good that Leviton stayed in NY (much less LI), right? They could have taken all their jobs to the sunbelt or some hi-tech state.

Anonymous said...

Character defects best remedied with corporal punishment.

Snake Plissskin said...

"Communtiy working with developer to maintain character"

In some parts of Queens that means you can comment on the shrubbery or the color of the door.

Until the plants get ripped up the the tenants trash the building

You might we stuck with a permanent eyesore (almost always out of character with the rest of the block),

But be rest assured that the developer (who doesn't live in your neighborhood if not your boorugh) is making lots of money,

and your local elected offical is getting a campaign donation so they can stay in office

... and help more developers.

Anonymous said...

I guess it's good that Leviton stayed in NY (much less LI), right? They could have taken all their jobs to the sunbelt or some hi-tech state.

Yes, but Farmingdale is the last stop for many as this is the dregs of manufacturing > Mexico or bust from here on.

Anonymous said...

18 million?! They was robbed!