From the Daily News:
Talks to save a portion of the historic St. Saviour's property for parkland are heating up as the owner prepares to construct warehouses on the Maspeth site.
City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe told civic leaders last week his agency has been working with elected officials and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to hash out a deal with Maspeth Development LLC, which owns the 1.5-acre property.
Supporters have been scrambling to pool together funds to buy the site. Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) have set aside more than $2 million.
"I am hopeful," said civic activist Christina Wilkinson, who has spearheaded efforts to preserve and save the site. "While there are talks, there is hope."
The flurry of calls and activity comes just days after owner Scott Kushnik got approvals from the Buildings Department to construct warehouses on a portion of the land, located at 57th Road and 58th St. "Even if we develop the site, the door is open," said Kushnik, who paid about $6 million for the site several years ago. "This isn't a lost cause."
Kushnik hit resistance when he tried to build housing on the property. He said he has been speaking with city officials but said their offers have been low. "I've been bleeding $30,000 a month here for four years," he said. "If I break even, I will be lucky."
29 comments:
The area desperately needs a beautiful green space in the midst of of a residental and commercial area.
Homage to St Saviour could come in the form of a park and it's the perfect opportunity for the community and the city as a whole to insure it gets done.
Great Idea. But that area of maspeth is very industrial. WIll the park be used if it's constructed or will it be the empty park to no where.
No one should have sympathy for the developer. He bought the property expecting that everyone would roll over for his requested zoning changes. Apparently, he's only got the right under the current zoning to build a warehouse - which everyone knows would be unprofitable for the developer to do as Queens has a 25-year surplus of warehouse space.
This will be a great place to relax and enjoy the fumes of diesel trucks and the gentle ruble of passing freight trains.
And all the warehouse laborers in the area im SURE will keep the park nice and tidy and NOT throw lunch-break garbage all over the place.
I guess we should close Mafera Park, then.
The people who work in the factories are probably cleaner than you are. And if not, there are plenty of volunteers ready to take care of the park.
Well, genius, if not here, then where? It's not like there's an abundance of open land available in the area.
A waste of taxpayers money. The park will not be used.
What ever happened to "Don't tread on me"
Should I be able to force anyone out of the property.
If housing was build there the right way, it would only have increased the value of the surrounding homes, which are not very nice to look at.
I believe the developer wanted to build artist type lofts , but that's not going to happen. who would want to bring they're child there, the view is "CRAPPY"
It's just a waste of money.
Sounds like someone's awfully jealous that this community may be getting a park. Not only do we need it for recreation, but replanting the trees here will have an environmental benefit.
And no one forced the developer out of his property. He ran out of money, just like thousands of other developers across the city. He did not want to build lofts. I don't know where you folks get your info. He wanted to build 70+ units of 3-family crap houses. It's been well documented here and elsewhere.
"it would only have increased the value of the surrounding homes, which are not very nice to look at."
Would love to see where you live. Probably a renter.
"This will be a great place to relax and enjoy the fumes of diesel trucks and the gentle ruble [sic]of passing freight trains."
Not like the peace and quiet of the proposed under-construction park spaces at Queensboro Plaza?
My shop is two blocks away.
If it's soooooo necessary to put in a green space here, level it off, plant grass and make it a soccer field or two. At least that will get used. Anything else will be a waste of $.
Watch, a multi million $ waste of a park it will be.
I don't understand you folks. The people who live around the site will use it (there are many children and elderly in the vicinity) and the workers in the factories will use it, just as they all did when it was a churchyard and was open to them. Everyone wants something for their area, but when they see others about to get something they get all pissed off about the "waste" of tax money. Every city agency has its offices in Maspeth, it's time the City gave something back to the community for dumping on it for all these years.
This is the environment the people live in already, a park would only enhance it. Parks are what raise property values, not more houses.
Actually If there were new homes ,built properly they would increase the homes of the owners that already live there. It would also help small shop owners in the area, etc florists, deli's, etc..I"m sure they could all use new customers. Don't complain when you favorite goes out of business.
It would also bring in tax money the city needs. The city does not have the money to keep firehouses open. Why should money be thrown at a park that will get rarely used.
We all know that most area resident use Juniper Valley.
New homes built improperly, which is what this site would have held, do not increase the property values of existing homes. There are few retail businesses in the immediate vicinity, they are concentrated on Grand Avenue. The rest of Maspeth has experienced a good amount of overdevelopment over the past 10 years, there are already many more customers for businesses in the area now.
You really need to understand the fundamental difference between the capital budget and the expense budget. They come from different revenue streams. Money for building infrastructure can not be used to pay firemen. Parks increase property values, which in turn increase tax revenue.
Most area residents use Maurice Park or Reiff Park as those are the 2 closest parks. Both are overcrowded and not for passive use. People here generally do not go to Juniper. This is western Maspeth, not Middle Village.
The fact that 18,000 people live within .5 miles of this site is proof that it will be used. Parks in the remotest locations are used. While we have open space available we must seize upon the opportunity to create parkland. If a million more people are coming to the city, we should invest in things like parks now, not wait until we're living on top of each other and can't breathe.
Goooooooooalllllll!
Goooooooooalllllll!
Hey Knuckleheads . It's plain "pork"
Also if homes where to be built there, are you saying that they would not go to Grand Ave to shop?
Taxpayers money is going to waste all over this country and city . This is just another waste. These Marchall/Crowley ( knuckleheads )who allocated 2 Million bucks on this project , now have less to spend on more important issue and programs in our area. Money does not grow on trees.
Pork is funding for after school programs and senior centers. Not new infrastructure. Sorry you don't live there and the people who do want a park, not houses. Expense budget can't cover services now. Why add more people?
I think it would be great to see them build a park at St. Saviour's site. For all you folks complaining about tax money being used for it, well let me tell you, that I would perfer to see the money being spent on something in Queens for once! How many parks were built or are being built in manhattan? Or how many millions are they spending on Prospect Park? St. Savior's site would be a great place to put a park , save some history and do something for Queens for once. So all of you, who really don't know what you are talking about, try laerning more about the propsel for the park and the history of the land. That is if ya can get your head out of your asses.....
Pretty sure this is one or two people posting anti-park shit. Gallagher still can't let go...
Actually If there were new homes ,built properly they would increase the homes of the owners that already live there. It would also help small shop owners in the area, etc florists, deli's, etc..I"m sure they could all use new customers. Don't complain when you favorite goes out of business.
It would also bring in tax money the city needs. The city does not have the money to keep firehouses open. Why should money be thrown at a park that will get rarely used.
We all know that most area resident use Juniper Valley.
What a crock of shit. This is exactly what's wrong with NY today. Ignorance. Any developer that builds today goes for the maximum amount of rentable space crammed into the smallest area to produce the highest profit. All with a 12 to 25 year tax abatement. They pay NO tax. They overburden the infrastructure. They become absentee landlords, building the ugliest buildings imaginable only to house people who have no ties to the neighborhood and consequently, do not care about taking care of it. OUR taxes go up to pay for this immoral use of land and therefore, DRIVE OUT the hardworking established middle class that are striving to stay here.
Get your facts straight. I'm sick of this blog with all these ignorant assholes here with NOTHING factual to say. GO BACK TO THE SUBURBS ALREADY!
Lower maspeth needs a park! And I believe the mayor would agree,since he wants more green. More trees in that area would clean the air. Business and residents would benefit also!
Money doesn't grow on trees and neither does land. Marshall and Crowley can't spend this money on programs. This is what you don't seem to understand. This is capital money. There hasn't been a new park built in Maspeth since the 1960s. It's about time.
The park is surrounded by homes, not factories.
People there will use the park as will the workers.
Build it and they will come.
Best of luck Christina Wilkinson, semper fi!
If Prospect Park can get a new $70M skating rink which the City says it doesn't have the money for, then there's no excuse for why Maspeth can't get a new park for 1/10 of the cost.
Oh Bobby , love that you have an outlet for the uneducated people of Midvill and Maspeth. There such suckers.
You call others uneducated, yet you wrote "there" when you meant "they're".
Pot calling kettle black?
And who's Bobby?
So Elizebeth Crowley is on the case with obtaining funding to who I applaud her for working these issues.
I can't say the same for Joe Crowley or Anthony Weiner or that ghost Assembly person Marge Markey - where are they or the representatives for the area - that green space is desperately needed in that area!
Post a Comment