Saturday, April 6, 2013

Louis Armstrong Museum seeking variance

From the Daily News:

A Corona museum dedicated to celebrating the life of a jazz pioneer is proposing to build a $20 million educational annex across the street.

Louis Armstrong House Museum officials asked Queens Borough President Helen Marshall to throw her support behind granting the center a building variance at a Thursday land-use hearing at Borough Hall.


The variance would enable the two-story center to be built closer to the property lines than is permitted under the area’s new zoning. The land for the project, as well as the museum, are under the umbrella of Queens College.

Community Board 3 District Manager Giovanna Reid said the variance was overwhelmingly approved at the board’s March 21 meeting. “We support this application,” she said.

The project must ultimately be approved by the city Board of Standards and Appeals.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well this will doom the Steinway mansion.

Anonymous said...

Build it!
This is one variance for a good cause, for a change.

Anonymous said...

Why will this doom the Steinway Mansion?
They are on opposite sides of the borough.

They serve different purposes.

Anonymous said...

Why will this doom the Steinway Mansion?
They are on opposite sides of the borough.

What map are you looking at?

Armstrong is a perfect tweeding opportunity and he represents a style of music that most of the movers and shakers in these parts can understand - really can you imagine anyone that goes to a Crowley hoedown sit through something by Schumann or Chopin?

Besides Queens College is involved.

Anonymous said...

Quoting Anon 4: Louis Armstrong "represents a style of music that most of the movers and shakers in these parts can understand". What a ridiculous statement! Louis Armstrong pioneered a uniquely American music and earned the respect and love of people worldwide. His music is popular but as equally sophisticated in musicianship as Schumann or Chopin. The tour of his house is interesting and his legacy deserves the museum across the street.

Queens Crapper said...

It's more likely that the pols will pour money into this project and the Steinway Mansion will be ignored. That is what the previous commenter was getting at.

Anonymous said...

$20 million? You know when they quote that it will be $25 - $30 before they are done.

That is what happens when the 'right' people are running a project. The electeds have TONS on money - 4 million for the Vallone Entertainment Center at the Astoria Diving pool, nothing for the community's St Saviours, God knows how much for professional stadiums in Flushing Meadows, nothing for the FM Conservancy.

For $20 million? You could put something for Armstrong for half that money - and use the balance to stabilize the World Fair structures in Flushing Meadows and buy and renovate the Steinway Mansion - but they don't control the latter projects and their councilmen in those areas don't care - so they can let them rot without any real consequences from the people in Queens.

Anonymous said...

The pols ALWAYS wind up ingpour their money into phony pet projects like Theater In The Park, etc.

At least this time they will be pouring money into the iconic Louis Armsrtong Museum.

Uh, what is the Greater Astoria Historical Society doing these days for Steinway?

Are they raising a sweat to protect the Steinway Mansion, or busy mounting exhibits and selling books in order to pay their rent to an undertaker?

Anonymous said...

Blame Peter Vallone Junior for not supporting the cause of the Steinway Mansion. He's guilty in spades!

BASED UPON HIS ATROCIOUS TRACK RECORD ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION...BE SURE NOT TO VOTE FOR THIS DEVELOPERS' LOBBYIST...FOR OUR NEXT BOROUGH PRESIDENT!

You voters really are a bunch of asses for maintaining that crooked Vallone dynasty in power!

Anonymous said...

It's an interesting rendering - I like the piano-like lines. Still, it really shouldn't be smack up against the neighboring residence: the effect is a grand piano in a closet. Of course, BSA grants pretty much anything they're asked for... so no point in wasting time talking about it. BAN the BSA!