Woodhaven Blvd block an eyesore

From the Daily News:

A run down, empty stretch of stores on Woodhaven Blvd. sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise tidy and bustling neighborhood on the border of Rego Park and Middle Village.

Civic leaders have been railing against the eyesore with limited results. A 2-year-old set of scaffolding that served as little more than a climbing post for raccoons and possum finally came down a few weeks ago and tattered awnings were removed.

But it’s unclear why the storefronts remain empty in an area where nearly every inch of commercial space is used.

“We were getting complaints about the scaffolding and people were really upset about the loss of stores,” said Robert Holden of the Juniper Park Civic Association.

The deteriorating Dana Court, an apartment building on that block, has neighbors worried about plummeting land values.

On a recent day, pigeons flew in and out of an open window in a vacant apartment. And some residents believe they are roosting inside.

The property is owned by California-based landlord Daniel Shalom and operated by his Keystone Management. Efforts by the Daily News to reach Shalom were unsuccessful and several calls to Keystone Management were not returned. One woman who answered the phone said she was “not allowed to speak with reporters.”

Shalom, also known as Daniel Ohebshalom, is part of a large real estate family that owns property in both New York City and California across several different companies.
Several of those companies have been cited in published reports for failing to maintain buildings and trying to push out low-income tenants.

Agency officials confirmed to The News on Wednesday that there are 12 open violations at Dana Court.