Got word yesterday that the Wendy's restaurant at 85-07 Queens Blvd, which was transformed into "McDowell's" for the 1988 movie Coming to America, is in the process of demolition. I haven't been over there myself to check it out, but I looked it up online and didn't find an active demo permit. 
A new building permit for a 7-story mixed use building was applied for on 3/12/2013, but the plan exam was rejected.The Queens Tribune reported on the plan 8 years ago, but there hasn't been any activity at the site until now.
Most interesting is that the designation "LPCA - LANDMARKS-BSA ARCHEOLOGY RESTRICTIONS" is listed on DOB's website. Are people buried here?
Hmmm... I'll be looking into this further.
26 comments:
Good Lord...
no wonder our borough is the laughing stock of NYC!
Only in Queens is a "Wendy's" considered a "landmark", just because Eddie Murphy once shot a film there.
However, "Wendy's" hot 'n greasy burgers are a far better proposition than having a multi storied building on the site.
What's with all of those blocks being overbuilt with crap?
Where is the community board and city planners???
Wendys was a high volume restaurant . Will they relocate?
The building Eddie and Arsenio lived in was supposed to be Queens, but was actually Williamsburg, on S. 5th. It's still there, and looks pretty much the same, just don't look for the basement barber shop.
Now, the Howard Johnson's Restaurant on Queens Blvd. - that should have been preserved.
Horse Brook used to run on this block. Also, this section of Queens Boulevard is seeing huge apartment developed because it is the city's policy to line major roads with bigger buildings.
Just what we need! Another shoddily [shittily] built ugly multi-use building full of Asians!!!!
our infrastructure isn't stretched enough.....bring it on!! Let's knock down all the low rises and replace them with high-rises so where there was one or two Con Ed and Nat'l Grid consumers, there are now 150!! Anyone for more traffic and more crowded buses and subway cars?
are you serious that this Wendy's should be preserved and landmarked ?
Who said anything remotely close to that?
Is there a problem with Asians building apartments in Queens? What makes Queens beautiful is its diversity.
I actually saw it last night, it's completely shuttered and bits of the outside have started to come off. I was shocked. First the Capital One (really pissed about that since it's my bank and that was super convenient) and now this. The Wendy's was no landmark but I'm so sick of the mixed use buildings :(
Yes, there is a problem with Asians or any group building cookie-cutter white or beige apartments with 20 people in a one-bedroom, and over-using the utilities, causing more traffic and letting the building go to pot! these buildings are made of crappy materials and no rules about how many people can live in one room. AND dare I mention the smoking???????? ugh!!
There we go with that "diversity" crap again!
I got news for you...Queens was plenty diverse before the Asian (the Taiwanese are the worst lawbreakers) horde invaded the borough and pissed all over our laws.
But the inv-Asian goes unchecked. We never punish Chinese lawbreakers, beyond a slap on the wrist.
It's because we don't want to offend them.
Rather, the politicians don't want to offend them...because they get loads of laundered overseas campaign contributions from their Oriental friends.
i.e.
Cecilia Chang (now deceased); John Liu (as of yet not convicted); etc. ; etc. ; etc!
Gary Ackerman was among the first to pocket these types of illegal "donations".
He retired just in time to keep the FBI off his trail.
If he got convicted he would have lost his juicy Congressional pension!
P.S.
Donald Manes opened the floodgates and took plenty of $$$$$$$ from Tommy Huang!
I commend the Asians for their cleanliness...spitting infectious mucous on the sidewalks...markets dumping rotten veggies into manholes.
I actually witnessed a mother help her child piss in the street on 39th Ave. in, where else, Flushing.
That's what you might call "vibrant, bustling, diversity".
So what percentage of immigrants vote Democrat ?
The answer to that question will explain all.
There we go with that "diversity" crap again!
I got news for you...Queens was plenty diverse before the Asian (the Taiwanese are the worst lawbreakers) horde invaded the borough and pissed all over our laws.
But the inv-Asian goes unchecked. We never punish Chinese lawbreakers, beyond a slap on the wrist.
It's because we don't want to offend them.
Rather, the politicians don't want to offend them...because they get loads of laundered overseas campaign contributions from their Oriental friends.
i.e.
Cecilia Chang (now deceased); John Liu (as of yet not convicted); etc. ; etc. ; etc!
Gary Ackerman was among the first to pocket these types of illegal "donations".
He retired just in time to keep the FBI off his trail.
If he got convicted he would have lost his juicy Congressional pension!
P.S.
Donald Manes opened the floodgates and took plenty of $$$$$$$ from Tommy Huang!
---------------------------------
BRAVO!! To all the pie in the sky diversity pushers; does the truth hurt so bad that you are THAT afraid to get your heads out of your asses?
I don't see much "diversity" in Asian communities. All I see are Asians.
There's no "diversity" or multiculturalism" here in Flushing.
All that exists in this fetid ghetto is monoculturalism... CHINESE-TAIWANESE...in particular!
Pull your head out of your "duffle bag", once in awhile, and see the sky!
"What's with all of those blocks being overbuilt with crap?"
A simple, free-market answer: Because the previous owner demanded absolute top dollar and often knew that the buyer was a developer.
Look at northern Blvd in Flushing-Auberndale. Every two-bit auto dealer that sells out becomes a 3-4 storey apt house with shops and parking.
Regarding Flushing-Auburndale:
That's what the zoning allows...so it will be built.
Blame some of your pols and the community board, who approved of this in the early 1990s.
Within the Broadway area, along Northern Boulevard, building height is restricted to 3 stories maximum...with stepped setbacks.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
"What's with all of those blocks being overbuilt with crap?"
A simple, free-market answer: Because the previous owner demanded absolute top dollar and often knew that the buyer was a developer.
Look at northern Blvd in Flushing-Auberndale. Every two-bit auto dealer that sells out becomes a 3-4 storey apt house with shops and parking.
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Regarding Flushing-Auburndale:
That's what the zoning allows...so it will be built.
Blame some of your pols and the community board, who approved of this in the early 1990s.
Within the Broadway area, along Northern Boulevard, building height is restricted to 3 stories maximum...with stepped setbacks.
To the previous posters:
All of North Flushing and Auburndale was contextually rezoned in 2009 and 2010.
Except for a small area south of Crocheron Avenue to the LIRR tracks, 95% of North Flushing and 90% of Auburndale has been rezoned for detached single-family "anti-McMansion" houses ONLY - R1-2A and R2A zones.
The civic and homeowner associations in the area, particularly North Flushing Civic, Broadway-Flushing Homeowners, Auburndale Improvement and Station Road Civic worked extremely hard with then-Councilmember Avella and myself (as planning consultant and co-author) to get these neighborhoods rezoned correctly, to protect the character of our neighborhoods.
I don't know what area the previous posters are talking about, but they're pretty much not happening in the above neighborhoods.
Paul Graziano
Candidate for City Council, District 19
Really sad news for me. I'm a huge fan of C2A and I visited that real landmark some years ago. And I was planning to eat another burger there next summer. But the restaurant is already closed, right?
Sad sad news
Hello from Switzerland. I wish I could have visited the place before it closed :(
I'm coming to America, just because Ed Murphy used this place for a movie, and l am so excited to ay a visit, I watched the coming to America in 1988 and again to February 2020. I really cherished the to coming and take pictures there and can't wait.
From Vince- Uk
Shame on you New York. Very sad news.
I'm amazed at how recessive gene folks talk about others who aren't recessive. Lmbao
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