From Crain's:The City Council is likely to approve plans for a $1 billion mixed-use project on the Astoria waterfront Wednesday, although support from a key Queens lawmaker is still up in the air.
The council's Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises is currently ironing out a few remaining issues concerning the largely residential, seven-acre Halletts Point project following hearings last week.
"I expect that it is going to go through," said Councilman Mark Weprin (D., Queens), who chairs the subcommittee. "We just have to tie up some loose ends."
Should the subcommittee give the plan its nod, it would likely work its way up to the full council for approval the same day, the last opportunity before the application expires.
The planned Lincoln Equities Group development consists of ten towers boasting a total of 2,200 apartments, 20% classified as affordable. The first building is projected to be entirely rental and Lincoln will determine the rest of the development. It would rise in the shadow of the huge, 22-building Astoria Houses, a public-housing project that is home to 20,000 residents—many of whom have long complained about a lack of several basic amenities on the peninsula.
In response to such concerns from the community, Lincoln has pledged to build space for a bank as well as a moderately-priced, 35,000-square-foot grocery store. The development will also have space set aside for a school should enough children move into the district, plus a publicly-accessible park along the East River waterfront.
But City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., who represents the area, has expressed concerns over how the influx of the projected 6,000 new residents will affect already sparse transportation options. He has yet to give the project his blessing, which could be crucial for the project's fate. Instead, he and the subcommittee are exploring options for increased bus and ferry service to the proposed development.
"I'm working on that now with the administration and the developer, and it will come down to the last minute," said Mr. Vallone. He concedes it would be difficult getting a commitment for ferry service since he reckons that work on the first buildings will not actually be completed for another three years.
Why is the City Council so hellbent on approving everything that lands in front of them?
8 comments:
Look Carefully Whitestone, this is the future of your vacant six acres under Vallone. 2,000 apartments! Wouldn't you rather have youth athletic fields and a promenade? Weprin will be banging the gavel on your heads next.
I would love to pay market rate to live on a peninsula with a housing project that houses 20,000 people!
And there are no trains out to Whitestone - forget about getting to the city! It takes forever!
This will be a disaster as you will have 30,000 people crammed into a prisonlike setting.
No access, grim floods, terrible smells from the sewage plant across the river - in short - the ultimate f*ck you to the community by the Vallones.
Like mountain top coaling in West Virginia, the outsiders get the benefit and the locals get a disaster that will take generations to clean up.
The Astoria Houses has no more than 4,000 people.
google: Astoria Houses nycha
Whitestone transportation to NYC is private auto and buses. It works for the co-ops in Beechhurst The City will re-route buses through the residential neighborhood to accomodate the developers. Wake up Whitestone. The Vallones are at your door.
Lincoln Equities Group received city approval. Just read it here in the Daily News.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/1b-hallets-pt-project-astoria-article-1.1481166
Charles Barron the lone vote against it.
What will Mr. Vallone do? Will he go with the developer? Will he go with the people, Will he go with....? The suspense is killing me!
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