From the Daily News:Helen Marshall took the opportunity to unveil a $23 million atrium at Borough Hall on Monday with songs, snacks and a bevy of city officials.
The airy, 11,000-square-foot space, called The Forum, will be available for civic meetings and public events, said Marshall, who christened the space in one of her final official acts as borough president.
“For decades, public hearings and other public events were held in cramped and unimproved quarters upstairs,” said Marshall, who is stepping down at the end of the month due to term limits.
“Now, for the first time, the people of Queens will have a fitting public space in our county seat of government.”
The atrium, which will be completed early next year during the administration of incoming Borough President Melinda Katz, was built in an open courtyard — a project overseen by the city.
Marshall received some criticism for the project’s price tag, which ballooned from the original $17 million, as well as the removal of trees from the backyard of Borough Hall during construction in spring 2012.
Marshall said she hopes as many Queens residents as possible are able to use the new facility.
“Their money paid for it,” he said.
I'd rather have you put the money for this complete waste into fixing up the NYS Pavilion. That's half the cost of repairs down the toilet.
10 comments:
So whatever happened to the women's rights monument she was going to build on the former site of that sexist statue?
So please, pray tell, who exactly will be allowed to use this space? Does one have to make a reservation? What "civic" groups will have access to it? Will there be an access fee? Who will maintain it? Can it be used in the evening? What types of functions will be permissable?What about security? Who provides that? Something tells me that this mega million space will cause nothing but grief and it's original costly intent will bever see the light of day. Oh , how can the public get a copy of the rules and regulations for " The Forum"? Surely there must be one available .
The ruination of Queens County...that's her legacy.
So who pays for renting the space after hours? Someone will have to open the building and lock it up afterward. Most civic groups hold their meetings in the evening on week days. Will users have to pay for security and custodial services similar to how public school rentals work? Who gets priority use of the space? Please explain. The tax - paying public has the right to know.
Helen of Doy, be gone. You have cost our Boro millions in wasted projects and have ruined Queens' image.
Another huge waste of money for nothing.
Marshall's legacy is incompetence, ignorance and stupidity and Queens is an perfect example of all three.
this will be used by machine approved groups to display machine approved agendas with machine approved participants.
So I guess CAC (Citizens Against Corruption) of Queens will never get to hold a meeting there.
So, let me summarize. We destroyed a group of gorgeous flowering trees. We took away a classic sculpture in the middle of the night, leaving a pedestal covered by tarps. We made a phony promise to build a women's rights monument. We wasted a shitload of money on a meeting room which will be used exclusively by corrupt pols, ass kissers and "acceptable" organizations. We have no money to maintain Flushing Park, and/or preserve the NYS tower.
That sounds like a legacy to me.
Phew!
Now all the gas that's passed at borough hall, will be confined in a glass enclosure, with no chance of dispersing into the fresh air.
Talk about global warming and greenhouses gases--let's call this "The Gas Bag Atrium"!
Did little George Washington's ghost convince Hellen Marshall to chop down all those nice Cherry trees with her little hatchet?
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