 |
| Photo from Queens Chronicle |
The city announced Tuesday it is seeking firms to develop a mixed-use building on the site of a municipal parking lot in Flushing, Queens. The move to replace the lot with a structure that would include affordable housing units is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's effort to build more such apartments on publicly owned, underused lots near transit hubs.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development released a request for proposals for the 156-space lot, located on 41st Avenue near Main Street—steps from Flushing's Long Island Rail Road station and a few blocks from the No. 7 train, which stops at one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the entire city. In its place, the administration is seeking an affordable housing project with ground-floor retail, and possibly some combination of community facility and commercial space, along with parking.
The makeup of the eventual project will depend on the proposals, but the city plans to rezone the 43,200-square-foot parcel to allow for nearly double the amount of housing that could be built today. If developers were to take full advantage of that higher limit, the project could include about 200 units.
29 comments:
What of waste of tax dollars that could've been generated with that premium downtown real estate. If de Blasio wants more people to be able to afford housing, put them to work cleaning up Willets Point and that nasty polluted water. Most of the homeless look pretty well fed while drinking their bottles of liquor.
They can't do this. I and many others depend on this lot every day to get to work.
And the overdevelopment of Queens continues. Why don't we just start deporting these illegal third worlders to make find more space? 1.5 million illegals and counting walking around this city.
He wants to cram more housing and retail at the busiest pedestrian intersection in the entire city? He is absolutely nuts!! Tell deMussolini to stay in Italy and never come back!
Downtown Flushing continues to get more unbearable than it already is.
Why do they just GIVE IT AWAY for $1???
AND the city is letting the developer get the 421a abatement!
So my fellow Queens-lovers, after learning about the 2 homeless shelters in Middle Village, I decided to look elsewhere for a place to raise my family.
This " new housing idea," is just firming up my decision to move, which breaks my heart. I'm just sickened that the best place in NYC is getting destroyed by this CRAP.
Free prime real estate.
Unbelievable.
underused?
Adios, Old Flushing! Ciao, arreviderci. It was nice while it lasted. 1680-1968.
This is crazy. The city could sell this parcel on the market to the highest bidder and net 10 or 20 million dollars from the deal and the city could build much more "affordable housing" elsewhere with the money than building in on this site.
Can't imagine how bad it will be on that block during construction, since traffic congestion is already a problem. The car repair shop will definitely have trouble staying open.
How is it underused?
We don't need another government housing building in Flushing! They already torn down the other parking lot for that.
Where are people suppose to park cars? Skyview Mall?
Anon 11 if the parcel is worth 20 million then that means they are spending 100k per subsidized housing unit. How does that compare to other projects citywide?
Anon 13 parking lots like this are underused in that few people are able to use it at small benefit relative to other uses. It's not government housing, it's government subsidized private housing.
And their message to car drivers is don't drive to one of the most crowded pedestrian areas in the city.
Why is this subsidized parking lot less offensive than subsidized housing?
NYC's war against driving continues, only this time, it's also a war against transit. Those who drove to the lot will likely now drive further to other lots along the LIRR, or all the way into manhattan.
MTA: going your way. Not.
Also, more housing in friggin' downtown flushing?! That area has too many people in it as it is.
The price tag is also completely insane, of course.
One word---
I N F R A S T R U C T U R E !!!
Too many people anon? Now some of them won't have to drive in. People don't take up much space. Cars do. Getting rid of this traffic generator will be great for the area.
I think it's time for me to round up about twenty thousand of my best friends and find a place somewhere else on the country with a lower cost of loving and bring our quality of life there. We could get cheap houses to renovate, open businesses similar to those we used to have on Steinway St, Roosevelt Ave, Main Street etc, and basically recreate somewhere else everything that used to make Queens so great. Anyone want to come?
Good God. It's like a virus has invaded that part of town.
It says that a parking lot is part of the plan.
Hopefully the number of spaces will be reduced though crapper.
For me, it's not about parking but the influx of dozens of families that will continue to tax the electrical grid, sewer system, water supply, transportation systems, and even the education system. Let's not forget about increased pollution and overcrowding. When is enough enough?
There is a reason for municipal lots, they provide a service to an area. These community lots should not be seen as a quick fix for the illusion of the creation of affordable housing.
The greatest shame is that once city property is sold, it's gone forever. As city property is being sold off, city and state agencies must pay rent to private landlords when they need space.
Many years ago the city would would give out potential derelict property cheap to create some tax revenue. This lot in Flushing is worth a fortune.
This administration will cause irreversible financial damage.
If we need a school in a very overcrowded area like Flushing, where would we find property?
I'm so pissed, we've become apathetic are are clearly being fleeced.
Caddy corner from that lot a private lot was sold for a fortune, the buyer probably didn't have city or state connections to acquire cheap city property in a very high demand area.
Local politics have become a joke, they do not work on our behalf, they make decisions that are favorable towards the private sector in order to curry favor and hopefully further their useless career.
This is great news. We're restoring the city after years of damage by cars.
"This is great news. We're restoring the city after years of damage by cars."
How is overdevelopment great news???
How is overdevelopment restoring the city?
Are you for real?
Put parking above the tracks. Rebuild Flushing Bus Terminal!
I WOULD BUY THE PROPERTY FOR$1.00 SO THAT EVERYONE WILL STILL HAVE THEIR JOBS
Post a Comment