The city Economic Development Corporation is exploring different options that would enable businesses in the College Point Corporate Park to have more of a say in how the park’s funds are being used.
About 50 businesses in the College Point Corporate Park — a 550-acre office park with more than 200 companies and 6,000 employees — are required to pay into the park’s improvement fund. The fund finances the park’s management and maintenance program as well as business assistance training, beautification projects, such as tree planting, cleanups and signage, and capital improvements.
But the businesses contend that the money is not being used efficiently. Over the last 20 years, the fund has accumulated roughly $5 million, said Vito Tautonico, director of constituent services for City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside).
“The big issue is that 50 or so of the businesses that are in the corporate park are mandated by the deeds to pay into the improvement fund every year and a lot of businesses were very upset that they weren’t seeing any improvements,” Tautonico said at a recent College Point Civic & Taxpayers Association meeting. “They’re essentially paying a tax that did nothing for them.”
The options being considered include the creation of a business improvement district, a board of directors, an advisory board or a nonprofit made up of the businesses, the EDC, community members and members of Community Board 7.
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“The big issue is that 50 or so of the businesses that are in the corporate park are mandated by the deeds to pay into the improvement fund every year and a lot of businesses were very upset that they weren’t seeing any improvements,” Tautonico said at a recent College Point Civic & Taxpayers Association meeting. “They’re essentially paying a tax that did nothing for them.”
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BINGO!!!
Sounds a lot like the issue at Willets Point as well. Taxation without representation. Hmmmm..... Where have I heard THAT before???
Community board 7???
Great idea. Put Kelty and Chuck Apelian in positions they can abuse.
The soil subsidence throughout are making the roads in that area ridiculous. Even that new road they've built through the old airport has waves in it.
"About 50 businesses in the College Point Corporate Park — a 550-acre office park with more than 200 companies and 6,000 employees — are required to pay into the park’s improvement fund. The fund finances the park’s management and maintenance program as well as business assistance training, beautification projects, such as tree planting, cleanups and signage, and capital improvements."
The roads are in great shape (not!) and the traffic is light (not!). What's going to happen when the garbage transfer station and the police academy open up in the corporate "park"??? The whole improvement fund is a joke...but no one's laughing, especially those who live and work in College Point!
In the morning, as I come off the Cross Island onto the Whitestone Expwy, I can't get over the jammed traffic on the South service road and the exit ramp at Linden Place.
The delay is caused by the city draining the swamp that is the Corporate Park and the closed airport.
Anonymous said...
The delay is caused by the city draining the swamp that is the Corporate Park and the closed airport.
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That's just plain ridiculous. The majority of the former airport property is federally protected wetlands. Where did you get your information? I don't believe it!!!
Only part is protected.
The new police academy is already slipping into the slime.
That's just plain ridiculous. The majority of the former airport property is federally protected wetlands. Where did you get your information? I don't believe it!!!
36 out of 60 acres of the former Flushing Airport are State-protected wetlands. The remaining 24 acres have been pimped for development, first by Bloomberg (remember the International Trade Port?) and now by DeBlasio.
This is not what was promised to the Whitestone and College Point communities - we are supposed to get a park with, at most, light recreation.
Stand up and fight for yourselves, northeast Queens...your Councilmember sure ain't.
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