Thursday, March 5, 2015

Were Astoria residents deceived by false promises?

From Crains:

In recent months, as plans for two multitower residential complexes along the East River have advanced, a growing sense of anticipation has infused the atmosphere. In the coming years, the Halletts Point and Astoria Cove projects will replace hulking brick monoliths—housing businesses such as Super Stud Building Products—with more than 4,000 apartments, stores, a school and something else: jobs.

"The main issue [for us] is basically employment opportunities," said Claudia Coger, president of the Astoria Houses Residents Association, which has given its full-throated support to both projects. "And [the developers] have been gracious to meet with us on a regular basis and listen to what we have to say."

While hopes run high, fed by promises from developers to meet a host of demands from the community, actually putting paychecks in residents' hands may prove more difficult. Although a few employment programs have been clearly outlined, for other programs it is less certain who will get picked for jobs, and when.

The developer of the 2,500-unit Halletts Point project made a number of concessions, agreeing to include a school and a supermarket, before that project was approved in late 2013, but none regarding jobs. That is why attention is now focused squarely on the 1,700-unit Astoria Cove complex, whose developers cut a series of deals late last year with the community on affordable housing and local hiring in order to win support.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are there any jobs in LIC or Astoria other than construction and restaurants?

Where do all these high-income people work? I thought a lot of $100K jobs dried up. How do they afford $5K/month in rent - that's $60K that's not deductible!

Anonymous said...

You didn't seriously expect the developers to provide jobs when they promised you jobs, did you? What else did they promise you, affordable housing?? BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Anonymous said...

In NYC the $5,000 is paid by

1. (2020) daddy
2. (2025) two frat brothers
3. (2030) three Filipina nurses
4. (2035) four Asian tech drones
5. (2040) five tourists at an Airbnb hostel
6. (2045) six Mexican dish washers
7. (2050) seven Bengla family members
8. (2055) noodle making business...

As you can see, real estate is profitable.

If things get overbuilt, you can just use the odd numbers and speed up the action.

Anonymous said...

Look around at other residential towers, other than a handful of maintenance jobs what other permanent employment do they create?

You have to wonder about the gullibility of people to believe that just creating apartments creates the jobs that will pay the the rent for them.

Anonymous said...

another crock of ssshhhhh it sold to the public what else did you expect from the likes of alma realty and our beloved councilman Costa Constantinides

Anonymous said...

You have to wonder about the gullibility of people...

This entire process of development was planned over a decade ago.

You first had to soften up the community. Run programs. Get their trust. Know the players. Then set the plan.

Now take a look at programs targeted for the waterfront. The pastors, Elmezzi.... humm...

Anonymous said...

Know what gets me? "Local" jobs means NYC. And we still get mostly people from NJ - because "no one local is qualified" The unions are happy with the situation, there are only maybe two politicians in NY who feel job creation promises should be auditable, and most locals are , to use an old term, disenfranchised they know it's not worth their while to say anything. "Jobs" are a papier mache carrot.

Anonymous said...



you mean this

Monday, October 20, 2014
Protesters link Crown Heights to Astoria

From the NY Times:

Anonymous said...

Look at the leadership, the electorate and how a once great place is being drained of anything that made it great.

Go up to Ditmars and they will still tell you their concern is it blocks the view of the city. When you mention infrastructure and quality of life you get a blank look that quickly becomes suspicious.

Not the sharpest knives in the drawer up there.

Anonymous said...

another crock of ssshhhhh it sold to the public what else did you expect from the likes of alma realty and our beloved councilman Costa Constantinides

Alma is part of the Vallone mob and since removed Library trustee George Stamatiades is honoring Junior Vallones with CALDC and the Gazette talk incessantly about Baldy (and therefore the simple locals think that Junior is still in office) you can be sure that that plague will be back again in a few years.

Anonymous said...

Of course they were LIED to! What else is new. Developers' promises aren't wort chicken crap!

Anonymous said...

The only word that Melinda Katz has been taught to say to developers is , "Yes"! The office of Boro pres has been created just to facilitate development, or more plainly put, the screwing over of your residential neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious to see who will move into this ghetto. If they don't get their ferry, they will be a mile from the nearest over-capacity subway route. Good luck with that.

$5000 apartments across from the ghetto where $500 is a lot of money... I'll be surprised if that doesn't erupt into a riot or three in the years to come.

Anonymous said...

Once the balance of density is tilted towards the market rate rent payers you'll see more accountability and stability in this neighborhood bordering the ghetto. While far from the subway, the views are priceless and the lack of congestion relaxing. The waterfront is only getting cooler, and the straight shot down vernon to LIC is perfect for us cyclists. I for one see past the negativity and see the potential.

spy VS SPY said...

Once the balance of density is tilted towards the market rate rent payers you'll see more accountability and stability in this neighborhood bordering the ghetto.

ONCE THEY FIND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH WE CAN ALL LIVE FOREVER.

While far from the subway, the views are priceless and the lack of congestion relaxing.

I CAN SEE THE CITY FROM MY ROOF BUT IT WILL BE BLOCKED BY THESE BUILDINGS. DO MOST OF US THAT LIVE HERE GIVE 2 SHITS ABOUT THOSE THAT DON'T?

MY BACK YARD WAS RELAXING AS WAS MY COMMUNITY UNTIL THEY STARTED TO SHOE HORN MORE PEOPLE. IF THE POWERS THAT BE THINK ITS NOT IMPORTANT FOR ME, DO I GIVE 2 SHITS FOR PEOPLE THAT DONT LIVE HERE.

WHY SHOULD MY TAXES GO FOR THEM WHEN MY SERVICES SUCK AND ARE BEING SHORT CHANGED TO SUPPORT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.

BESIDES, AS THEY SAY IN WEST VIRGINIA, YOU CANT EAT SCENERY.

ITS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE YOU MORON BIKE NUT.

The waterfront is only getting cooler, and the straight shot down vernon to LIC is perfect for us cyclists.

WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENT ON A 2 LANE STREET THE ONLY STRAIGHT SHOT WILL BE FROM THE PROJECTS WHILE YOU ARE SITTING ON YOUR ASS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC.

I for one see past the negativity and see the potential.

THE REST OF US CAN SEE BEYOND THE HYPE INTO THE STUPIDITY OF YOU WHO MUST BE A REAL ESTATE SHILL, A HACK'S COOLIE PAID TO POST THIS GARBAGE, OR A LOSER MILLENNIAL WITH NO REAL JOB, A TON OF DEBT, AND BURIED IN FOOD PORN.

Anonymous said...

Spy vs spy,
Seems I may have touched a nerve, lol. Reality is that they'll build where there's space, and a profit to be made where there's all this demand. If you want to preserve the peace and quiet, well there's always West Virginia right genius! That being said who brings more to the table when they move in? More a
"Affordable housing aka projects" or market raters. Don't know about you but the ghetto doesn't do much to enrich the quality of life in that section of Queens, so any shiny new buildings would be an improvement. btw you should check out Kate up tons carls jr burger ad. food porn is awesome!

Man With No Name said...

Poster 16, no nerve is touched as a matter of fact its lots of fun to poke holes through 'received wisdom' that amounts to little more than some real estate spin.

The point is that you are setting the community up for Astoria Houses II. When those homes were built people floated many of the same ideas that are being floated today.

That place simply cannot take more people and with the periodic stench as well as flooding, to say nothing of no amenities for blocks, as well as living next to a ghetto a person would be a moron to move there even if they gave you the place.

The principle we are going to drive time and again here is that communities exist for the people that live there, not for some speculator to make money. If I pay taxes, I want it to benefit my family not some developer's daughter to whore it up on summer vacation or some politician to advance up the ladder.

And yes, the West Virginia analogy is perfect for NYC. Our communities were might have not been pretty to you, but they were heaven to us until outsiders came in, tore everything up, exploited the land, then took the money, and left us with nothing but a raped landscape.

Anonymous said...

Wow! You must be the original William hallets founder of astoria or maybe a Native American Indian, otherwise you're just another retard that wants your status quo to be a frozen in time reality for the rest of us to wallow in. NY evolves, as does the world. You have to adapt, adjust and overcome, right? If some developer wants to give me gobs of money for a house that was on a side of astoria that no one wanted to live in before, you'd be an idiot not to cash in. And if the extra interest in an area generates an increase in new restaurants, and artistic venues, then how can you find fault in that. As for the communities being for the people that live there, wow that was deep, then accept that more people are moving in Aristotle and that they are now part of your community, what do you propose then social genius? Hahn maybe a moat with laser mounted sharks, nah austin powers beat me to it.

Anonymous said...

Alma has a bad track record, which is coming to light more and more. They are being investigated in Brooklyn for tenant harassment and backpedaling on a terms of a contract. They have a record of shoddy construction. They have been sitting on that Apple Tag factory for over 4 years with no progress at all. Crain's speculated that they may not have the money to complete the project. This may end up as a half finished project that sits for years, like the Rat Castle on Ludlow street.

"Jobs" are always the carrot on the stick.