Friday, June 26, 2015

Borough hall garage is a-comin' down

Photo by Domenick Rafter
From the Queens Tribune:

Since the parking garage at Borough Hall abruptly closed down last September, there has not been any action by the city on demolishing and replacing the structure – until now.

The city Department of Transportation has planned a project that will last a total of seven months, in which demolition will occur for the first three. Michael Cohen, a spokesman for Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), indicated in an email that the project to demolish and replace the garage was originally supposed to encompass a total of 18 months.

Already, demolition work is beginning on the garage and plans are to replace it with a parking lot at ground level.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wasn't cohen an assemblyman,same guy? Nice to have friends in high places. So When will we have an independent Inspector General to investigate political corruption in nyc. We have three seperate ones for the police,not including a federal monitor. Surely we can have one for pols......

Anonymous said...

He's a leech.

Anonymous said...

Like how Peter Vallone and Quinn went to work for Cuomo after they lost, these people never go away...

Anonymous said...

This article is absolutely misleading. I walk past this garage everyday and the demolition of the garage started at least three months ago not, as the article says, "until now".

You can not just snap your fingers and a new surface lot appears. This project has been expedited and the progress shows everyday. For example, they have already demolished the primary structure and they have already delivered the gravel that will be spread as a base below the new blacktop.

Yeah it is unfortunate to lose parking, I get it. But do not lie and say that no progress for the new lot has not occurred until "now" in the first paragraph.

Anonymous said...

If the city could loot the coffers for 2 new sports stadiums, why can't they build a new a garage? Maybe it won't be a parking lot on that piece of land.......

Anonymous said...

First of all, apples and oranges when trying to compare the building of a stadium to a parking lot. Take a breath.

Second of all, *they are* building a parking lot there. They just are not building a much more expensive, multi-level parking structure.

I had to park at the former lot multiple times at different times of the day when it was still in operation. And guess what? The lot was never more than a 1/3 full (and that doesn't even count the roof level that was closed for parking years prior). It doesn't take a traffic study to teach the city that a multi-level parking garage is unnecessary. A surface lot will be plenty fine.

And how big will the new lot be? Since it will be a surface lot, it will be about a 1/3 smaller.

But you are right, it won't last long as just a parking lot owned by the city; and that is not such a bad thing.

Anonymous said...

Am I missing something here? They are tearing down a multi level garage and replacing it with a ground level one and will have 1/3 the amount of space?
I would think with all the workers at Boro Hall,people for jury duty and anyone else needing a parking spot it won't be enough.Look around they are only building high rises on Queens Blvd.

Anonymous said...

Yes you are missing something. Again, take a breath. I am the one who said that it will be about a 1/3 and that is only my personal estimate.

However, if that is true (again just an estimate), it will still be plenty enough space.

Again, that lot was never more than a 1/3 full. Hence, a replacement surface lot that is only 1/3 the size is quite big enough. I know it may sound cathartic to complain but you are making false complaints about a non-existing problem. Yes, it is unfortunate that the lot is temporarily unavailable but your hysterics are misdirected.

Many of those Borough Hall employees (BP, DOB, DOT, etc.) actually use the two existing surface lots on the campus of Borough Hall already. Again, when the municipal lot was used, it was never used by more than MAYBE on a GOOD DAY, a 1/3 of the lot.

And your false cry of an epidemic of "high rises" on Queens Boulevard is laughable. Only High rises?! In Kew Gardens?! One 20-story building on 82nd Avenue may not be popular but don't say, "look around they are only building high rises on Queens Boulevard". Yes I am looking around and all I see is that ONE building.