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The Steinway Mansion Historical Heritage site's destructive backhoe damage to adjacent property now partially repaired.
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| Careless backhoe operation can indeed do a lot of damage, no? And the site's excavation future has yet to be written. |
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Contractor damaged property adjacent to Steinway Mansion
The Steinway Mansion Historical Heritage site's destructive backhoe damage to adjacent property now partially repaired.
43 comments:
Folks. This is why you read Queens Crap before you read anything else in the day. You know it and I know it. The ineffective Queens politicians and derelict Queens arts establishment have been "sticking it to you" since Day One and you sit back and take it. And where are the NY papers covering this: the Times, The News, the Post? The community papers? Chronicle, Courier, Tribune, Gazette? All MIA - missing in action. Check out the visual history of the adjacent property's destruction exclusively to Queens Crap here.
God Save the Steinway Mansion! - your historical heritage and history. And Long Live Queens Crap!
In the name of the great Jehovah, Messrs. Loria, Caliendo, Constantinides, Finkelpearl, van Bramer, Madame Katz et cetera et alia:
WWJD (What would Jesus do?)
George said: This is why you read Queens Crap before you read anything else in the day.
George, you are correct. I am now (3am) at lunch on my overnite shift at the public computer provided in the employee kitchen. (11106)
Shame on the newspapers in Queens that place whore ads, statements from real estate shills, and press releases by hacks for politicians as news - while real struggles like the Steinway Mansion get ignored at worst, or get chopped up gabble at best.
Our community is sick and tired of all the empty promises from the politicians on that sewer plant - no one going to do anything but if the Friends get going, and transform the community, then they deserve everyone's support in upper Ditmars.
The Vallones are yesterday's news, Costa is no news, and the Arts District is big news. Go Freinds! Ditmars is pulling for you!
How about it Melinda, time to make that one phone call to Paulson? What the hell are you waiting for?
This throws into question everything these guys are doing - hope they get sued big time.
We should we worried now about a fire breaking out in the mansion. The public needs to know what steps they are taking to protect the place. Our politicians have to take the responsibility for what is going on here - 'might develop some of the property my ass.'
The Vallones are certainly the vilest of all of the villains here....eh, silent Pete Jr. ?
Then there's silent Van Bramer....silent Beep Katz....the silent LPC.....a few silent weekly news rags.
Where is Dr. jack Eichenbaum, "esteemed" borough historian? He is the most silent of them all , except when he has one of his walking tours to promote He has publicly expressed his personal opinion in the news media in the past, that he doesn't always believe in the landmarking process as the best solution to protect historic buildings. So how did this "champion" of Queens history get to be our borough historian? For sure, if he speaks up now, he might just lose his post.
Now, YOU... Queens voters are the worst of them all.
You are the silent majority of fools that elects our electeds, without adequately researching their backgrounds.
Most pol's are owned by the real estate development industry that pays them off with campaign contributions. If you are unhappy with your representation, then wake up you sleepy farmers. Vote more wisely next time.
Speaking of silence...in the meantime,...it could wind up being a silent night for the Steinway mansion. Oops, the contractor's back hoe just struck the tower. Sometimes, I am ashamed to say that I live in Queens.
I would hope that Greater Astoria Historical Society would be holding a rally to protest this.
Suggested location: The councilman's or borough president's office. How about loading up a bus
and picket the headquarters of the landmarks commission? Hmmm. Let's see what they come up with.
Now a pile driver is at work there. Check out latest photo here. Source: Friends of the Steinway Mansion (Facebook page) - an invaluable resource (along with QC) to keep abreast of what's happening. Check it out yourself here. Be there or be square.
This incessant pounding should work wonders on the exquisite interiors of the Mansion and perhaps endanger its structural stability. Does the Landmarks Commission know what's going on? Do the surrounding property owners know what is going on?
Mary Ann Mrozinski (Executive Director of the historic King Manor House and Museum in Jamaica) and Richard Werber (Vice Chairman of King Manor's Board of Directors): are you two still hiding under the sofa, keeping deafeningly quiet? Is Gerald Caliendo, the architect of this Steinway Mansion historical heritage site destruction and Chairman of your Board of Directors, hiding there with you?It must be getting crowded there under that sofa. Your staff getting you take-out Chinese? You ever going to surface for a statement? You even had interns a few years digging all over your property looking for historical artifacts. What you see here in these photos must turn your stomachs. Right?
GTA -- keep posting your pictures. I'll keep an eye out to see if there's grounds for a 311 complaint and a DOB field trip.
-somethingstructural
Check out my latest posting to see the pile driver (IMT AF) in action here. The linked to You Tube video which someone else posted awhile ago is 4:00 minutes in length. (If you're short on time check out the last 2 minutes.)
This incessant pounding and pummeling will occur right up to the foundation of the Mansion for days, weeks, months.
God Save the Steinway Mansion!. - THE most beautiful building in Queens. Your legacy and heritage.
I would hope that Greater Astoria Historical Society would be holding a rally to protest this.
Suggested location: The councilman's or borough president's office. How about loading up a bus
and picket the headquarters of the landmarks commission? Hmmm. Let's see what they come up with.
!!!!!!
Sure in that community where the Vallones are next to God and the Hipsters only care about food. Sure plenty of support. That is how you got there.
Forget Queens. You need to get Manhattan involved. And because of the image Queens has no one wants to get involved with NYC own little "Hermit Kingdom"
Stop defending GAHS. They should still be making some noise by holding a rally anyway. It does not matter if the odds seem against them. Otherwise they are just a bunch of lazy blowhards and accomplices in Steinways violation. I guess that won't be happening. If they take action , landlord Stamiadedes will double their rent and there goes their precious archives out on the street. The most effective form of historical society would be one that holds no bulky possessions or collections. That way their efforts can be directed toward fighting for the historical fabric of their domain, rather than keep in line to protect their physical holdings.
GAHS is in business to protect their holdings not to defend Steinway with much more than words...the politically approved words.
Oh, yes...they believe that education is the key to raise awareness for the need to preserve historic sites. By the time that most of these anemic societies achieve that goal , there will be practically no sites left to preserve. But what a wonderful collection of photos they can show the future generation of all those great sites that were destroyed. Wake up. The bell is tolling! Put up or shut up!
Look at the Queens Historical Society. Not a peep out of them. They've got it made in the shade. They pay no rent. They are an independent organization sitting on city parkland. Is it true that NYC even pays for its electricity? Kingsland House belongs to QHS. The foundation it sits on belongs to NYC.
Get Manhattan involved? Why should they care about Queens? They've got theirs. Manhattan allowed Steinway Hall to get closed.
It is all a matter of money. The Real Estate Board of NYC has billions. They can buy up all the politicians they need to promote their agenda.
REBNY runs New York. De Blasio obeys REBNY. So on and so forth.
So, where are all of these Native American tribes that were called upon to defend Steinway?
Try holding a pow wow in protest. LOL! No smoke signals that we can see yet. Has anybody found a pro bono lawyer yet?
Nah! Rhetoric is easier than action. Why is it that only at the eleventh hour do preservationists decide to get vocal?
What ever happened to advance planning...the kind that should have begun eight years ago?
Rattle your Sabres all you want. The contractors's heavy field pieces are sounding off.
Can we finally learn a good lesson from all this, you weak, emasculated hysterical societies throughout Queens?
Invest early in protecting our historical buildings and sites. Last minute efforts are usually futile.
A bunch of real blowhards around here that do not know what the f*k they are talking about.
Sounds like western Queens 'civic' leaders - so smart they sell their communities down the river for chump change. No schools, no hospitals, no transportation, no brains
Developers are probably laughing and exchanging 'stupid' jokes every time they sit down at dinner.
One of the reasons the societies are weak in Queens is their politicians starve them - you do not want people to give someone a chance to love and fight for their community when ever block and lot are listed for the highest bidder, and you sink a ton of money in garbage like that theater for Astoria Park, dog runs and bocce courts - stuff that helps developers sell crap and photo ops for targeted voter blocks. Don't get me started on the money pits for cultural venues in the middle of Flushing Meadows.
All you need to do is to go to the same type of cultural institutions in Brooklyn or Manhattan. Night and Day.
Mentioned it to Mr. "I am chair of the cultural committee" Van Bramer who went ballistic. Doesn't take much to push his button.
I emailed the GAHS about this but haven't heard back.
Someone should be banging on the door of LPC and DOB asking to see their property monitoring reports. TPPN 10/88 dictates that they have to monitor vibration levels and survey the property on a regular basis along with install crack monitoring gauges and other things to ensure as an individual landmark it's not damaged.
Yet I do not see survey prisms on the building. Shock of shocks.
George do you see any? They're usually a reflective white background with a target or crosshairs on them, frequently glued or screwed to the building.
-somethingstructural
"George do you see any?"
________________________________________________
No.
Thank you george for keeping up the reporting. The media outlets won't touch this because a) it's in queens b) there's no nosy protests forcing them to and c) no one wants to challenge these real estate 'developers' (i.e. - goons).
As for the rest of these comments... I still don't get the hate of GAHS. I think the only thing they could try to do is hold a rally. Other than them and the crapper, I haven't see a single peep about this story in any news outlets.
I think GAHS is doing a pretty good job with what they have - the fact that they even exist in a community like that gives them no real support, is being sent the the developers' wood chipper by that community board, and has. as their reps creep Vallone, dim bulb Costa, or chip-on-my-shoulder Van Bramer, is pretty amazing.
The only rallies you see in Astoria are orchestrated by the politicians as scripted media events.
I have a feeling they are taking everything in and are working behind the scenes. If you follow them, as I do, you see a pattern of quietly pulling one trick out of another from their hat.
Call it instinct, but my money is on them.
Exhibit A of the complete collapse of the political process in Queens. Stunts like this will destroy the organization's credibility with the public.
LOL....GAHS is doing a pretty good job with what they have?
I don't think so. The French Resistance did a far better job with what they had during WW II..
Which was damned little!
If politicians are starving the historical societies...I say...how come they don't look for funding elsewhere?
Never! They would rather be on the dole and take their beer money from the local pol's an remain well behaved.
Keep on mounting exhibits and holding those poorly attended walking tours, my friends.
But, PLEASE do not try and pass yourselves off as warriors. You are wimps and girly men!
Why does GAHS continually use phantom posters to make excuses for their poor performance here?
There is a certain armchair Napoleanic Marshall who considers himself a great leader of the society. He prattles
Action whereas he seeks to have others do his fighting for him.
Can you guess who this fine gentleman is?
The buck stops at GAHS's door!
They will not buck their landlord's desire for them to remain mute on the subject of Steinway.
They could lose their lease if they hold a protest rally.
George Stamiadedes, Quinn Funeral Services is pro development and anti preservation.
Oh, he enjoys the cache of having GAHS as a tenant. That allows him to pass himself off as a pro preservation guy.
Hmmmm....for the price of monthly rent from GAHS, of course.
Obey! Obey! Obey...you good little boys and girls of GAHS.
"TPPN 10/88 dictates that they have to monitor vibration levels and survey the property on a regular basis along with install crack monitoring gauges and other things to ensure as an individual landmark it's not damaged."
___________________________________________________________________________________________
For the esteemed general reader of Queens Crap: TPPN means Technical Policy and Procedure Notice. It was issued by Irving Polsky,P.E., the Chief Engineer of the Department of Buildings on June 6, 1988. The subject:
"The Procedures for the Avoidance of Damage to Historic Structures Resulting from Adjacent Construction When Subject to Controlled Inspection by Section 27-724 and for Any Existing Structure Designated by the Commissioner."
You, esteemed Queens Crap reader, can read the very simple to understand 5-page directive yourself here.
Agreed!
Worse than the careless excavation that is going on here is the lack of strong reaction by the Greater Astoria Historical Society.
In essence, by their acqiescence, they become the partners in this crime.
Afraid to hold a rally, folks? It is safer to remain silent.
However if you fail to speak up, then forever hold your piece...putz...in your hand. Wah, wah, wah and wee, wee, wee, all the way home!
You will lose your self respect and that of your members.
GAHS - do nothings?
Stay tuned.
Man when you stick a pig he squeals.
St Saviours held rallies, did it help them? There are more than one way to skin a cat. No one has any idea what is going on behind the scenes. As far as you may know, the owners might have even made an offer to FoSM. Nobody knows and those who know arn't talkin'.
Yup. The St. Saviour's rallies did absolutely no good. Check out the rally photos from February 2008 and the warehouses now standing where the protestors stood:
"Vas you dere, Sharly?" Yes.
The St. Saviour's rallies prevented 90+ units of housing in an already overdeveloped area. The neighbors said they would prefer warehouses if they couldn't get a park. They got their second choice. What do the people of Astoria want at the Steinway Mansion?
"If they couldn't get their second choice." How about a first choice?
Rallies are like signing petitions - another dead end that takes a lot of energy that has questionable results.
GAHS has been pining for a new place to plop down after their rent shot up. They'll broker a deal to move into the mansion. And then no one will visit and they'll have no money to fix up the place.
Boy is this a black eye for Astoria and that community board. Caliendo on the board, the local electeds either are hiding in a whole or singing praises of this mess.
Sure, Astoria is a great tourist spot - where they throw beer kegs in the alley at 4 AM and Astoria Park smells like a shit house.
Now matter how you cut it, only a place that is backward, ignorant, and stupid would do this do the name 'Steinway' and would treat a wonderful opportunity for its kids education as a chance to abuse a building like this.
As long as words are cheap and action is expensive, GAHS will do nothing more than babble. Yes...they were interested in taking over Steinway. Could you blame any politician who looked over their books and discovered they could barely make the rent at Quinn funeral parlor? Hand over Steinway to them? Yeah, right! Dream on Gentleman Jim. They hooked Forgotten New York author into their craw to gain credibility. Maybe he got duped by an offer of having access to their photo archive. Ya nevah know, does Ya? !!!!!
There is one person that is posting most of the anti-GAHS garbage on this site - protecting fellow community board member Caliendo and his good buddy Vallone.
Exhibit A of why the people leading that community is a sorry assed laughing stock giving the borough and city a black eye before the world.
Keep posting you nitwit. I bet with every piece of garbage you throw on the ground a dozen new supporters of the Friends spring up from the earth. Crap is the best fertilizer you know.
That one person ...if it be just one person....hit the bull's eye of truth. GAHS hasn't really done squat for Steinway.
Once they got turned down for using the mansion as their headquarters, they backed off.
Issuing statements and some weak letter writing does not amount to much action.
Somebody's face is turning red at GAHS because they have been properly exposed as being part of the problem instead of the solution.
LOL! Friends of Steinway popping up from the ground? They'd better have money.
Chill out fella. Pop a Valium. Take a Prozac. You are living in a fantasy world. And watch your blood pressure.
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