Wednesday, November 25, 2015

DOE withdraws purchase of school site that Vallone said couldn't be stopped

From the Times Ledger:

The city School Construction Authority has announced it would rescind its contract to purchase the Bayside Jewish Center along with its plans to build a 739-seat high school on the site, ending a controversy over which has been growing for months.

SCA President and CEO Lorraine Grillo issued a statement Tuesday making the announcement:

“In addition to building great schools that foster a welcoming environment for our students and families, we are laser focused on identifying appropriate locations to increase capacity in a city where space is at a premium,” Grillo said. “Unfortunat­ely, we have been unable to reach a consensus with Bayside residents and local elected officials on our proposed development site for a new high school in their neighborhood. The proposal will not be moving forward; however, we remain committed to addressing overcrowding communities face.”

This comes after Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) wrote a letter Friday, asking the SCA to halt its proposal before it went to the City Council for a vote. State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) held a rally Saturday calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to put a stop to the contract. But ultimately Grillo caved in to mounting community concerns.


Wasn't it Vallone who said this process couldn't be stopped?

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vallone said...

“I’m more of a realist than someone who’s going to stand on the corner and say it’s not going to happen,” Vallone said over the grumbling of audience members.

The people along with Avella and Graziano said No!!

So happy and proud to have Senator Avella watching out for us. Vote for Graziano in 2017 and you will finally see progress in our community and end to lies and corruption.

Anonymous said...

HA HA! So the residents don't want a public school; they may end up with a homeless shelter!

Anonymous said...

HA HA! So the residents don't want a public school; they may end up with a homeless shelter!

Sounds like the kind of thing you hear in Astoria when someone disagrees with a Vallone or one of their henchmen.

Anonymous said...

Ha Ha! Got that right. And, they we won't allow a homeless shelter either.

Thank you Senator Avella and Paul Graziano for watching out for us. You make a good team.

(sarc) said...

A homeless shelter would greatly help improve the "diversity" of the neighborhood...

Anonymous said...

careful what you ask for

Anonymous said...

They pulled out for some reason, either new info on the site, a new more desirable site, or someone put pressure on them. Don't for one minute think they changed plans due to community resistance.

They don't give a crap about what the community says. They have another reason for pulling out.

Anonymous said...

This in Bayside, yet the Pan American hotel is still a shelter.

White power!

Anonymous said...

I believe Grillo backed out on this deal because there may be an investigation by the nyc doi, nyc conflicts board and the nys attorney general regarding multiple irregularities in another school deal involving sca and the vallone lobbyists/ consulting firm.

Anonymous said...

Vallone looks like a giant ass

Anonymous said...

So what goes there in it's place?

Anonymous said...

This is a blurb from Vallone's newsletter...
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No better way to start Thanksgiving week than stopping by my parish, St. Andrew Avellino in Flushing, as we collected food for families of QSAC and St. Vincent de Paul Society
-----------------------------------

"We" did not collect food, the students were given a list and their parents sent in the food. All Vallone seems to have done is walk in for the photo.

Anonymous said...

Vallone is taking credit for the SCA pulling out the school in this week's Week in Review Newsletter.

Tacky, tacky tacky. Liar Liar Vallone's pants on fire.

Anonymous said...

Stinky stinks. Can't wait to vote against him, again. This time the anti-Stinky people need to throw their support behind one strong, viable candidate to avoid splitting the primary vote and allowing Vallone to slither in for a second term. Paul Graziano looks like the best candidate, should he decide to run.

Anonymous said...

Bayside Jewish Center is closing - Queens Chronicle: North ...
www.qchron.com/.../bayside-jewish-center.../article_73...
Queens Chronicle
Feb 5, 2015 - The Bayside Jewish Center, a fixture in the community for 77 years, is closing due to a lack of members and will be sold.Natalie Winter ...


Was this a sweetheart deal to give the connected property owners an above market price windfall courtesy of the taxpayers? I am suspicious. In my youth Bayside was so Jewish. What a change!

Anonymous said...

according to Sen. Jeff Sessions,AL. cong. comm. on REFUGEE SYRIAN CRISIS, 680,000 Refugees from Middle East are already in the U.S. And 120,000 are expected in the future .@ a cost of $10,000/per each refugee vetting for 3-4 months.
How many are in NY & NYC. they will need housing,schools,food,medical and $$$$ to spend.

How did the NY DEM. Delegation in congress vote in the Refugee Entrance bill just defeated last week? Especially Rep.Meng,from bayside /Flushing?

Anonymous said...

The fact that we are now a dumping ground for the DOB, BOE and aviation industry hasn't changed. This is the first of many, many fights to come...

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
"So what goes there in it's place?"

Either a multistory apt. house....or a Korean 'church".

Anonymous said...

Most likely will become a Korean church. Much better than busing in more juvenile delinquents into district 26. Now if only they start reducing the 60% of students that they bus in from outside of the district to ease overcrowding and improve the high schools.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
"So what goes there in it's place?"

Either a multistory apt. house....or a Korean 'church".


It will NOT be a multistory apartment house. The zoning allows detached one and two-family houses on 35' x 100' and a maximum of 15 can be built on the site.

A church or other religious facility is totally possible...it is currently one, after all.

Paul Graziano

Anonymous said...

In the past two decades, the Cord Meyer area has seen an influx of new large and expensive homes, built mostly by Bukharian immigrants. The new homes contrast with other older houses in the neighborhood which often feature Tudor and Georgian architectural styles.

My bet is Bukharians or some other immigrants are doing this. Americans don't have the ballz to send out a "ninja" arsonist to start seven house construction fires. I have no idea what the dispute is over but it is important to someone and a few others.

Anonymous said...

People forget Steve Behar nailed it. His statement and his sitting on the community board was a major blow to the project.

(sarc) said...

Wake up.

It is simple.

The city provides a variance for a HUGE multi story building.

Then you will have a homeless shelter...

Anonymous said...

Paulie, Paulie stick to the drones you are so passionate about.
Actually you are one of the them.

Community Control said...

That will never happen. Vallone caved and changed his tune due to heavy duty community pressure, particularly after a community board 11 meeting where the SCA showed up and just some rep from Vallone's office showed, but not him. Sen. Avella and members of the community were very clear as to how they felt. If that school went through, Vallone could have a problem with reelection. A homeless shelter will never fly. A senior center would be ideal; there are a lot of local seniors without a local center or library branch. This community will not be bullied. They are organized and energized.

Anonymous said...

Anon # 22 said: "People forget Steve Behar nailed it. His statement and his sitting on the community board was a major blow to the project."
-----------
Hey Steve, it's nice to brag, but I don't think that your opposition is what decided this issue.

Anonymous said...

Who is this loser steve behar. Pretty funny that Vallone is trying to take credit for "killing" a school he took credit for when they decided to build it. This guy is nothing but a press whore. Too bad everything he's done has backfired tremendously, see horse carriage and school

Anonymous said...

hey
remember
those vocal critics on the CBs will be gone next time around
all must be in lockstep

Anonymous said...

The Vallone Thanksgiving homeless basket photo op was such a farce. We crack up every year when he turns up for the photo. Next will be the requisite photo of him on a ladder lighting the Christmas tree outside of the church. The guy is shameless. The people of St. Andrew's roll their eyes.

Jerry Rotondi said...

Oops....did Vallone lose money on this one?

Anonymous said...

Don Vallone got his ass kicked in spades.
There goes his kickback $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Vote the son of a bitch out!