NYC Planning ULURP dog and pony show tonight in Jamaica

 

Queens Chronicle

 

Ahead of a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure anticipated for the spring, Councilwoman Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) is encouraging people to participate in a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to shape the future of Downtown Jamaica.

There will be two community meetings about the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, a proposal to rezone 300 blocks downtown and in adjacent areas around several major corridors.

At a parks meeting held earlier this year, Borough President Donovan Richards said the proposal could create 12,000 housing units in the downtown area.

A virtual Zoom meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 26, starting at 7 p.m. To register, go to shorturl.at/isDVJ. An in-person forum will be held at York College, located at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Jamaica, on Thursday, March 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. To sign up, go to shorturl.at/UNCAk. To learn more about the plan, visit jamaicaplan.nyc.

“These meetings are a chance for residents, business owners and stakeholders to provide input on how we can create a more vibrant, inclusive and sustainable Jamaica,” Williams said via email.

Corridors such as Jamaica Avenue, Merrick Boulevard, Hillside Avenue and Liberty Avenue, institutions including York College, Rufus King Park and the Jamaica Rail Hub, which provides transit access to the rest of New York City and east to Long Island via the subway, Long Island Rail Road and AirTrain, are all in the targeted area.

The purpose of the plan, other than creating more housing, is to improve the quality of life for current and future residents, maintain the cultural diversity in Jamaica, achieve equitable health and safety outcomes in the area, bolster Jamaica’s rich history and create a climate-resilient and environmentally friendly place, according to the Jamaica Plan website.

To achieve that, there would be a push to increase awareness of and access to local and citywide mental health resources; pathways to foster partnerships with local institutions; exhibits for local artists; support for diverse businesses to open up; promotion of Jamaica’s green spaces and festivals; strategies and enforcement to improve sanitation; management of flooding, air quality and climate change; and more.

Having a zoom hearing over a week before the actual neighborhood town hall for something as life changing as rezoning is quite sneaky and unethical and really shows the YIMBY lobbyist infiltrated NYC Planning office has already decided what they want to do with Jamaica. And it should be no surprise since past neighborhood plan "workshops" included children designing areas and fabricating residents to make it look like more community input was involved. 

Oh, and don't call it a City Of Yes, they really hate that.

The City Of Yes always existed, it just needed a brand

 

Years before the City of Yes became a thing and an annoying catch phrase, the city already approved rezoning to build higher and denser in Jamaica. Like this block here on Waltham St between 97th and 95th avenues. One block away from the behemoth tower hyperdevelopment on Suthphin Blvd.

  

This is the little bit of housing NYC Planning, Mayor Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards wants in your neighborhoods and think this make rents trickle down all over the city.

Unfortunately for the rent-burdened and homeless, those trickle down rents will have to wait for this one since it's in a state of suspension. 

Everything about the City Of Yes is a lie that's been told before for the last decade.

 

Man murders younger half-brother and stabs parents, then gets gunned down by NYPD at "affordable" housing tower

 

 

AMNY 

The 4th of July holiday became a nightmare in Queens on Thursday afternoon after a man stabbed a child to death and police fatally shot the knife-wielding suspect in a domestic dispute, police brass said.

According to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, cops from the 103rd Precinct rushed to a luxury apartment building  at around 5:20 p.m. in the Jamaica section of the borough, located at 147-25 94th Ave after several residents called police for help.

“A female came out of this building pleading for help. She ran down to the corner to MTA police to get help and simultaneously the security desk called 911 for assistance,” Chief Chell said. “Members of the 103 Precinct responded in three minutes.”

Upon arrival at the 5th floor apartment, authorities said, cops were confronted with a man, in his 20’s, holding a knife to his 43-year-old father’s neck. Inside that same apartment a 29-year-old woman had been wounded and an 8-year-old boy had been stabbed to death, all in the same apartment as an 8-month-old-baby. Chief Chell told reporters that cops demanded the man drop the weapon, but he refused, resulting in the officers shooting the suspect. The baby was unharmed.

Police say the perpetrator was rushed to a hospital; sources close to the investigation report that he later died.  

 Chief Chell said the 8-year-old and his killer were stepbrothers, however, the ultimate reason for the holiday rampage remains under investigation.

This is not a luxury tower per se, it's one of those "affordable housing" towers from the 421a program to set aside 20%-25% of units under market rate (it's the one with the now leasing sign)

Besides the tragic domestic slaughter, this is bad all around for the "city of yes" and what may be another indictment of the city's continuing lack of mental health services. 

 

 

 

 

NYC Planning to hold a town hall on zoom for the Jamaica Neighboorhood Action Plan (but don't call it the City Of Yes)

📢 Attention Southeast Queens residents!

This is your chance to chime in on what should be included in the long-term vision to improve the downtown Jamaica area.

Join us at the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan Town Hall on Thursday, June 13th at 7PM!

RSVP: https://t.co/48u7DF7HhD pic.twitter.com/YtODxTbWI8

— Adrienne Adams (@NYCSpeakerAdams) June 10, 2024

 

Jamaica Plan  

Why wouldn't Natasha Williams and Dan Garodnick and all those urbanist plants from the NYC Planning office hold an in person town hall now that the weather is a lot warmer out. Maybe it's because everyone in Jamaica knows this is part of the notorious City Of Yes plan to rezone and upzone residential blocks and make driving and parking difficult for them. Here's another thing, the toxic lobbyist Cerebrus who supported the failed congestion pricing scheme-transportation alternatives, open plans and Open New York have heavily influenced the Jamaica Plan from the very beginning. This zoom town hall is going to be rigged with those lobbyist creeps and their cult supporters unless the people from Southeast Queens stops them.

Department of Transportation suggests transportation alternatives to avoid rigged bus cameras to disabled and elderly churchgoers

 

 Queens Chronicle

For months, members of Grace Episcopal Church in Jamaica have complained of being hit with traffic tickets when they drop off elderly people and those with limited mobility in front of the church on Jamaica Avenue, where the city’s Department of Transportation installed a busway in late 2021. Since then, parishioners have been working with area elected officials and the DOT to find a solution.

With tickets starting at $50 for parking in the busway and increasing up to $500 after several offenses, the cost has weighed on churchgoers. But part of the problem, says church vestry member Annette Manigault, was the lack of clarity on how the street and bus cameras ticketing drivers worked.

“We’re trying to make sure we can get the parishioners, especially our elderly or disabled, into the church, because no one was in knowledge of how the cameras are working, as well as the location being not accessible for cars coming down Jamaica Avenue,” she said.

She added that the nearest parking lots are several blocks away, making the need to drop off those with limited mobility all the more vital.

Under busway rules, no through traffic is allowed on Jamaica Avenue from Sutphin Boulevard to 168th Street, seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; cars on the avenue must make the first available turn off of it.

In a recent walk-through of the site, which was attended by Queens Commissioner Nicole Garcia, the DOT clarified to parishioners that the busway does not prevent cars from accessing a given block of Jamaica Avenue — it tickets drivers from continuing down it for more than a block. Therefore, there are several ways churchgoers can drop off their loved ones in front of the church without facing tickets, as detailed in a DOT pamphlet the agency said it handed out at the walk-through.

If traveling south on Parsons Boulevard, drivers can turn right onto Jamaica Avenue, stop in front of the church, then turn right onto 153rd Street. Drivers coming from the east on Archer Avenue can turn right onto Parsons Boulevard before turning left onto Jamaica and making their drop off, then continuing onto 153rd Street. From the west, drivers on Archer Avenue can turn left onto 153rd Street and then right onto Jamaica Avenue. After stopping, they can turn right onto Parsons Boulevard and then right onto Archer again. The latter does, however, require churchgoers to cross the street.

 

More invasion of the house squatters

 

Daily Mail

These are the latest victims of New York's 'insane' housing laws that have given way to a wave of absurd squatting incidents where homeowners find themselves forced to go to court to kick out brazen would-be tenants. 

Denis and Juliya are a married couple who invested $530,000 in a property in Jamaica, Queens, several years ago. 

On March 5, a broker they were working with visited the property for a site check before allowing tenants to move in and found the locks had been changed. 

Inside the property was Lance Hunt Jr. and Rondie L. Francis, who had set up mattresses, a flat screen TV and a massage table. The men claimed to have legally leased the property months earlier and refused to leave. 

Now, the homeowners are locked in a legal battle with the pair after the alleged squatters hired an attorney to sue them. 

An emergency lockout hearing was held on Friday March 22 at Queens County Civil Court after the squatters' attorney, Dennis Harris served the couple, the realtor and the real estate company. 

During the 1pm hearing, Rizpah Morrow, who is representing the homeowners asked Judge Vijay M. Kitson for a trial on the grounds that the two men acted in an unlawful manner.

'They perpetrated a fraud,' Morrow told the judge.

The judge told her that she is entitled to a trial, and said 'let them come to court and testify.'

But when the judge asked their attorney where his clients were, Harris told the judge one of them 'had to go to work.'

At this point Ejona Bardhi, the real estate broker with Top Nest Properties, who was also representing the homeowners in court, intervened and told the judge, 'he left because he did not want to get arrested.' 

Denis and Juliya asked the judge if their new tenants could move in before the next court date. The judge agreed but warned them it may complicate the case. The next court date is April 5. 

After the hearing was adjourned and the chambers doors were closed, Lance Hunt, Sr., the father of the second alleged squatter Lance Hunt, Jr., who told DailyMail.com his name was Michael, walked into the court house. 

He tried to enter the judge's chambers but the court officers told him the session had ended for the day. 

Denis told DailyMail.com he is outraged by what is taking place. He said that he and his wife had to take off a day of work and spend $4,000 on an attorney fees.

'I'm being sued for illegal lock out, and for damages. They uploaded fake documents and they have an attorney and notary that are working with them to scam innocent homeowners in Queens,' he said.

'They are targeting empty homes especially the ones listed on the market and the home owners are not protected. 

'I intend to pursue them criminally as well as start a class action lawsuit against the city for failing to protect us.' 

He added: 'This has to be stopped.'

Denis on the phone waiting for the court hearing to start as Rondie L. Francis, one of the alleged squatters, stands behind him 

Bardhi said she first noticed that one of the locks had been changed on the doors on March 1. At first she assumed it may have been done by the former management company, until they told her they did not touch the locks,

When Bardhi went back to the property on March 4, she noticed the other set of door locks had also been changed, and then saw a dark figure in the window.

'I saw a man wearing a black hoodie holding a drill in his hand,' Bardhi recalled.

Alarmed she called police and the homeowners and waited in her car for officers to arrive. While she waited, she noticed more men emerge. She said they started circling her car that was parked in front of the Lakewood Avenue property.

‘They were trying to intimidate me,' she said. 'It was bizarre.'

When police arrived the men told them it was their property and they had been living there since January. Bardhi disputed their claims and said she was just at the home a day prior with a housing inspector.

When officers asked the men for proof of residency, they did not have anything to show, but told the cops they were YouTubers, and left peacefully.

Once they were out, Bardhi and the homeowners were going to place new locks on the door, but the officers told them if they do they will get arrested. 

Upon learning that Bardhi and the homeowners said they were 'enraged' 

She told DailyMail.com: 'The police tells us that they have rights that was the ridiculous part.'

 

Don't call it a City Of Yes: New Jamaica zoning proposal finally revealed

 

 City Limits

The city is moving forward on plans to rezone a swath of Jamaica, Queens—what officials say aims to boost both housing and economic opportunities around the area’s many public transit hubs.

The Department of City Planning (DCP) on Monday unveiled the “Draft Zoning Framework” for the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan—crafted after six months of community workshops and a public survey, and a precursor to a more formal rezoning proposal expected later this year.

The 300-block study area encompasses the Jamaica Rail Hub and surrounding downtown, CUNY’s York College campus, the Hollis LIRR station and several branching-off “transit corridors,” including Hillside and Jamaica avenues and Sutphin, Guy R. Brewer and Merrick boulevards. 

The framework proposes to “increase density and allow housing in appropriate, key areas,” according to a DCP presentation, including through the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program, which requires new housing in rezoned areas include a portion of income-restricted homes. It would retain several hubs for industrial uses, and prioritize others for “mixed use” development.

 The area is represented by City Councilmember Nantasha Williams, whose district has seen 3,400 new units of city-financed affordable housing since 2014, according to DCP (a tracker published by the New York Housing Conference ranks it 13th out of the city’s 51 Council districts when it comes to affordable development). 

Just more than half of homes in Jamaica are occupied by renters, 59 percent of whom are rent burdened, meaning they spend at least a third or more of their income on housing, according to DCP. The district has a higher homeownership rate than both the borough of Queens and the city as whole, though more than half of its homeowners are considered “mortgage burdened.”

In a statement accompanying the release of the draft framework, Williams—who as the local rep will play a key role during public review of the plan, and the Council’s ultimate vote on it—stressed the importance of ensuring “stakeholders feel their voice is being heard in every step of this process.”

“This zoning framework allows DCP to begin the environmental review process into how much our community can grow in the future and what the needs will be,” Williams said.

The proposal is one of several neighborhood rezonings being pursued by the Adams administration, alongside plans to boost development around new Metro-North stations in the Bronx and in Central Brooklyn. 

It comes as the city grapples with an extreme housing shortage: the most recent survey of the city’s inventory released last week found that just 1.41 percent of rental units were vacant last year, the lowest availability since 1968. 

City Planning expects to release a more formal zoning proposal for Jamaica—to include specific zoning districts and projections for how many new units of housing it aims to create—in the next couple of months, according to a spokesperson. 

The months-long public review process, known as ULURP, will likely begin at the end of the year, the spokesperson added.

 

The Last Picture Show

Queens Chronicle 

Showcase Cinemas, a global chain that manages movie theaters across the country, has told the Chronicle via email that Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas will cease operations on Tuesday, April 30, about two months earlier than what has been reported over the past few weeks.

“Members of our Starpass loyalty program will receive a special offer as a way to thank them for their many years of movie-going at Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas,” said a marketing and partnerships representative of the chain. “Showcase Cinemas remains deeply committed to our theatrical exhibition business and we look forward to continuing to provide a superior movie-going experience at our U.S. cinema locations.”

When asked why the multiplex, located at 159-02 Jamaica Ave., is closing, the representative said the move follows a failure to come to terms with the landlord on a new lease agreement.

Michael Mattone, CEO of Mattone Investors, LLC, the owner of the building that houses the movie theater, told the Chronicle there was no dispute with Showcase Cinemas.

“Their lease terms came to an end,” Mattone said. “They were there for 20 years and then we gave them an extension. That extension basically expired and they decided not to seek an additional term.”

When asked about the April 30 end date, Mattone said he had been told it was June.

“That’s news to me,” said Mattone, who opened up a JD Sports next door to the multiplex two weeks ago.

As for whether he will work with a different movie chain or replace the business with a retailer, the CEO said he has a couple of things in the works.

“I am not at liberty to get into the details on those just yet,” Mattone said. “Those range from maintaining it as a theater to change of use ... [Details] coming soon to a theater near you.”

Several people were shocked and dismayed on Monday to learn that Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas will be closing.

The move comes on the heels of Brooklyn’s Linden Boulevard Multiplex Cinemas’ closure on Jan. 2 and the announcement that College Point Multiplex Cinemas will close May 7 and eventually be replaced by a logistics center.

According to multiple reports, Showcase Cinemas, owned by National Amusements, which owns all three theaters, has been shuttering movie houses across the country due to the rise of streaming, low foot traffic since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and expiring lease agreements.

“I think another theater would be good,” passerby Javonte Wooten said when asked by the Chronicle if there should be a new business or another moviehouse. “I actually live near where the Linden Boulevard theater just closed. Those are staples in our community.”

 

General Gouging Electric

  

Crains New York

New York ratepayers will be on the hook for a $1.2-billion Con Edison project to boost electric grid capacity in southeast Queens. The utility said the new networks and substations will meet the area’s surging demand, partially driven by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s efforts to electrify its bus depots and fleet.

The state Public Service Commission on Thursday approved cost recovery for Con Edison’s Reliable Clean City Idlewild Project. The effort will divide the existing Jamaica network in two and build a pair of substations so that the local grid can meet a surge in demand brought on by New York’s efforts to electrify its transportation and building systems.

Con Edison describes the current Jamaica network as its largest, serving more than 162,000 customers, including transportation hubs such as John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Long Island Railroad’s Jamaica Station and at least four major MTA bus depots. In the utility’s petition to state regulators, it claimed that without the investment, demand during times of peak usage would exceed what the network was designed to handle by 2026.

In a statement, PSC Chair Rory Christian backed the utility’s project “to promote the transition to a clean-energy economy while ensuring the reliability of the electric grid overall.”

Typically, the need for major utility upgrades are hashed out as part of the regular rate case process for utilities, but because Con Edison raised the need for load relief at the end of last year’s rate case, the utility was allowed to file a separate petition.

PSC commissioner Diane Burman, who voted against the expense, said the investment should have been scrutinized as part of the rate case process. She similarly took issue with the need for state customers to foot the bill for upgrades primarily supporting MTA and JFK projects.

“If these were customers that were private developers, we would probably be having a more detailed conversation on the cost allocation that they needed to pony up rather than being borne solely by the ratepayers,” Burman said during the vote. She added that it’s not “sustainable” for ratepayers to bear the bulk of the costs of electrifying New York’s economy moving forward.

 

Queens is burning again: Lithium ion battery inferno guts electronics store selling unregistered motorcycles and a house blaze kills a woman and her son who tried to save her

A two-alarm fire that broke out in a commercial building in South Richmond Hill on Saturday night was caused by an exploding lithium-ion battery that saw nearly two dozen e-bikes erupt in flames, according to the FDNY. Fire marshals based their determination on a digital video recording that showed smoke coming from a battery and within 20 seconds it exploded sending a wall of flame that consumed the shop.

The blaze took place inside King Electronic Hub at 119-07 Liberty Ave. just after 9:45 p.m. and firefighters were met by heavy smoke spewing from behind roll-down security gates. The two-story building included apartments above.

 NY Post

An 86-year-old woman was killed in a Queens fire along with her son, who fearlessly rushed back inside the burning home in a desperate attempt to save his mother, according to witnesses and the FDNY.

The two-alarm blaze broke out in the basement of a house on 164th Street between 108th and 109th avenues in Jamaica around 6 p.m., catching the attention of passerby Gersham McGowan, who stopped and called 911.

But before placing the emergency call, McGowan said he spoke to the 61-year-old man outside the house, who told him he had to go back inside to rescue his elderly mom.

“He never came out, his mom never came out either and later on I saw they took two bodies from the house,” McGowan said.

 

Donnie Richards and the Department Of Transportation Alternatives has open plans show for streets in Jamaica

 

QNS 

 Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and other stakeholders, is hosting an open house in Jamaica Monday to provide the community with an opportunity to help shape the plans for a $70 million investment in downtown Jamaica.

The open house, called NOW Design Strategy and Streetscape Plan, will take place at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, located at 153-10 Jamaica Ave., at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 8. The DOT will present its overarching plans for the streetscape improvements for the commercial strip.

The study area, bounded by Jamaica Avenue to the north, Merrick Boulevard to the west, Archer Avenue to the south, and Sutphin Boulevard to the east, will be the focus of potential projects. These projects include sidewalk widening, the addition of more seating, new trees and plantings, improved lighting, pop-up programming, and other open space amenities designed to enhance the pedestrian experience.

Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. emphasized the importance of community involvement in the plan.

“The potential that Jamaica offers is limitless, but there is so much work to be done to help this community realize its promise as New York City’s premiere live, work, and play neighborhood. This is work that must be done with the residents of Jamaica at the head of the table, however, and I look forward to hearing from our neighbors about what streetscape improvements they would like to see on their block.”

The open house is part of the broader Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, a collaborative effort involving the Mayor’s Office, Richards, the DOT, NYC Department of City Planning, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Council Member Nantasha Williams. This initiative aims to stimulate significant job growth and the creation of permanently affordable housing in downtown Jamaica, a vital commercial and transit hub within New York City.

Did I say Open Plans? Yes because Donnie is literally quoting word for word the well moneyed lobby's legisaltion influence agenda and talking points. The video above is actually a taste of what the DOT wants to do to the "public realm" of downtown Jamaica, which is to steal public parking spaces. They claim that building more plaza space is good for businesses, but Target and Walgreens decided to close shop after years of constant shoplifting.

Department of City Planning bringing "workshop" for another revival of Jamaica

 

 Cityland

On September 19, the New York City Department of City Planning announced the date for the first public Jamaica Neighborhood Plan meeting. The meeting will take place at York College on September 30 at 11 a.m. and offer attendees the chance to learn about existing issues in the neighborhood and express what they would like to see changed.

​The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan is aimed to create a vision driven by the local community for Jamaica’s future. The Plan focuses on the downtown Jamaica area, around a 300-blockradius and includes transportation corridors, manufacturing districts, institutions and community parks and transportation. The September 30 meeting will address the results of Jamaica’s Neighborhood Plan survey, the planning process for making changes to the neighborhood, and how to stay involved.

​The event will begin with an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. allowing community members to learn about the current issues surrounding the neighborhood. From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. there will be family activities for all ages that include stories about neighborhood planning and planning for the future artwork collages. Finally, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. there will be a workshop with both Spanish and Bangla translators on site, where community members can voice the changes, they would like to see in their community with agency staff.

​Borough President Richards and Councilmember Williams, DCP will continue to host workshops throughout the fall and meet with a steering committee, composed of the leaders from the local community, businesses, and faith leaders. To RSVP for this event, click here.

Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick said, “As we start this collaborative process to create an even brighter future for Jamaica, we want to hear from our neighbors! From income-restricted homes to good-paying jobs, from improved open space to enhanced resiliency, it’s with the input of everyday New Yorkers that will shape the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan to best meet the needs of this vital community.”

Speaker Adrienne Adams said, “Downtown Jamaica is a central commercial, residential, and transportation hub that is vital to the success of Southeast Queens and our entire city. The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan presents an opportunity for residents to help shape a long-term strategic vision for the area and yield much-needed investments that will benefit our community. I encourage all residents to engage in this critical process and attend the open house and workshop at York College on September 30. With the partnership of elected officials, city agencies, and the residents of Jamaica, we will achieve the progress and change that our community deserves.” 

 I like how this news blog put this municipality's announcement out 6 days later. This is the 4,080th plan to revive Jamaica, but maybe they're serious this time since this is tied to the "City Of Yes" doctrine. It should be an interesting turnout considering all the new luxury public housing towers that have sprouted between Jamaica and Archer Aves. Oh, these workshops are obligatory bullshit to give the optics of community input but the plans are already set and decided. 

 The picture above is of a luxury hotel on Archer Ave. that just opened, it's now a shelter for migrant families.

 

Jamaica gets extra pavement

 

 

Cityland

On August 10, 2023, the New York City Department of Transportation and Department of Design and Construction announced the completion of their pedestrian safety improvements in Jamaica, Queens. The goal of the pedestrian safety improvements is to create a more inviting space for residents to enjoy Downtown Jamaica and reduce the amount of car crashes resulting in serious pedestrian injury in the area.

On Parsons Boulevard between Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue in Queens, sidewalk space has more than doubled, the distance to cross Parsons Boulevard has been significantly reduced and there is a new pedestrian island. All improvements come from the Jamaica NOW Action Plan which utilizes community visions to revamp Downtown Jamaica. Public space improvements have been at the top of the community’s wish list, with safety improvements specifically to Parsons Boulevard between Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue being at the forefront of discussion.

DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez stated, “New Yorkers deserve streets and public spaces that are safe, vibrant, and welcoming for all. This project will make Parsons Boulevard safer and better for the community and those who visit. I thank our partners at DDC, the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative, elected officials, and community members for their collaboration.”

Council Member Nantasha Williams stated, “This investment into pedestrian safety is much needed and greatly appreciated. Parsons Blvd and the Downtown Jamaica area grow more vibrant every day, and we look forward to making this neighborhood an even more walkable community where constituents can live, work and play in safety.”

Meanwhile, a mere 2 blocks away on Jamaica Ave, Ydanis and the DOT made some public spaces that are pretty vibrant and welcoming too. Safe? Not so sure. Also not sure how much they spent on usurping parking spaces for lounging by busy traffic and a bus lane. 

 

NYPD rookie shot in broad daylight in Jamaica

@victimsrightsNY @VickieforNYC @CurtisSliwa @JCAndersonNYC @RezaC1 @RetiredNYCPD @CrimeInNYC @enforcelawsNYC
Rookie cop shot in the 103 Pct : pic.twitter.com/9LXdA1uWGb

— Miriam riviera (@miriam_riviera) April 5, 2023

PIX 11 News

 An NYPD officer was shot in Jamaica, Queens after responding to a dispute on an MTA bus Wednesday, according to police.

A 22-year-old rookie officer was shot once in the hip at 90-23 161st Street during a struggle with a man around 3:20 p.m., according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.

Prior to the shooting, two officers were flagged down by an MTA bus driver who told them a man was arguing with another passenger over a seat, authorities said.

When the officers approached the bus, the perpetrator exited through the front door. The officers tried to stop him, but the man allegedly pushed them and fled northbound on 161st Street, according to Essig.

 

The 22-year-old officer caught up with the suspect at 90-23 161st Street but was shot during a brief struggle with the man, authorities said. The second officer fired twice at the suspect. Police weren’t sure if the suspect was hit.

The injured officer was hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to survive, authorities said.

“He was where our communities tell us they want our officers to be, standing at a footpost. He was flagged down by a community member who needed help. He was taking police action, and he was shot,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

 

King Manor suffering from slumlord negligence by NYC Parks

Queens Chronicle

King Manor Museum in Jamaica lost its Wi-Fi on Dec. 18, 2020. In the more than two years that have elapsed since, meetings have been forced to employees’ nearby apartments, personal funds have been spent on connectivity and, according to museum Executive Director Kelsey Brow, “hours of work” have been lost.

Last Thursday, Brow got word from the head of Verizon government affairs, with whom she had to coordinate herself, that the problem was to be resolved as soon as this week. Even as that saga comes to a close, the building continues to lay in neglect.

Brow has reported problems related to the Wi-Fi, cracks in the walls, a deteriorating mantlepiece, mold-like black growths and other maintenance needs. She says the response from the Historic House Trust, a partner of the city Parks Department that Brow says serves as something of the liason between the museum and the agency, has been less than expedient.

“Our internet is supposed to be provided to us by the Parks Department through ... the Historic House Trust, and they were just like, ‘Oh, that’s too bad,’” Brow said of the Wi-Fi problem.

Failing plaster in the dining room, which Brow says is the museum’s staple, has led to the area being at least partially closed off to visitors. Brow says she was promised a “speedy, cosmetic fix” a year and a half ago that never came to pass.

Black growths on the side of the mantle led to some concern of the potential presence of mold. Brow says she reached out about the issue three or four years ago, only to get an air-quality monitor just at the end of this past fall. Results came back negative for any toxic growth.

The house is supposed to be painted every five to eight years. It’s been over 20 years since its last touch-up job, with mildew forming on exposed wood on the building’s exterior. The lack of a paint job has led to the failure of many of the windowsills, leading to the seepage of moisture into the structure.

Repair work that was completed on the building’s roof in 2018 did not include re-plastering the ceiling of the second floor, which had been failing due to the condition of the roof. Brow and a pair of colleagues performed those repairs themselves.

When asked why King Manor was having such a hard time hearing from the HHT, a Parks Department spokesperson pointed to investments the agency has made at the site — including the $1.8 million roof renovation and a 2021 $718,000 heating, ventilation and air-conditioning repair — and that the most recent HHT executive director retired late last summer and is expected to be replaced early this year.

“In recent years there has been significant investment in Rufus King Manor’s roof and HVAC system,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We are aware of some of the concerns outlined, and are working to resolve them.”

Brow says the neglect has led to a loss of revenue for the museum. The dining room typically would be rented out for events including weddings, baby showers, book launches and business meetings. Between the deteriorating condition and the extended period of limited Wi-Fi (the museum did have access to an internet connection box through a nonprofit group called Mobile Boost, but its capacity and reliability were limited), the space has not been suitable for prospective inhabitants.

“We have film festivals that sometimes rent out the space, and they had an issue because they had some of their films on the cloud and they couldn’t get them because the internet didn’t reach here,” Brow said. “So, it’s not only lost work hours for us, but loss of income through rental opportunities.”

Moda Crap Upgraded Living 153-30 89th Ave.

 

This is AFTER Sanitation came. And those boxes are food for the supermarket. 

This is the back entrance of the Moda building

20/20 skiddoo.

 

 NY Daily News 

A crew of thieves stole 20 cars in the course of about 20 hours from a Queens dealership, police said Monday.

The crooks repeatedly hit a car lot owned by a Mitsubishi dealership on Liberty Ave. near 156th Place in Jamaica over the weekend, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.

The Mitsubishi dealership is not on-site, which allowed the robbers to break into a box where the keys were locked up. After driving the cars off the lot, “they kept coming back,” Essig said.

 The thieves made off with used Acuras, BMWs, Mercedes and Audis ranging from 2016 to 2019 models. None had license plates.

Police believe the vehicles are used in robberies and burglaries.

“We know in the past, these go overseas, but now we’re seeing with autos they’re used in crimes — riding around the city, doing gunpoint robberies in smoke shops, on the street corners,” Essig said.

Sleazy hotel torture chamber

NY Post 

A 59-year-old man was lured to a Queens hotel room on the false promise of sex only to be tortured for hours by two suspects who then robbed him, prosecutors said Thursday.

The victim arrived at Hotel Ninety Five outside JFK Airport in Jamaica on Aug. 6, and paid 19-year-old Destiny Lebron for sex after responding to a prostitution ad, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

But the twisted beatdown began as soon as the victim began to undress, according to Katz.

Lebron allegedly threw bleach in her victim’s face before opening the door to let in her alleged accomplice, 22-year-old Gil Iphael.

Iphael charged the victim, covered his head with a blanket and began punching him while demanding his cash, Katz said.

The two delinquents confiscated the man’s car keys, phone and wallet, officials said. 

When the man refused to unlock his phone, Lebron allegedly burned him with a curling iron until he gave in, according to prosecutors.

The duo tried to steal the man’s money by transferring it electronically before making multiple trips to the ATM to withdraw funds instead, the DA said.

The alleged torture continued for hours.

It really doesn't look that bad from the outside. But the reviews say different.

Skull found by abandoned Van Sicklen house last year identified as middle aged woman reported missing from Brooklyn

 

NY Post

Human remains that were discovered in a Queens back yard have been identified as a 53-year-old Brooklyn woman — and authorities say she was murdered.

The NYPD said Thursday that the skeletal remains belonged to Gloria Lee, who was last seen alive at her home in Flatbush in May 2021.

The medical examiner has ruled Lee’s death a homicide, although the cause has not been released yet.

Around 6:40 a.m. July 26, 2021, a person walking by an abandoned home on Pine Grove Street in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens spotted a human skull in the yard and called 911.

Investigators do not know how Lee’s remains ended up at that location, nor how long they had been there before being found.

The woman had no known ties to the home on Pine Grove Street. 

 

Busways fade away

Queens Chronicle

After a tumultuous couple of years, it appears that drivers in Downtown Flushing may be in for some relief.

As of last week, the Main Street busway will no longer operate 24/7, and will instead run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Since it was initially proposed over two years ago, the 0.6-mile stretch between Northern Boulevard and Sanford Avenue has been a source of controversy in Downtown Flushing, especially among business owners, who were concerned about the busway’s potential impact on foot traffic. In November 2020, some filed a lawsuit to halt the project. Ultimately, the group lost the suit, and the busway began as a one-year pilot program in January 2021, and has remained in place ever since.

Asked about the decision to reduce the hours of operation, Vin Barone, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, wrote in an email to the Chronicle, “The Main Street busway has made commutes faster and more reliable for 155,000 daily bus riders and DOT is committed to its continued success. DOT determined the hours could be adjusted to better balance with the requests made by the local business community.”

The change also comes after Councilmember Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) took a walking tour of Downtown Flushing with Ydanis Rodriguez, commissioner of the DOT, at the beginning of April. As the Chronicle previously reported, she had requested at the time that the busway’s hours be scaled back.

Ung also had pushed for the street to have additional, clearer signage marking the busway and its accompanying traffic patterns. Last week’s installation of those signs along Main Street — northbound at Sanford Avenue and southbound at 37th Avenue — and on Kissena Boulevard at Sanford Avenue northbound marked the official change in hours.

“I want to thank the Department of Transportation for listening to our community, who repeatedly raised concerns about the impact the busway would have if implemented, and agreeing to a compromise to reduce the hours of operation to begin to address the issues they raised,” Ung said in a statement. “This will give businesses some respite after 7 p.m. to welcome customers and arrange for deliveries. The new schedule will also provide tangible information on the impact on local businesses when the busway is in operation and when it is not, which can be used in the future to balance the city’s desire for faster and more reliable bus service while also meeting the needs of the local community. I look forward to an ongoing dialogue between the interested stakeholders and DOT to address any other concerns that might arise.”

Queens Chronicle

Momentum seems to be moving toward adjusted rules for the busway along Jamaica Avenue. In the meantime, businesses in the area continue to suffer.

Last week, the Chronicle obtained a letter on the letterhead of Borough President Donovan Richards calling for an end to a Department of Transportation study on the effect of the lanes on business in the area. In the letter, Richards and other city and state officials, who co-signed at the bottom, made it clear that they support improved bus service, but that the rules regarding the busway on Jamaica Avenue were having “a signficant and damaging effect on the businesses along the corridor,” a sentiment he doubled down on this week.

“Adjusting the Jamaica Avenue busway has been a focus of the Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council, and we’ve heard from numerous area small business owners about the impact the busway has had on their businesses,” he said in a statement to the Chronicle.

“Conversations between area elected officials and other stakeholders are ongoing about how the Jamaica Avenue busway should be altered to best serve the community, allowing for efficient public transit through the corridor at peak hours and ensuring that local businesses have the opportunity to thrive,” he added.

As the rules currently stand, passenger vehicles are allowed on the busway corridor, located between Sutphin Boulevard and 168th Street, only for a block at a time. They are required to take the first right-hand turn off Jamaica Avenue.

Passenger vehicle parking is limited, with many curbside areas that had once been used as a bus lane during peak hours now designated truck loading and unloading zones, active from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day but Sunday. Parking is allowed in those zones during all other hours.

“The vast majority of Jamaica Avenue shoppers take transit to the corridor and the majority of bus riders have noticed faster, more reliable service thanks to our busways,” DOT spokesperson Vin Barone told the Chronicle via email.

“We will continue to work with the business community on possible adjustments,” he added.

Several business owners along Jamaica Avenue expressed their concerns about the busway to the Chronicle last week. While some haven’t noticed a change, most were concerned about the long-term effects on business and the city’s neglect for the interests of small businesses in the area.

Kevin Jiang, owner of Jamaica Liquors between 149th and 150th streets, says he is busiest on Fridays and Saturdays. Before the busways, he typically made between $3,500 and $4,500 on weekends. Now, he says that number is closer to $2,500.

“My landlord, he doesn’t want to hear that I can’t make it because of the lanes,” he said. “So it’s hard to pay the rent right now.”