Saturday, November 12, 2011

New plan for NYS Pavilion


From the Daily News:

Author Jeannette Remak wants to re-fashion the New York State Pavilion — built for the 1964 World’s Fair but left vacant for decades — into a tourist hotspot where vintage airplanes hang from the ceiling.

Remak has support from the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in East Elmhurst, which has offered interns to help run the museum.

Vaughn’s executive director of training, Domenic Proscia, called Remak’s vision “a great idea.” But he said the college would not provide funding.

Remak estimated that opening the museum in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park would cost at least $50 million and require a decade’s worth of renovations.

Remak, a former historian at the Intrepid museum in Manhattan, is counting on funding from Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. She met last Wednesday with Marshall’s deputy, Barry Grodenchik.

Marshall said in a statement that she couldn’t comment on the project since she had not seen a proposal. “Obviously, funding would be a major issue,” she said.

A spokesman for the city Parks Department, which is charged with maintaining the pavilion, said Remak’s plans are “too premature” for the agency to comment.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Intrepid works because people come there from out of the area. They are drawn there by the carrier and the planes you can get up close and personal with.

Who is going to travel to Queens to see a few old planes ? The idea is not very different from the Science Museum with a few rockets in the back yard. How successful has that been ?

Joe said...

$50 million ?

Its around $80 million $$ just to stabilize & restore the structure to 2011 code.
The problem with the NYSP is in a large part political.
The city wants a **tenant** who will use its union "friends" and the parks dept to run it from the grass to the top of the elevators.

Who is going to lay out $50 or &80 million $$$ on a restoration on something you don't plus be told how to run it ?

Now add a 1/2 dozen IA shops demanding big $$ for lazy good for nothing "family members" to tell you how many men it will take @ $80-126/hr to keep things running nice.

The last tenant operated a roller rink.
He wised up to the crook union people ghosting, robbing & overcharging him on everything from trash hauling to replacing light bulbs.
The guy ended up being beaten 1/2 to death & almost killed.
His dog was found in the lake (drowned) with a cement block on it leash.
The city nor the cops wouldn't have anything to do with the dispute.

Joe said...

The rockets in the Science Museum have not been that successful.
Most the children in that area are of illegal immigrants.
Most these disorderly brats are 1 step from feral animals who don't give a shit.
That museum is just a babysitting service for NYC that moonlights as a catering hall.
How about that new $500 million dollar wing after 3 PM ?
Its all grade school mextizo kids horsing around, playing games or doing arts & crafts.

History & science-- Out
Teen pregnancy, food & beer -In

Anonymous said...

How about that new $500 million dollar wing after 3 PM ?
---------------
Hmmmm how about all those mega projects by the Queens Library Board of Developers while staff, hours, and book purchases are cut below the levels in other boroughs.

An investigation in the Queens cultural budget is in order.

Anonymous said...

The last tenant operated a roller rink.
He wised up to the crook union people ghosting, robbing & overcharging him on everything from trash hauling to replacing light bulbs.
The guy ended up being beaten 1/2 to death & almost killed.
His dog was found in the lake (drowned) with a cement block on it leash.
The city nor the cops wouldn't have anything to do with the dispute.

When was this?

Joe said...

When was this?
-----
It was around 1974-1975.
This same shit has been going on since 1964.
My Grandfather worked at the NYSWF Ford Pavilion as an audio tech. At times he would help with running out on the car ride track with baseball bats to wedge between the car's bumpers.
This was to stop the cars on this new complex "buggy" ride from hitting each other on the turn just before they stopped to load new passengers.
This was till this new ride had its bugs worked out.
Many times in the morning he noticed these baseball bats were missing or had been moved.
People with black eyes, broken noses, broken hands, arms....Never witness or peep of it in the newspaper.
The whole fair was corrupt and full of thugs. Exhibitor's were charged rent then "found out" they had to pay outrageous service fees from the many unions working that same park today.
"Rackiteer city" as grandpa called it in 1965.

Now you have the sons & brother in laws of the same unions running things.
Same corrupt shit only from different assholes.
You wouldn't beleive what it takes to put on a concert at Junkyard stadium.
Thats partly why concert tickets cost over $100.
I hear the racketeer's are greasing things up to build themselves jobs in Forest Hills.

Donald Trump said he already been approached regarding the NYSP.
I worked at NBC at the time wile he was in talks for "Celebrate Apprentice" I asked him myself at a season wrap up party down in Rockefeller plaza back in May 2003
Quote something like this:
"its a dam shame whats going on with that, to much bullshit" "no way would I get involved with a project if the city or anyone else is gonna tell me how to run it and who I must hire'

-Joe

Anonymous said...

"The last tenant operated a roller rink. "

Yes, a name and time frame would be nice. A link to a news story would be even better.

Cav said...

There was a proposal for an air and space museum in the NYS pavilion in 2006:

http://www.nywf64.com/savenys01.1.html

Anonymous said...

In contrast, look at the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn, down in Coney Island. Repainted, lit at night, landmarked by the city, with plenty of love from Marty Markowitz.

Here in Queens, the best we can get from a Borough President is a vague reply. What a shame.

Helen Marshall, be a leader. You're in your third term. Do something already!

Anonymous said...

Helen Marshall, be a leader. You're in your third term. Do something already!

What do you expect from a doormat???

Anonymous said...

Joe quoting Donald trump said""no way would I [Trump]get involved with a project if the city or anyone else is gonna tell me how to run it and who I must hire'

That seems at-odds with this rebuilding and operating the Wollman Rink in Central Park. That, and several other projects on City property which he has been involved with would seem to have been under some sort of organized labor contract.

Joe said...

"air and space museum"

In 2004, Parks & Recreation issued a request for parties to submit ideas, concepts and plans for stabilization, restoration and new use for the NYSP
The Air & Space Museum proposal from Frankie and Charlie was one of only two submitted.
Benepe then announced that none of the submissions addressed funding so everything was flushed down the toilet.
All efforts to continue were halted since its impossible to work with a Borough President and Parks Department who is not interested in any efforts for stabilization and reuse.
They want the structure knocked down or to fail in catastrophic a way so it can be demolished immediately with state funds
These people refuse to even pay for paint or brushes for volunteers to spiff it up.
The cost is around $80 million to restore it and whoever pays gets treated like a tenant.

I have been inside the structure is not 1/2 as bad as Helen Marshall claims in the press.
She's hostile and im pretty sure she going senile.
A person in this condition should not be in office making 'whack" decisions that affect millions of people.

Matthew said...

Im making a documentary about the building if anyone has any interest in supporting my film or has resource (Pictures,etc)
http://www.gofundme.com/275u6g?utm_campaign=Emails&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email
https://vimeo.com/61415780