Sunday, March 25, 2012

$6M Jackson Heights park deal is done

From the Daily News:

The city has reached a long-awaited deal to purchase the yard of a cash-strapped private school to expand a popular Jackson Heights park.

The Garden School sold its more than 26,000-square-foot yard to the city for roughly $6 million, sources close to the deal told the Daily News on Wednesday.

The property will be used to expand Travers Park.

“It’s a deal that’s a win-win for everyone involved,” said City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), who has been pushing for the acquisition. “Jackson Heights has needed this open space for years and finally this dream has come true.”

The yard is to be connected to Travers Park by turning 78th St., between 34th Ave. and Northern Blvd., into a permanent pedestrian plaza, Dromm said.

The road, which runs between the two properties, is already closed to traffic in the summer.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey can you figure this one out?

Thanks Dan (Jackson Heights)
Thanks Dan (Whitestone) for nothing!

Anonymous said...

Honestly...
is it really wise for NYC to spend a whopping $6M during a fiscal crisis?

"Vaseline Alley" wasn't good enough
for Jackson Heights?

That money could have purchased the old St. Saviour's site in Maspeth...
two times over!

Their residents had a far more urgent need for parkland there.

Oh, but then, they did not have the vocal (voting) JH gay lobby acting as cheer leaders for them.

Anonymous said...

Who did Danny blow
to get that kind of dough?

Alfredo C said...

Great job Mr. Dromm and the Jackson Heights group that helped make this come to fruition. You guys kept the pressure on and they listened.

Anonymous said...

sounds like a bunch of chumps to me.

a park for the community?

who needs that? - they need a community envisioning project like noguchi has to discuss how to sugar coat a 20 story building that could easily fit in that spot.

sure $6 million could have bought and restored the steinway mansion but that why waste money when it would cut into tax breaks for developers .. but look on the bright side, half of that sum can give western queens a stage with a very large diving board in the middle and lots of concrete in the basement.

btw rumor has it that the steinway mansion will be converted in to a club...after the historic interior is hacked out and sold.

now THATS how you run a community.

Anonymous said...

make sure that a full court basketball space is included in the park.

Anonymous said...

I live in JH and this park is sorely needed. here are things I do not like about living there, but Dan Dromm as out councilman is not one of them. He is an excellent council person.