Eric On The Street

Chaos Erupts when Eric Adams comes out of his office. Protesters against mandates confront and yell at him because of the mandates #BreakingNews #NYC #MANDATE pic.twitter.com/46slZjie8y

— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) November 3, 2021

In less than 24 hours, @ericadamsfornyc went from schmoozing with the elite elected, political insider and corporate ruling classes to getting mobbed on the streets by his incoming constituency.

This actually shows optics of being a man for all the people. #NYC #HoldTheLine https://t.co/DkS2wK9jIZ

— This is JQ LLC (@ImpunityCity) November 3, 2021

Borough Hall address honors illegal lobbying practitioner

From the Forest Hills Post:

The entrance to Borough Hall has been adorned with a new address to greet visitors for years to come.

Queens Borough Hall has been given a new vanity address in honor of late Queens Borough President Claire Shulman.

The address of the Kew Gardens building, where Shulman served as the borough’s first female borough president for 16 years, was designated “One Claire Shulman Way.”

They forgot to mention this tidbit in Claire's bio. In related news, there is now a push to name the proposed Kew Gardens jail after Donald Manes, Claire's mentor. (J/K, but would it surprise you?)

Borough Hall parking lot to open Monday

From Forest Hills Post:

A highly anticipated 302-space municipal parking lot will open to the public on Monday at Queens Borough Hall.

The 122,360 square foot lot, which is bound by 126th and 132nd Streets and 82nd Avenue/Union Turnpike in Kew Gardens, was constructed at the former location of a four-level, 400-space parking garage. The structure was closed off in Sept. 2014 in response to concerns about its structural safety.

The lot is intended to relieve congestion in the busy area, and to help motorists access various municipal offices, including the adjacent Queens County Criminal Court. The lot is about five blocks from the Kew Gardens train station, and is within walking distance of many local businesses.

Activity at Civic Virtue site

"Hello Crapman:

Drove by Borough Hall today and noted that the green plywood fencing surrounding the Civic Virtue site was down. The workers were hosing the site with water. I spoke to them and they said that blue boxood and white lilies - the colors of the Queens flag - will be planted in the fountain area. Flower planting to come from somewhere in New Jersey. Will Katz have a ribbon-cutting ceremony very soon?

Check out my post here with today's photos of the renovated site.

All the best,
GtheA"

Glad to hear we're even outsourcing flower planting.

Borough Hall has been moved to Missouri

And there you have it. This may be where the Mayor actually is as he is quite the jetsetter lately. Original link.

Smaller parking lot breaks ground at Borough Hall

From the Queens Tribune:

After a long delay, frustrated commuters to Borough Hall finally have an end in sight. The $8.5 million project will be finished in fall 2017.

“I’m pleased to break ground on this municipal lot, which will provide Queens residents a new sustainable space to access Queens Borough Hall and other government buildings nearby, such as the post office and Queens County Criminal Court,” said Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “In support of Mayor de Blasio’s vision for a healthy city, the lot is planned to be bicycle friendly and will feature ample green space once completed.”

“The long-awaited, new municipal parking lot at Queens Borough Hall will alleviate current parking and traffic issues in the neighborhood and allow for more efficient processing of government business, while also offering numerous modern amenities, including charging stations for electric vehicles,” said Borough President Melinda Katz.

The crumbling garage was demolished this past July. Sharon Lee, a spokesperson for Katz, stated that there will be an “at grade (flat, not elevated) street-level municipal parking lot.”

The project was initially slated to be finished last fall, but had been extended for one year in October 2015.

The parking garage, which had approximately 500 spaces, was shut down in September 2014 after the city engineers realized it was too dangerous to keep open. The lot was mainly used by jurors and employees who needed all-day parking, a need the city has yet to fill.

The new parking lot will have spaces for 302 automobiles. The location of the lot is conducive to streamlined pedestrian access to Queens Borough Hall and the Helen Marshall Cultural Center, another DDC project, which was ceremonially opened in September. The municipal lot will also be the new home of over 120 species of plants and trees, bringing greenery for residents and employees to enjoy when they come to Borough Hall.

Katz FOILed again!

From the Queens Chronicle:

A Whitestone resident and media producer is suing the Office of the Queens Borough President and the borough president herself, Melinda Katz, alleging repeated violations of the state’s Freedom of Information Law for failing to respond to his requests for information concerning records related to the Willets Point neighborhood.

Robert LoScalzo, who says he has been working on an independent documentary about the Willets Point area since 2007, says he requested records concerning meetings held by Katz on Jan. 29 and March 3 of this year to discuss the deteriorated streets in the area, a possible city Department of Transportation contract to repave the streets for $9.1 million, waste-hauling tractor-trailers that park in the neighborhood and the status of its redevelopment.

LoScalzo says he made his initial FOIL request on May 12 and an appeal on June 4, and didn’t receive a reply to either one.

State law requires one within five business days, and a lack of response is tantamount to a denial, according to the state Committee on Open Government, which monitors compliance with the FOIL and Open Meetings Law. The only recourse available is to sue an agency.

A copy of the lawsuit says it was filed on Aug. 12 in state Supreme Court in Queens.

Katz’s office said it has not been served with any suit and wouldn't comment on pending litigation if it had, but that it has responded to the FOIL request. The office did not respond to a question about when the response was sent, and as of press time, LoScalzo said he hadn’t received a response.

In a sharply worded press release, LoScalzo accused Katz of hypocrisy and duplicity with the public.

“Just before this past Fourth of July weekend, Melinda Katz sent an email to her list, quoting loftily from the Declaration of Independence and imploring everyone to read America’s founding documents and get acquainted with our hard-won rights,” the release said in part.

“Ironically, when those of us who know our rights attempt to exercise them at Borough President Katz’s office by requesting public records, those rights are denied.”

It takes more than a year to pave a parking lot

From the Queens Tribune:

After the parking garage behind Queens Borough Hall was demolished last summer, the project for a new parking lot was initially delayed and has now been put on the fast track.

Kenichi Wilson, chair of the Community Board 9 Transportation Committee, said the project went to bid on March 27 and will be closed in 30 days from that date. He added that the project is anticipated to break ground later this summer with an end date in summer of 2017.

Borough Hall’s parking garage being demolished last summer.

Some updates to the new 302 space parking lot is four spots for electric powered cars, LED lighting, a closed circuit camera system, and license plate readers. Wilson said the spaces for electric powered cars may increase depending on demand.

It takes a year and a half to pave a parking lot

From the Queens Tribune:

With the need for parking still great around Borough Hall, the city plans to turn the former parking garage behind the hall into a flat parking area.

The crumbling garage was demolished this past July. Sharon Lee, a spokesperson for Borough President Melinda Katz, stated there will be an, “at grade (flat, not elevated) street level municipal parking lot.”

“They are working on the parking lot design now,” said Lee, adding that there will be a January 2016 procurement, bid and anticipated construction completion is first quarter of 2017.”

The project was initially slated to finished this fall, but has been extended for one year.

Parking problem in Kew Gardens

From the Times Ledger:

Since the demolition of the municipal garage behind Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens, parking in the area has become increasingly difficult.

The loss of the garage, which had served the public, affects everyone who now visits the hall and courthouse, including people who work in the area, those appearing at court or even people just trying to visit Kew Gardens.

The structure was deemed unsafe by the city Department of Buildings at the end of September 2014 and destruction of the garage began last winter. Between construction on the Van Wyck Expressway and TV crews leaving trucks near Borough Hall to film, people are having a very hard time finding a place to keep their cars while attending to their business.

In an effort to improve the parking situation, the city Department of Transportation has added 40 more angle spots on 134th Street, now making a total of 78 spots. In addition, curbside regulations have been changed to accommodate 20 more spaces on Queens Boulevard before the entrance to the Van Wyck, making a total of 40 six-hour metered parking spaces there.

Despite the extra spaces, this jammed area of Queens remains a nightmare for drivers. Many people get dropped off by the court buildings to save themselves the trouble and stress of seeking parking.

Queens Tourism Center shut down

From the Queens Courier:

The Queens Tourism Center is reaching the end of the line today.

The Kew Gardens facility, created out of a retrofitted Redbird subway car that previously ran on the 7 line, will shut its doors Friday afternoon due to lack of use.

According to a New York Post report on Friday, the closure was scheduled for Monday, but a spokesperson for Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, however, informed The Courier that Friday “is the last day the Redbird will be open to visitors at its current site.”

Opened in 2005, the Queens Tourism Center was built through $500,000 in funds secured by then-Borough President Helen Marshall as a way of attracting visitors from across the globe to Queens.

The center operates four hours a day, five days a week. According to a source, it has drawn over 15,000 visitors in the past five years, many of whom are Queens residents.

One possible reason for the light attendance could be its location, as it is on the eastern side of Borough Hall adjacent to the Queens Criminal Court, a long block away from the entrance to the Union Turnpike subway station.

Borough Hall parking garage will soon be demolished

From the Forum:

The Queens Borough Hall Municipal Garage remains on track for expedited demolition this spring, according to Borough President Melinda Katz.

In a recent meeting with Katz, representatives from Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office, and other agencies that would be affected by the work, city Department of Transportation officials also indicated that construction of a new 300-spot parking lot is still on schedule for the end of 2016.

Additionally, Katz noted that DOT has implemented mitigation efforts during the demolition and construction periods, including additional Police Department traffic agents at Queens Boulevard and 83rd Avenue; 38 new temporary angled parking spaces on 134th Street; and extended hours on meters at 25 spots along Queens Boulevard at 83rd Avenue.

Where will Civic Virtue finally rest?

From Pix11:

...what will become of the empty space at Queens Borough Hall? The city and the office of the Queens Borough President is considering landscaping the area and adding plants to honor the women leaders of the borough.

Richard Iritano and the members of Civic Virtue Task Force question the deal that gave the statue to the cemetery in Brooklyn for an undefined amount of time.

Melinda, fix thine own house

I ask that you not use my name or email address.

My wife works in Borough Hall which has 2 elevators:

An old one which is intermittent in working.
A new one which didn't pass Inspection.

We are getting to a situation akin to this.

Sit vis nobiscum,
May the force be with you

- Anonymous

Borough Hall parking garage won't be replaced any time soon

From the Queens Courier:

The city is planning to complete the demolition and replacement of a vital public garage near Queens Borough Hall by 2017 as members of the community complain about traffic nightmares and a constant battle for parking while they wait.

The city’s abrupt decision to close an essential parking garage in a congested area was described as irresponsible and unfair by local politicians back in September. City officials said the decision was made because of impending dangers from the building’s crumbling structure.

While the Department of Transportation attempts to hasten a usually long process, residents and commuters are stuck with heavy traffic and a lack of parking.

The decision to close the 500-space parking garage triggered a slew of community problems, including increased traffic from drivers looking for an extremely limited supply of parking spaces on the streets.

According to city documents, a new garage is set to be completed in 2017 under an “expedited process.”

Tomorrow's borough board meeting sounds like fun

From Progress Queens:

Borough President Katz will host a meeting of the Queens Borough Board on Monday, Dec. 1, at 5:30 p.m. at Queens Borough Hall to discuss large-scale real estate development of Queens.

Scheduled to be discussed during the meeting is an agenda item titled, "Planning for the Future of Queens – an Update on Strategic Initiatives." Carl Weisbrod, a director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chairman of the New York City Planning Commission, is expected to address the meeting, according to the Borough President Katz's media advisory.

The Queens Borough Board meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday evening, and the meeting will take place in the Borough President’s Conference Room of Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Boulevard, 2nd Floor.

Queens finds itself in the cross-hairs of real estate developers and government officials for major development, none of which fully addresses the need for the creation of large-scale stock of affordable housing. Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York City) announced that the city would target Flushing, Queens, for zone-busting development, and the city's Economic Development Corporation has expressed interest in exploiting Jamaica, Queens, for rapid development, as well. Flushing is encompassed in Queens Community Boards 7, 8, and 11, whilst Jamaica is encompassed in Queens Community Boards 8 and 12. Already, a group has formed in Jamaica "to build relationships with private companies" to facilitate real estate investments in Jamaica.

Residents in Queens, including long-term immigrant residents, have opposed the conversions of hotel facilities into permanent homeless shelters, like the former Pan American Hotel, as seen on Oct. 3, 2014. Queens is being targeted for rapid upscale real estate development at the same time when the borough is also paradoxically being chosen as the setting for a greater share of the city's homeless shelters and for more juvenile inmate detention centers.

Separately, the city is looking at Queens for the creation of permanent homeless shelters, which is causing turmoil in bedroom communities opposed to inconveniences associated with shelters, even pitting long-term immigrant residents against newly-arrived immigrants. The city is also evaluating the need to create a permanent detention center in Queens for juvenile inmates to comply with new state regulations at the same time when federal prosecutors, in an unrelated action, have recommended to the de Blasio administration the relocation of teenage inmates away from Rikers Island, a recommendation that New York City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens) said could be accomplished by renovating the now-vacant Queens House of Detention.

Brace yourselves for the return of alternate sides

From the Queens Chronicle:

Absent a last-minute extension, the emergency suspension of alternate-side-of-the-street parking around the Queens Supreme Courthouse in Kew Gardens will end on Monday morning, giving residents and businesses the first full taste of life without the condemned Borough Hall parking garage.

The garage, where the city’s Department of Transportation had about 400 spaces used by people going to the court house and Borough Hall, was shut down last week, about seven months after published sources claimed the city determined it to be unsafe.

Alternate-side-of-the-street parking had been suspended since Sept. 24 in the area on days it was not already suspended for Rosh Hashanah.

In response to questions emailed from the Chronicle, the DOT said things are in hand.

Judges still have on-street parking in designated areas adjacent to the courthouse, and the streets also have zones open only to court employees and personnel with special parking permits, a practice common in other boroughs.

And the jurors are screwed.

Borough Hall redbird starts to look like the rest of Queens

"MTA logo is fading and the red paint is peeling, revealing rust. If BP Katz cares about Queens tourism, she can start by cleaning up the Borough Hall Redbird."

Anonymous resident

Piss poor planning leads to parking nightmare

From the Daily News:

The city shuttered the decrepit Queensboro Hall municipal parking garage a week early on Wednesday after tagging the half-century-old structure a safety hazard.

But local leaders said the Department of Transportation has no concrete plan to accommodate hundreds of people — including jurors and court personnel — who use the roughly 500-space facility every day.

Workers handed out flyers to confused drivers Wednesday, outlining nearby private garages and bus routes.

The lot serves both Borough Hall and the Queens Criminal Court facilities in Kew Gardens.

Transportation officials originally planned to close it Oct. 1 but announced late Tuesday it would shutter the next day.

“This came fast,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, who fears frustrated drivers will spend hours circling nearby streets, adding heavy traffic around nearby Public School 99.

“What we need right now is for the city to give us alternatives where people can park,” she said.

One of those options could be to shuttle people from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and nearby colleges, Katz said.

The borough’s criminal justice system is also expected to take a big hit, a spokesman for District Attorney Richard Brown said.

“The garage’s closing will be extremely burdensome on crime victims, witnesses, jurors and defendants, as well as the surrounding neighborhood,” he said.

City lets Boro Hall municipal garage fall apart

From the Times Ledger:

The DOT plans to shut the 500-spot municipal parking garage next to Borough Hall Wednesday due to structural concerns, elected officials said.

Despite politicians’ pleas that the mayor should have his transportation commissioner reconsider closing the lot at 80-25 126th St., Borough President Melinda Katz and City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz’s (D-Forest Hills) said DOT maintained the disrepair required an imminent closure.

“The city engineers are saying it’s unsafe,” Katz said. “The city is working with us to get traffic agents to be able to guide folks to private lots and parking spots.”

She said the city has not been able to find extra street parking.

Michael Cohen, a spokesman for Koslowitz, said Department of Transportation intended to take down the 1963-era Queensboro Hall Parking Garage and operate a 300-slot surface parking lot in its place. He said the councilwoman’s team was not yet given a time line for this work.