QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 24, 2013 Page 36
SQ page 36
DEVELOPMENTS Hotel plan elicits a Street fair and carousel landmarking WOODHAVEN by Maria A. Thomson Executive Director GWDC
The Greater Woodhaven Development Cor poration sponsored the Wonderf ul Woodhaven Street Festival 2013, held this past Sunday. We had a great day, packed with many in attendance. The children enjoyed the rides, pony rides, and the rock climbing wall. Their families enjoyed the musical groups and danced in the streets as well as the main stage entertainment and all the good food in our avenue restaurants and vendors. On our Woodhaven Day, God blessed us with a beautiful day. At the festival, the GWDC and the Woodhaven Business Improvement Dist r ict debuted our new “Woodhaven Flag” — inspired by Joseph Volkens who created the first Flag. It is very well made on quality material stating “Woodhaven A Haven in the City,” established 1844. The nice part of our flag is that it is small, so that you can tape it to your window, and show your pride in our hometown. These one-of-a-kind f lags are priced at $12 each, a small price to pay to display your Woodhaven pride. Many sales were made from our local stores as well. It was so satisfying to our President Stephen Esposito, our GWDC board, our fantastic staff and me that it was a success and so rewarding of our hard work. Have you visited our new Woodhaven
Library? It is newly renovated, very bright with additional computers and more. A big thank you to Council members Elizabeth Crowley and Eric Ulrich, as well as our great Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, who will be leaving us this year due to term limits. Woodhaven thanks you for all of your support through the years, you will be missed. The latest on the collapsed building at 78-19 Jamaica Avenue: No progress has been made at this location. It has also become a dumping ground for garbage. The only solution for this deteriorating location and this negligent landlord is to demolish this building. This coming Monday at 3:30 p.m., please join us along with Councilwoman e Elizabeth Crowley to celebrate the landmarking of our Forest Park Carousel. This being the culmination of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation’s 25 years of hard work to landmark this “Jewel of Forest Park.” Reminder: NYPD Police Officers Exams are given six days a week. Please go to their website atnypdrecruit.com for more information. There are also NYPD civilian job opportunities for school safety agents, traffic enforcement agents and 911 operators. Visit their website at nypdcivilianjobs.com or call 212-recruit. May God bless our Armed Forces, our disabled veterans and may God bless America. Q
sharp rebuke at CB 12 Land Use chairman slams GJDC by Michael Gannon Editor
Last month, the Greater Jamaica Development Corp. trumpeted its long-awaited deal with a developer to build a hotel on property it owns across from the Long Island Rail Road’s transit hub on Sutphin Boulevard. But when Justin Rodgers, director of economic development for the GJDC, made a presentation to Community Board 12 on Oct. 16, it also brought long-established tensions between the two bodies to the surface. Cardinal Sandiford, chairman of CB 12’s Land Use Committee, was unimpressed with the GJDC giving a presentation to the full board just under a month after making the announcement of a deal for a 24-story, 200-plus-room hotel with Long Island-based Able Hotels. “We read about it in the papers, but they don’t come here before the Land Use Committee,” Sandiford said. “It’s an attempt to bypass the land use procedures, which they always do.”
Sandiford also believes the name Greater Jamaica is a misnomer, saying the organization is interested only in the commercial corridors like Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue. He also aimed scathing remarks at long-time GJDC President Carlisle Towery before CB 12 Chairwoman Adrienne Adams cut him off. “He’s too smart to come before us,” Sandiford said. “He sends someone who looks like us.” Adams stepped in, saying the presentation was made for the very purpose of keeping the board informed. “There will be no bypassing of land use procedures,” Adams said. Rodgers did not address Sandiford’s remarks. The hotel will be built on two parcels of land, one belonging to the GJDC and the other to the LIRR. Rodgers said construction might not begin until at least late next year while Able negotiates the relocation of an LIRR loading dock and some major electrical Q infrastructure.
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