Willets Point Development Plan Gets City Council Approval

The City Council voted to approve the Willets Point redevelopment plan 42 votes to 2, aided by critical Council member Hiram Monserrate's support. NY1 reports that while many Council members and Mayor Bloomberg are happy (Bloomberg said, "For nearly half a century, Willets Point has been an environmentally-degraded area in the heart of Queens, but today, it finally has a brighter future"), some business owners are against the plan--Bono Sawdust Supply Company's Jake Bono said, "There's 70 landowners out here and 250 businesses that the City didn't even talk to and that it's property is not for sale and is not going anywhere. So they made a deal with Monserrate and all these other parties but we still own the land and we're not for sale and we're not going anywhere."

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By Jen Chung in News on November 13, 2008 7:00 PM

Comments [rss]

lucyvanpelt

I live in North Flushing, and Willets Point is much larger than most people know. Those chop shops near Shea make up only a part. The rest are legitimate businesses that keep their areas very tidy, and are no worse (oftentimes, better) than those in nearby areas. WP also includes some green space.

If the last few landowners won't sell, the city will be forcing the eminent domain issue not for "public good," but for private profit. This area of Queens is already plagued by developers who are destroying the neighborhoods. We don't need space for even more crappy stores; eyesore, code-violating apartment buildings (a huge issue out here); and fewer trees.

We don't need this plan. Trust me--you don't need it either, unless you enjoy the idea of the city coming after your perfectly decent home or business someday and saying "we're forcing you to sell to us, and then handing your property over to a developer so they can make a mint at yours and the neighborhood's expense."

Sorry for the rant. Whenever I see another 100+ year-old tree torn down out here to make way for more concrete, it makes me cry. . .(not saying that there are trees that old in WP--but you get the point)

ANGRYGOD11

It's not outlying. It's between Corona and Flushing, two very busy areas. It's almost walking distance to LaGuardia Airport. There's a lot of Queens to the east, south and the west.

It's isolated because it's such a dump, despite a subway line, a waterfront, MLB stadium and two major highways running by.

anonymous

Since when is an isolated, outlying area considered the "heart".

Legalist

This is just a wrenching issue. The place stinks and looks horribly algaeic on the one hand, and on the other hand you have these auto shop small business owners scraping to keep their land and make a decent living.

On other note, check this out:

http://swc-biogon.smugmug.com/gallery/3273609_SVoat/6/205911035_wu7ME#P-1-20