Yesterday—the Origin of Species reports in a blog post titled "Take These Broken Wings"—an adult male Osprey was found injured in Queens. The bird was in a parking lot near Willets Point, where he was suffering a fracture to his right wing. He was on a way to a vet soon after to get x-rays on the wing, which may not be repairable, and there will be more updates to come. more ›

From a NY Times article about the state's problems with the city's controversial, $3 billion Willets Point redeveopment plans: "Michael Bergmann, a structural engineer for the State Department of Transportation who was part of the team reviewing the city’s application, wrote to the department’s regional director and other colleagues on Dec. 28: 'Unless the preparers of this report start accepting the idea that it is seriously flawed, we are going nowhere.'; About a month later, after pointing out a mistake in a document that put the development’s completion date as 2107 instead of 2017, Peter King, a project manager for the state, wrote to a colleague, 'Perhaps that reference to 2107 may have been closer to the truth than anyone realizes.'" more ›

Mayor Bloomberg offered his two cents (25 cents?) on Mets COO Jeff Wilpon's revelation that he was talking to Islanders owner Charles Wang about relocating the hockey franchise to Queens: "I haven’t talked to the Wilpons yet. I will. I don’t know whether it’s just the owner or the team negotiating, using us as a negotiating ploy out on Long Island." The Mets did release a statement saying they spoke to the Isles and MLS "about building a sports/entertainment facility near Citi Field" but the NY Times reports, "Such a facility is not part of the city’s plan to redevelop the nearby 62-acre Willets Point industrial property." Yet. more ›

After initially thinking that they would rename the 7 Train subway stop in tandem with the new ballpark, the MTA announced that the train stop closest to the Mets' new digs will not carry the name "Citi Field" after the team refused to cough up any money for the station's name change. The station is nearly halfway through a planned $40 million in renovations to go along with the opening of the new stadium and the MTA had hoped to help pay for the work with a portion of the $20 million a year the Mets are receiving in naming rights from Citigroup. The team apparently wasn't eager to spread the wealth however and now the station will simply be renamed "Mets/Willets Point," the nearby LIRR station carrying the same name. On the upside, at least the MTA avoids the possibility of being forced into renaming the station again with no one exactly holding their breath that Citi Field (or as some are calling it, Debits Field) is a moniker that will last through the economic winter. more ›

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." more ›

Hiram Monserrate, the City Councilman who had been one of the leading voices of opposition foiling Mayor Bloomberg’s redevelopment plans in Willets Point, announced yesterday that he has struck a deal with the mayor and thrown his support behind the proposal which is expected to be voted on (and will now likely pass) today. The new deal includes guarantee that one-third of the housing built to be marked "permanently affordable” for low-income families, an 850-seat school and a convention center to be built in the area, a $3 million tenant relocation fund available for area businesses and job training and placement for the 1,300 affected workers.The plan still doesn’t rule out the possibility that the city will have to invoke eminent domain. Not all of Monserrate’s constituents were happy with his announcement—some local business owners painted over his name on his campaign bus. more ›

The Bloomberg administration's plan to transform the industrial Willets Point section of Queens was approved by the City Council's planning committee. But, the Sun points out, "the council vote will be its biggest hurdle." The $3 billion to make way for a hotel, convention center, offices, and stores, is supposed to generate 5,300 jobs and billions in economic activity, but about 200 small business owners, who would be forced out, have been bitterly opposing the project, unhappy the city calls the area "neglected," when it's the city that neglected Willets Point. Those critics believe the plan will be quashed by the Council. more ›

If you watch just one Community Board Meeting video this summer, make it this one. Willets Point property owners who've been passionately protesting Mayor Bloomberg's controversial $3 billion plan to rezone the area (to make way for a hotel, convention center, offices and retail stores) have put together this video showing how the sausage gets made over at Community Board 7. Their gripping featurette focuses in on a contentious committee meeting that yielded a yes vote for the city's proposal, despite serious reservations voiced by board members. more ›

Angry opponents to Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to develop 62 acres of poorly-maintained land in Willets Point, Queens disrupted a press conference yesterday held by city officials in Washington Square Park to tout the proposal. Councilman Hiram Monserrate, whose district includes Willets Point, led over two dozen protesters to the press conference, where they drowned out advocates for the plan, chanting “Justice for Willets Point!” According to the Times, the police refused to remove the protesters, telling officials they had a right to be there, even if they were being disruptive. more ›

Last year Mayor Bloomberg announced a $3 billion plan to seize 61 acres of the Willets Point district next to the forthcoming Citi Field in Queens through eminent domain, raze it, and construct 5,500 units of housing, a hotel, convention center and over 2 million square feet of office space, restaurants and retail shops. But business owners in the target zone have been fighting it, saying their ‘hood, dubbed the Iron Triangle for its chop shops and scrap yards, just needs repair, not total eradication. Sound familiar? more ›

The abrupt elevation of Lieutenant Governor David Paterson to the top seat in NY State government should mix things up a bit in Albany and NYC. First up is the state budget, and with a grim economic outlook and behind-the-scenes transitions, he said yesterday, “We cannot afford to waste another second. We have a budget that is due and a deadline to meet.” more ›

Another Will Ferrell sports flick will inflate this weekend, capping off a nationwide “Funny or Die” promotional tour that brought him to Radio City Music Hall Sunday night. The movie is Semi-Pro, which stars Ferrell as Jackie Moon, owner of the 1976 Flint Michigan Tropics, a team in the maverick ABA basketball league. To keep his career alive against all odds, Moon initiates off a series of increasingly desperate publicity stunts to attract fans – behavior that does sound awfully familiar. more ›

Earlier this year, Mayor Bloomberg announced a major plan to transform Willets Point, the area, also known as the Iron Triangle, across from Shea Stadium, into a thriving area of new housing, business and hotels. However, some are pretty unhappy with the plans, which include replacing 250 businesses, and they've channeled their hopes - and a fair amount of money - to City Council member Melinda Katz. The Post reports Katz received $29,500 from "people... more ›

The Real Deal (via Brownstoner) is reporting that, according to a recent court ruling, the city is taking two Williamsburg properties via eminent domain for Bushwick Inlet Park. The properties are located along the East River between North 9th and 10th streets. According to one real estate expert, the city will only pay about $100 per square foot, compared to the $200 per square foot it could garner on the open market, even though the owners are entitled to the fair market value. The Real Deal doesn't delve into why. more ›

In non-report card 7 train news, the MTA is now offering express 7 service after Mets games during weeknight games. And the service will start after tomorrow's Mets-Cincinnati Reds game. Post-game express service will last an hour, with trains leaving Willets Point-Shea Stadium every six minutes. Trips to Queensboro Plaza will now take 13 minutes (from 19 when taking the local) and trips to Times Square will now take 25 minutes (from 31). more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: person under a bus at Park Ave. South and East 24th St., a shooting on Church Ave. in Brooklyn, and shots fired on East 169th St. and Tinton Ave. in the Bronx.
• As part of its 20th anniversary weekend, WFAN 660-AM will be airing four hours of old Imus shows, which used to be the morning anchor of the station.
• Queens and Brooklyn residents team up to protest eminent domain at City Hall - at stake, Willets Point and the Atlantic Yards.
• The New York highway system was ranked 48th worst out of the 50 states. Only New Jersey and Alaska were deemed worse in the survey.
• Huh: Circle Line lost its contract to run ferries to the Statue of Liberty; instead, the service that runs ferries between San Francisco and ALCATRAZ will be taking over.
• The News of the Weird reports that the growing wealth of a certain class of New Yorkers and Brits has resulted in a critical shortage of professional butlers; no word on whether there's a shortage of personal umbrella handlers.
• ArtsJournal.com is reporting that the historical validity of the 6th Century BCE Etruscan chariot at The Metropolitan Museum is being questioned.
• ABC News is issuing alerts of storm warnings this evening all over the tri-state area.

The area across from Shea Stadium known as the Iron Triangle has never seemed suitable for housing, mostly because it was home to hundreds of auto shops. That could all change, if Mayor Bloomberg gets his way. Yesterday, the mayor announced a master plan to revitalize Willets Point, the official name of the 61-acre area in Northern Queens. The plan would replace the 250 businesses, which employ about 1,300 people, with housing, office space, restaurants and shops, a hotel, and a convention center. The plain claims that it will create 20,000 construction jobs and 6,100 permanent jobs. If approved, it would also be "the first neighborhood, and the City's largest development project to incorporate "green" building technology." more ›

Well, this is totally reassuring: The Department of Environmental Protection confirmed there is a sewage leak somewhere on the G line that is causing the disgusting smell. A track inspector told am New York, "It's like raw sewage coming from a pipe, disgusting. It smells real bad and makes me want to throw up." Jeez, we want to throw up, too, just thinking about it. The DEP says since the Marcy and Flushing sewer main is "very, very large," it's taking some time to locate the leak. Oh, and the DEP says sewage is not a health hazard to subway riders, which might be technically true, but if someone threw up in the train, you'd call them sick. more ›

"The U.S. hasn't had a fair in two decades. Since they [the committee] opened the door, we felt we had an obligation to look into this seriously." The FMCPWFA is working on the proposal, with the Willets Point junkyards as the base. But there are some roadblocks, namely how the U.S. ended its membership with the BIE in 2001 and that Mayor Bloomberg, and then President Bush, would have to support the effort. more ›

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall really wants the Jets to move to Queens so much that she says she's fine with getting rid of the Fountain of Planets in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Marshall made the point that no one will care about the Fountain of Planets because it's filled with garbage. Mayor Bloomberg was with Marshall when she made that comment yesterday, and he said, "If it's filled with garbage there will be somebody there this afternoon," and wouldn't you know it, workers were clearing out the muck chop chop! Our mayor is so funny. He was so gung-ho about the Jets moving to the West Side, but now when it comes to Queens, he's suddenly concerned about parkland: "I'd love to see the Jets plan any place in New York rather than across the river. The alienation of parkland is clearly going to be controversial and something that has to be looked at. If you take away parkland, the state law is quite clear. We'd have to come up with parkland someplace else." The Jets say they would replace eight acres of parkland, but how one does that sounds more like magic to us. And, of course, the Jets are being accused to grabbing land, since the team rejected a plan to move to Willets Point. The Jets just won't win! more ›

More on the elaborate West Side development plans. more ›

It's the 13th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. Festivites and races take place today and tomorrow, from 9AM- 5PM, at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Meadow Lake. (Take the 7 train to Willets Point - Shea Stadium; then walk or take the trolley...check courtesy desk Unfortunately, subway maintenance limits service to Willets Point - thanks reader David). There are races, Dragon parades, arts & crafts... more ›