NEW YORK | Willets Point Development (Flushing)

[NYC4Life]

Just to think Citi Field was the alternate site for the 2012 Olympic Stadium had NYC won the bid. Thank God it didn't happen.

[mrnyc]

here's a closer look at the iron triangle & a look back at citifield construction (taken 6/08):


after work in flushing, queens one day i made a plan to check out the willet’s point neighborhood to see shea, citifield construction and mostly to walk around the interesting & endangered 'iron triangle.'

sooo...what the heck is the iron triangle? well here is my fav wiki blurb about it: a recent hunter college study found that Willets Point was a "unique regional destination" for auto parts and repairs.

imo it's pretty much a dead ringer for 'la frontera' aka the usa/mexico borderland, except more dense. you can read more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willets_Point%2C_Queens

and here is some timely blog news about the strongarm gentrification changes in store (the city has been trying to do this for years, but with citifield up it looks like it will happen):



Eminent Domain + Relocation Services for Willets Point?

Thursday, June 12, 2008, by Robert
________________________________________

Eminent domain may be coming to Willets Point, aka the Iron Triangle or iTri, the little corner of Queens near Citifield that the city wants to turn into a $3 billion mixed used development with hotels, apartments, retail and a convention facility. The Daily News got hold of 790-page "blight study" of the area. This is interesting in that such documents usually precede efforts to condemn and seize property. The study says that Willets Point is a "burden on the health of the city's residents and economy." In the meantime, a look at the New York Economic Development Corp. website reveals the city has issued an RFP for a Willets Point Relocation Services Specialist. It notes that "Approximately 60% of the land is occupied by owner-occupant business, with the remaining 40% occupied by tenant businesses. These businesses would need to be relocated." The deadline for submitting a bid to help relocate businesses is June 23. There is a long road ahead, including a city land use process and what are likely to be numerous and complicated lawsuits, before a single chop shop business moves a hubcap.

• Eminent domain bid seen as study slams Willets Pt. [NYDN]
• Willets Point Relocation Services RFP [NYEDC]
• Willets Point Rendered, Local Love Included [Curbed]
http://curbed.com/archives/2008/06/1...lets_point.php

the iron triangle overview --- from the #7 train heading west from flushing:


well....so there’s your iron!






citifield from the platform


shea




on the ground














southeast corner


looking at the eastside of the new stadium along 126th st,
the iron triangle is just across the street




yes i peeked in the fencing


Northeast corner


ok enough of that, presenting……the iron triangle mascot!


in we go…..let’s enjoy the colorful grit while we can!






























































unh, no dumping? seriously?.....oh, they must mean bodies.


































heading back to the station


a weekday day game getting started










A final platform view


I had to go to the queens museum a couple days later so here’s a bonus view from the corona park/arthur ashe stadium side of the platform that we won’t have for much longer:


Finally --- How can I resist a few shots from the ride home, right?
















*** hello citifield, goodbye shea & stay tuned willet’s point condos coming soon :-P ***

[BStyles]

Oh wow...the Willets Point debacle reminds me of Radio Row and the World Trade Center.

It's definitely going to happen, so don't be surprised when the buldozers come marching in!

[FerrariEnzo]

I wonder how many stolen cars get chopped up in the Iron Triangle daily...

[kenratboy]

Fantastic pictures. Nothing more I can say.

[NYC4Life]

Grittiest neighborhood in NYC, but not for long.

[RLS_rls]

I can't believe how...third world that nieghbourhood looks. Call me naive, but I didn't realise there were any places like that in the states.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by RLS_rls

I can't believe how...third world that nieghbourhood looks. Call me naive, but I didn't realise there were any places like that in the states.

Well, there are places like that all over, just maybe not to this scale.

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2010/real-es...-willets-point

Silverstein, Douglaston, Related Vying to Develop Willets Point



By Eliot Brown
April 15, 2010

World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein, Queens developer Jeff Levine and Related Cos. chairman Stephen Ross are among those seeking to develop Willets Point, the polluted, 62-acre auto repair district next to Citi Field, according to city records.

The names are part of a list of 29 firms released by the Bloomberg administration in response to a freedom of information request made to the city earlier this year. The list includes five firms—Related, Muss Development, the Westfield Corporation, TDC Development and the Macerich Company—that bid in 2006 on the project as part of an earlier solicitation by the city to develop the site. Three of those earlier finalists did not bid this time around, ending their ability to win the development: Forest City Ratner, Vornado Realty Trust and General Growth Properties.

Here's the full list, which includes Mr. Silverstein's Silverstein Properties, Mr. Levine's Douglaston Development, and the Georgetown Company, a firm led by former City Planning Commission chairman Joe Rose:

Albanese Organization

Artimus

Castlerock Partners

Ciampa Organization

CPC Resources, Inc

Douglaston Development

Edward J Minskoff Equities, Inc

Gotham Organization

Hamlin Ventures, LLC

King's Associates Inc

L & M Development Partners

Macerich

Melrose Associates

Muss Development

Related

Richman Group of New York, LLC

Rosenshein Associates/LCOR Incorporated

Settlement House Fund, Inc

Silverstein Properties, Inc

Smart Inc

SSJ Development, LLC

Sterling Equities

TDC Development

The Arker Companies

The Beechwood Organization

The Georgetown Company

Triangle Equites

Triple Five

Westfield Group


...the bulk of the approvals are in place for the development, with the largest apparent hurdles being those of funding: The Bloomberg administration insists it has enough money in its budget to proceed with the project, although some bidders and onlookers are skeptical of this claim given the high cost of acquisitions. The Bloomberg administration has also said that the bidders would pay for the remediation of the development site, although a firm price tag has not been established.

The development is slated to be awarded in three phases, with the most valuable parcel going first, followed by two parcels that are further away from the subway stop at the southern end of the site. The winning bidder for the first parcel would have an option on acquiring the second.

[NYguy]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey...ight-1.1907356

Islanders rumor puts Willets Point in spotlight



May 11, 2010

The news that Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon has spoken to Charles Wang about building an arena in Queens and relocating Wang's Islanders hockey team to the site puts the spotlight on Willets Point: a 62-acre tract in Queens near Citi Field known as the Iron Triangle.

Last year, 29 potential developers formally filed paperwork with the New York City Economic Development Corp. to redevelop Willets Point. While Wang was not one of them, Sterling Equities, the Wilpon family's umbrella company, was, the EDC confirmed Tuesday. The EDC said a formal request for proposals will be issued later this year.

On the surface, a marriage between Wilpon, Wang and Willets Point seems ideal - there's a sports team already in place and the city wants to add housing, office space and retail. It was unclear Tuesday whether Wilpon would build an arena on the Willets Point land, or elsewhere near Citi Field.

Wang did not return calls for comment Tuesday.

Interviews show that developing Willets Point will not be easy.

New York City officials have said they are not contemplating the idea of the Islanders, or Wang's $3.8-billion Lighthouse project, heading to Queens, because an arena isn't part of the approved plans for Willets Point. The entire process, they said, would have to start over.

"There would have to be a very strong economic and development case made for it," said a New York City Economic Development Corp. official who asked not to be named.

Tuesday, Andrew Brent, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said, "There are no plans for a professional sports facility" at Willets Point.

With unpaved streets and no sewers, the Willets Point area is home to more than four dozen industrial businesses. The redevelopment could include a hotel, convention center, retail and residential.

Meanwhile, a number of business owners at the Willets Point site say they won't leave, despite city efforts to make a deal. About 21 of them have filed a lawsuit against the city.

"They're taking my home. They're taking my business. They're taking everything I worked for," said Plainview resident Jerry Antonacci, who owns waste management company Crown Container. "If they want to bring the Islanders here, or anything else, they better schedule it for 2020 or 2025, because we're going to fight it. We're not going easy."

But the city is moving forward. "Willets Point represents one of the city's most significant long-term development opportunities," said Brent, the Bloomberg spokesman.

[BiggieSmalls]

they have a 400,000 square foot "convention center" as part of the plan..

why couldnt they just slot an ice rink in the convention center space?

this would be an amazig idea and would revitalize the entire area.. with a destination sports/entertainment center in Flushing Park...Citi Field / Ince Hockey/Convention Center and the Tennis Center/park... i bet it would lead to a cleaner better maintained park

In the New Iron Man 2 Stark had his convention in Flushing Meadow Park and WP was redeveloped..

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by BiggieSmalls

they have a 400,000 square foot "convention center" as part of the plan..

why couldnt they just slot an ice rink in the convention center space?

Bloomberg doesn't really want to be bothered with it, and the 7 month approval process (and more lawsuits)...

New York City officials have said they are not contemplating the idea of the Islanders, or Wang's $3.8-billion Lighthouse project, heading to Queens, because an arena isn't part of the approved plans for Willets Point. The entire process, they said, would have to start over.

If they can't get an arena built somewhere near CitiField, there's always the option of the Nets arena in Brooklyn. Long Island fans can just hop on the LIRR to the arena there.

[BiggieSmalls]

i read reports that the arena was not suited dimensionally and capacity wise for Hockey

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by BiggieSmalls

i read reports that the arena was not suited dimensionally and capacity wise for Hockey

They can make adjustments to the floor, capacity wise it should be the same. The Nets and Devils will share an arena in Newark for a couple of seasons, the Knicks and Rangers do it all the time. It's something that could be worked out, and would be a bonus for the new arena in Brooklyn.

[Rail>Auto]

I like this plan a lot. I see a lot of fork in the road/ Times Square like developments inside this plan which I think make good development designs.

I just wish they would have found a use for Shea. Surely they could have put some condos, lofts, hotel space, something inside of it. I hated to see it just go like that.

[evanmack]

I really like this project and hope it works out, it looks great!

[BiggieSmalls]

the convention center in the Willets POint development plan s approved for 400,000 square feet as part of the 62 acres -- north eastern area.

Barclays is set for 675,000 sq feet. Nassau Veterans Memorial sits about 18k for Hockey with 32 boxes. If Barclays was reconfigured to support a rink the seating would be around 14k which would be the lowest int he league.. they were originally going to go to 800K sq feet but reduced the size with the new architect.

The Wilpons have development rights to Lot B which is immediately next to the 7 Line tracks on 126th and Roosevelt - North Side of Street.

They can go as high as 14 stories with a 2 story parking lot. -- Wonder if the can shoe horn a hockey area there. I'd be curious to see a design and how it interplays with City Field.

The also have the rights to Lot D (south side of Roosevelt Ave.) If the build out B they would replace the parking with a multi level structure on Lot D.

Development of these two lots in independent of the WP Urban renewal Plan.

Wang has a bug up his butt to build something iconic on Long Island. He has described the need for an Eiffel Tower type structure in terms of its resonance with the surroundings.

I think a light house concept on the WP development site would be outstanding. Situated between the two major airports, bridges, and highways it would serve as a beacon for all to see. On the map it would be perfectly situated as the geographic Center the NY Metro Area. In conjunction with a revitalized Flushing Meadow Park it could become a Center of Sports, recreation and Commerce and an icon for the 21st century on the site of the Worlds Fair from the 20th Century.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by BiggieSmalls

the convention center in the Willets POint development plan s approved for 400,000 square feet as part of the 62 acres -- north eastern area.

Barclays is set for 675,000 sq feet. Nassau Veterans Memorial sits about 18k for Hockey with 32 boxes. If Barclays was reconfigured to support a rink the seating would be around 14k which would be the lowest int he league.. they were originally going to go to 800K sq feet but reduced the size with the new architect.

The good thing is that none of those things are built, meaning if there were a serious plan to move the Islanders to Brooklyn, Ratner would probably have another years delay, but in the long run the arena would get more business. Likewise with Willets Point. The city isn't taking the option there seriously yet because nothing concrete has come out other than "talks" with Wang about selling the Islanders.

The Daily News editorial today about a possible move...

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/...or_queens.html

Power play for Queens: Moving the Islanders to Flushing is a great idea

Editorials
May 17th 2010

Mets owner Fred Wilpon has been talking to Islanders owner Charles Wang about moving the hockey team from the dilapidated Nassau Coliseum to an arena that would rise near Citi Field. This would be a win-win-win-win.

Win No. 1: The Isles, a storied but money-losing franchise, would get a showcase location with a broader fan base.

Win No. 2: Many Islanders fans in Nassau and Suffolk would enjoy easier access via highways and mass transit than they do now to the coliseum.

Win No. 3: New York City would get a great professional sports franchise.

Win No. 4: Nassau County would be rid of a white elephant and could get on with realistic plans for developing prime underutilized land.

If Queens doesn't work out, Mr. Wang, may we show you something in the fabulous new arena under construction in downtown Brooklyn?

[NYC4Life]

Renovation plans for Nassau Coliseum have long been dead. It's only fair to build a new arena for the team, presumably at Willet's Point :-)

[BiggieSmalls]

http://www.yournabe.com/articles/201...s_20100527.txt

-------------------
No jobs here.. I'd bet they're the next to move.

___________________________

Willets Point bikers want answer about future
Queensboro Motorcyle Club says city needs to explain what will become of them or fix potholes

History sure seems to repeat itself for the Queensboro Motorcycle Club.

The biker group was unceremoniously uprooted from its original clubhouse among the old ash heaps of central Queens in 1939 to make way for the creation of Flushing Meadows Corona Park in time for that year’s World’s Fair, according to Bill Goldstein, the club’s president.

The resilient club, which turns 100 this year, was never compensated for its property, Goldstein said, but it pushed on and eventually found a new slice of Queens in Willets Point, where members built a modest clubhouse behind a chain-link fence between two warehouses on 34th Avenue.

“To some people it’s not much, but to us it’s a home,” said Mark Marciano, the club’s vice president. “This is our little corner of the world.”

But time and the inattention of city officials took its toll on their new digs, and the Iron Triangle turned from bad to worse as the years passed. And it looks like the Queensboro riders may be rolling into the sunset once again.