NEW YORK | Willets Point Development (Flushing)

[liat91]

This thing needs to start like yesterday..

[BiggieSmalls]

this makes too much sense.. it has to come together


Mets Owners Working With Real Estate Firm on Queens Arena for Islanders

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6/14/2010 10:30 AM ET By Christopher Botta
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o Christopher Botta
o Senior NHL Writer

The owners of the New York Mets have begun discussions with a leading real estate firm to strategize for a potential arena in Queens that would house the NHL's New York Islanders, an industry source has told FanHouse.

Jones Lang LaSalle, the project management company for the upcoming $775-850 million renovation of Madison Square Garden, has begun work on a feasibility study for an Islanders arena at Willets Point -- the property surrounding Citi Field, the second-year home of the Mets.

"This is beyond the preliminary stage," said the source. "You don't bring in a big hitter like JLL unless you're serious. This tells me the Islanders and Mets have made progress in a partnership to take the hockey team to Queens. If Charles Wang and Nassau can't cut a deal, this will be a great option."

Efforts to obtain comment from Jones Lang LaSalle have been unsuccessful.

One month ago, Newsday reported on discussions between Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and Wang, the owner of the Islanders, about building an arena adjacent to Citi Field for his hockey team.

Since purchasing the Islanders in April of 2000, Wang has made scant progress with area politicians on the development of the Lighthouse Project, his proposed "transformation" of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and surrounding 90 acres. Town of Hempstead supervisor Kate Murray has promised Wang her consultants' counter-proposal to his vision this month. Hempstead's push-back is expected to be less than 50 percent of the scope Wang's real estate team not only designed more than six years ago, but was approved by the former leadership of Nassau County in 2006.

After years of meetings and zoning hearings, the response of Hempstead community leaders can best be summed up by Town spokesman Michael Deery. "Unlike the five metropolitan area franchises that opened magnificent facilities in the last year," Deery said recently, "Mr. Wang has tied the Coliseum's future to the construction of a mini-city along Hempstead Turnpike."

As a result of getting no results, Wang has taken down the official website of the Lighthouse Project. Most marketing materials and signage promoting the benefits of the proposed development have been taken out of the Coliseum and the Islanders' practice facility in Syosset, N.Y. Many Lighthouse staffers have been re-assigned to the Islanders or other Wang-owned businesses. Wang's dream of a mixed-use "iconic destination point" for himself and Long Island -- complete with an athletic complex (with three rinks), a Sport Technology center, hotel, office space and housing -- is all but dead.

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Although the Islanders' owner has repeatedly declared that his wish is to keep the team in Nassau County, it appears he has turned a serious eye towards Queens. When he was eight years old, Wang's family moved from China to Flushing.

Despite the big step forward in working with power brokers Jones Lang La Salle, it remains uncertain if Jeff Wilpon and his father Fred, the Mets' chairman of the board, are interested in buying the Islanders from Wang. In Newsday last month, Jeff Wilpon said, "We haven't really discussed ownership. It has been more of, 'Can we get something synergistic with Citi Field and a hockey arena? What can happen here?'"

That's where Jones Lang LaSalle comes in.

In April, Jones Lang LaSalle was honored by the New York Landmarks Conservancy with awards for its work in the $16 million restoration of Manhattan's Beacon Theatre and the $550 million capital improvement program for increased security, traffic flow and restoration of the art deco lobby and other principal spaces of the Empire State Building.

As the company serves for the Madison Square Garden renovation, Jones Lang LaSalle could be selected officially as the manager of the Willets Point arena development. If so, it would be involved in creating timelines and financial controls and oversee the selection of the architect and construction team.

Unless Wang gets something close to the answers he needs from the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County, Jones Lang LaSalle and the Mets are ready to pave the way for the Islanders' relocation to Queens.


http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/06/14/m...-is/2#comments

[NYguy]

The owners of the New York Mets have begun discussions with a leading real estate firm to strategize for a potential arena in Queens that would house the NHL's New York Islanders, an industry source has told FanHouse.

"This is beyond the preliminary stage," said the source. "You don't bring in a big hitter like JLL unless you're serious. This tells me the Islanders and Mets have made progress in a partnership to take the hockey team to Queens. If Charles Wang and Nassau can't cut a deal, this will be a great option."

Very interesting. I remember the days when cities only lost teams to the suburbs.

[NYC4Life]

Get the Islanders out of that crappy hell hole called Nassau Coliseum and away from the isolation of Uniondale. The team, being one of the most storied franchises in the NHL deserve way more.

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...y_local/queens

City's Willets Point development plan gets more land

BY Joe Kemp
August 12th 2010

THE CITY HAS scooped up four more properties in Willets Point in recent months, helping to pave the way for the first phase of its $3 billion mega-development plan.

The newly acquired 33,000 square feet gives the city about 80% control of the 22-acre southwest portion, where construction is slated to begin on the gritty 62-acre industrial area, officials said.

But some land owners - bitter over a cancelled state hearing on the project scheduled for this week - said a controversial ramp project for the Van Wyck Expressway should red light the plan.

"We could be at the beginning of a long process," said Richard Lipsky, a lobbyist for the local business owners' group, Willets Point United. "This deal can't be done behind closed doors."

Some business owners had hoped to use the state Senate hearing as a platform to call for an independent review of the plan.

The meeting was to be chaired by state Sen. Martin Malave Dilan (D-Brooklyn), head of the Transportation Committee. It was cancelled two days after it was planned because of a scheduling conflict, a Dilan spokesman said.

"It's disappointing to us and mysterious that it was cancelled within 48 hours [of being scheduled]," said Lipsky, who labeled City Councilman Peter Koo (R-Flushing) in a recent blog post as a "Quisling leader" for his support of the nearby Flushing Commons project.

Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian Nazi collaborator executed for treason after World War II. Lipsky apologized for the comment a week later.

Dozens of land owners in the so-called Iron Triangle are also calling for more transparency in conversations between the city Economic Development Corp. and state Department of Transportation as they try to hammer out an environmental assessment of building on- and off-ramps near Citi Field.

"There's too cozy a relationship," Lipsky charged of the two agencies.

Still, the city doesn't expect plans to redevelop the area to be hindered in any way.

The EDC plans to submit the environmental assessment by early next month, sources said.

The plans will then go under public review to create a revised Access Modification Report - a detailed summary of the project. It must be approved by both the state DOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...TATE/100829963

Judge won't block Willets Point redevelopment
State Supreme Court judge rejects group's attempt to halt project on environmental grounds.

By Daniel Massey
August 20, 2010

A state Supreme Court judge has denied an attempt by Willets Point's lone resident and nearly two dozen local land and business owners to win an injunction halting the redevelopment of Willets Point, Queens.

The group's members had argued that the environmental review conducted by the city failed to “take a hard look at the environmental impacts” on regional highways, emergency response services and area water supplies, among other complaints.

They had sought an order annulling the environmental review of the project and the City Council and Planning Commission's approvals, as well as an injunction barring the city from continuing with the development until it complied with proper environmental procedures.

But State Supreme Court Judge Joan Madden denied the request, ruling against the Willets Point group on all of its claims—which ranged from questioning the environmental review to contending the office of the deputy mayor for economic development did not have the authority to be the lead agency on the project.

In her ruling, Ms. Madden wrote that the environmental impact statement provided information that was “sufficient to allow informed consideration and comment” on the traffic impacts of the project.

The city's plan for the 62-acre site, a stone's throw from Citi Field, calls for 5,500 housing units, eight acres of open space, 500,000 square feet of office space, 1.7 million square feet of retail space, a school and a hotel and convention center.

“Today's judgment…moves Willets Point one step closer to becoming New York's next great neighborhood, a center of opportunity and a driver of growth for the city's economy,” said city Economic Development Corp. President Seth Pinsky.

The redevelopment cannot move forward until the private parcels on the site are purchased or condemned through eminent domain.

Mr. Pinsky says the city is in “active negotiations” to acquire property, and that it already controls about 80% of the land in the area that would be developed in the first phase of the project.

The Willets Point group had focused its argument on the impact two proposed ramps would have on the Van Wyck Expressway. The ramps require state and federal approval, and the group hopes that the project still might stall as the process move forward.

Michael Gerrard, an attorney for the Willets Point group, called the decision a “two-edged sword for the city.” He said that although the suit was dismissed, the judge stressed that the project would increase traffic and that it can't move forward without the approval of the ramps.

“It will be interesting to see how the city will now back away from its recent claims that the project wouldn't be so bad for traffic after all,” he said.

Jerry Antonocci, owner of Crown Container owner, one of the businesses that filed suit, promised the group would persevere in their attempt to stop the development.

“I'm sure we're going to appeal the decision,” he said. "We just got out of the first inning. It ain't over. We're not giving up.”

[NYguy]

A few more renderings...

[Busy Bee]

These look great, but at what point could we expect CitiField to loose its' parking lot moat and weave the high density of the Willets Poiint development around the stadium?

[JSsocal]

As great as that'd be for the parking at Shea to be eliminated, that probably won't be happening. What I would think possible at least is the development of the quadrant in between the 7 line and the first base side of the stadium. That seems realistic enough to be viable economically and aesthetically. You'll only take a small amount of parking from the stadium, and it will be close enough to the Willets point development to get a lot of traffic, not to mention mets games themselves as you walk alongside it to get to the stadium.

[NYguy]

It would probably be even better still if they could move the convention center over to cover one of the lots.

But first things first, remove the "third world" look from the immediate area...




Comparison pics from Gary Dunaier













Flushing itself and the new Skyview Parc are just a stone's throw away...







cgespino




duluoz cats

[Obey]

Being a big Mets fan I would love to see this built. Reminds me a little of AT&T Park in San Francisco.

[BiggieSmalls]

Teh Wilpons (via Sterling Development) have the rights to develop Lot B (The parking lot on the first base side next tot he train) and i've read that Sterling is talking to Charles Wang and the Islanders about building an Arena in the lot next to the highway.. that would alleviate the need to redo the development plan to encorporate Wang's new arena for the Islanders..

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...tion_deal.html

Willets Point shows sign of life after scrap yard nears relocation deal with city

BY Kate Nocera
October 22nd 2010

The city is preparing for the next big step in the $3 billion effort to redevelop Willets Point.

Sambucci Bros. Inc. Auto Salvage, the first business to strike a deal with city to sell its property in the gritty industrial enclave, will also be one of the first businesses to leave the so-called Iron Triangle.

Sambucci Bros. is expected to close on city-owned land in College Point today, sources told the Daily News. On Monday, Community Board 7 is expected to approve a certification allowing the rezoning of Sambucci's new home. The salvage yard will then have the green light to start building in the College Point space.

This is the first relocation from Willets Point since Sambucci made a deal with the city in 2008, according to the city Economic Development Corp.

"The relocation of these businesses is a strong sign of progress in Willets Point," said Julie Wood, a spokeswoman for the agency. "[It's] one step closer to becoming New York's next great neighborhood, a center of opportunity and a driver of growth for the city's economy."

Two other businesses, Feinstein Iron Works and T. Mina Auto Supply, have also cut deals with the EDC to move to College Point. They are expected to close on their respective land deals before the end of the year.

The city currently owns 80% of the 62-acre property adjacent to Citi Field. Business owners on that land pay rent to the city and will be relocated as needed when construction begins.

The first investigative phase of construction, a process called "boring" the soil, began on Oct. 12 and will continue through the end of the year, officials said.

But some business owners said that many of them are still in the dark about when or how their companies will be moved.

"They passed this [redevelopment] plan in 2008 and I haven't heard a thing from them since," said Jerry Antonacci, owner of Crown Containers and president of Willets Point United, a local group that opposes the use of eminent domain to acquire property.

"It's still a mess over here," Antonacci said of the unresolved issues among businesses that have refused to move or are still negotiating with the city.

"Big deal, you moved three businesses. You want us to throw you a parade? It's not real progress," he said.

Officials from Sambucci's, Feinstein Iron and T. Mina all declined comment on the pending moves.

[NYguy]

ny1.com

• Video Link

[Obey]

^^^ Very exciting! Will we be seeing any sort of construction by the time the next baseball season comes around? I ask because Im only in that area because of Mets games.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Obey

^^^ Very exciting! Will we be seeing any sort of construction by the time the next baseball season comes around?

I doubt there'd be any construction this soon. If anything, there could be some demo.

[NYguy]

Quick, run out and see it while it's still hot...


http://www.yournabe.com/articles/201...0417814187.txt
Turning point: Queens-filmed drama of domestic and socioeconomic change ‘Willets Point’ opens in Manhattan



Alfredo Suarez stars as Guillo, a Willets Point auto mechanic.


By Ian MacFarland
November 30, 2010

The muddy, gritty streets of the industrial Iron Triangle and the city’s plans for their future serve as the metaphorically charged backdrop for a tale of deception, deal-making, urban life and domestic strife in “Willets Point,” the debut feature by independent filmmaker T.J. Collins, which opened last week for a limited engagement at Manhattan’s Quad Cinema.

The film tells the story of a struggling young Queens couple, Guillo and Doris, and their 9-year-old daugher Sophia, whose fortunes alternately rise and fall with the tide of gentrification in the borough. The neighborhood, a slice of land adjacent to Citi Field lined with dank, unpaved streets and full of auto repair shops, junkyards, industrial sites and warehouses, is such a poignant counterpoint to this domestic tale because of the shock of its unique and very real squalor, said Collins, a Long Islander who wrote and directed the film.

“I think it would be challenging to find anywhere else in New York that looks like Willets Point,” Collins said. “The area looks like a Third World country right in our backyard.”

Guillo (Alfredo Suarez) is a mechanic at a small garage in Willets Point, where the threat of unemployment looms as the city scoops up parcel after parcel of land and threatens the entire area with eminent domain in an effort to enact a sweeping redevelopment plan that would transform the hardscrabble area into a glitzy destination in the shadow of the Mets’ Citi Field. As the prevailing winds of change diminish the neighborhood’s business in cut-rate auto repair, Guillo’s income drops.

...Collins filmed scenes in Azimi’s shop as well as on the streets near the train stations in the neighborhood, and said the experience has turned him on to the allure of Queens as a location.

“I’m planning to shoot my next feature film in Jamaica, Queens, next year. There is something about Queens ... that attracts me.”

“Willets Point” opened Friday at Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St., and was scheduled to run through Thursday. For advance ticket sales call 777-FILM #636 or purchase online at movietickets.com.

[Busy Bee]

Has no one seen 'Chop Shop?'

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Has no one seen 'Chop Shop?'

I haven't.

[dchan]

Skyview Parc is doing better than I expected, but it is far from a success. Heck, it's not even finished yet, nor has any of its residents moved in yet. In fact, many residents are suing to get out of or renegotiate their condo contracts:

http://ny.curbed.com/tags/sky-view-parc

They're suing because the developers are not just well behind and $160 million overbudget on the first phase of the $1 billion project, but also in need of $150 million more just to finish that first phase. That is, they agreed to pay a fair amount for their condos, and the developers clearly haven't delivered their stunning vision, as seen on their website:

http://www.skyviewparc.com/



http://www.luxist.com/2008/03/24/sky...s-to-flushing/

The funniest thing about the promotional photo is how much it ignores the actual surroundings. Instead of the industrial buildings and businesses of College Point Blvd., the potholed and worn-down streets, and even the 7 Train tracks on its right, the photo shows it surrounded by trees, as if it was located in Flushing Meadows Park.

On a related note, its locale and surroundings may hurt its ultimate success. It's relatively far away and isolated from the rest of Flushing, especially the 7 Train and the buses. I've already mentioned that it's located amongst the industrial College Pt. Blvd. setting. It won't change any time soon, but it's slowly changing: in the 1990's, Prince St. was still surrounded by the same industrial businesses as well, and it has changed markedly since then.

But still, it's not that far from downtown Flushing and public transit. And it has a parking garage for motorists, though it's not free (but it still has reasonable rates, for now at least).

However, all the pluses and minuses I mentioned above are outweighed by one big factor - the project is directly across the street from the Bland Housing Projects. Of course, Lincoln Center hasn't taken a big hit by its eponymous housing project next door - it simply isolates itself from and ignores those projects. Which is not too different than what the rest of Flushing has been doing for this whole time, basically (well, it ignores the projects and keeps them isolated). So it probably isn't that big of a factor now that I think of it.