Author: Astoriopolis

A lower-west Astorian tries to get to Manhattan at night

This morning I noticed an MTA employee putting up a sign at the Queensbridge-21st Street station warning no F trains are departing to Manhattan from there at night from June 4 (a week ago) until June 16. Obviously I haven’t tried to go to Manhattan from the neighborhood this last week, but for whoever is trying to go that way from the Ravenswood area, let’s say around deep 36th Avenue, there is no N/W or F train option at night, unless that person takes the F backwards to Roosevelt Avenue first. Or walks or bikes or buses to 39th Ave or Broadway or Queens Plaza. So for any of these people who work at night or for any other reason, I feel for you. The N/W 36th Street Station is said to be set to open at the end of June.

CB1 committee OKs Boys & Girls Club expansion, 14-story residential building on 21st Street

21-12-30th-road-elevation-rendering-by-marner-architects

Neverending Astoria reports that Community Board 1’s land-use committee voted to express the board’s approval for the Variety Boys and Girl Club’s major facelift, rezoning and residential development proposal on 21st Street. The after school program and summer camp laid out its plans at a public hearing at the NYCHA Ravenswood Houses recently, without any secured developer for the 14 story residential building, which would fund the expansion of B&G’s space at at 21-12 30th Road. The organization says it needs to expand to serve an overwhelming waiting list of children. There were some expressed concerns at that hearing that the residential building would set a precedent for 14 story buildings on the car-busy strip through western Astoria. Some buildings on 21st Street are around or almost as tall but not many.

We’ll see how this goes at the full board. From what I saw at Ravenswood, Variety Boys and Girls Club in Astoria seems to have a lot of local membership or involvement. Even Walter Sanchez, who publishes the LIC/Astoria Journal, is the president of the board of directors for the organization. When he asked the crowd at the public hearing who’d been to the space in the last four years, it seemed almost everyone raised his or her hand. Tony Barsamian, who publishes the Queens Gazette is also on the board of directors for B&G. So we’ll see if there are any noted conflicts of interest at CB1.

NY Post: BQX study cost $7 million

Source: Friends of BQX website

The New York Post reported last night that the delayed study for the Brooklyn Queens Connector, the waterfront light-rail concept pushed by the De Blasio admin and a nonprofit group, has already racked up at least $7 million in cost.

The study was slated to wrap up last fall but has met setbacks. The Post didn’t explain exactly what accounted for the cost and didn’t compare the cost to other similar studies.

Rezonings for new apartment buildings on 21st Street, 35th Ave get heard out

Project_Sight_Plan_slideupclose
Jaclyn Calcagno Scarinci, attorney representing Ravi Management details the Ravenswood corner rezoning plan to CB1.

At a public hearing for a couple of rezoning proposals for potential apartment buildings in lower-west Astoria and Long Island City Thursday, the question seemed to become how new, not-so small developments with mostly market-rate housing will lend to the future of the neighborhood.

Map_twobuildings_pink
Modified Google Maps screenshot-map of the proposed re-zonings.

Community Board 1 held the hearing at the NYCHA Ravenswood Houses, between the two sites of interest. One proposal is for rezoning 11-14 35th Avenue at the corner of 12th Street from commercial to mixed-use so that United Crane and Rigging would be replaced by an eight-story building with 74 residential units and retail at the base. (For some perspective, the Ravenswood Houses across 12th Street are six stories tall.) In the other, Variety Boys and Girls Club is proposing to replace its existing building at 21-12 30th Road along 21st Street with a larger club space attached to a 14 story apartment building. The apartment building, owned by a yet-to-be-identified developer, would pay for the club’s expansion. Continue reading “Rezonings for new apartment buildings on 21st Street, 35th Ave get heard out”

New Hallets Cove kayak launch could look like this

Astoria_kayak_launch_rendering_EDC
Courtesy of the Economic Development Corportation

The city has revealed a new rendering for the kayak launch and eco-remediation planned for Hallets Cove. Technically, the beach where LIC Boathouse holds free kayaking sessions is a launch, but a floating dock will be built extending from the Astoria Houses near the NYC Ferry at Astoria Landing.

The Economic Development Corporation shared its latest rendering with Community Board 1 recently, and has subsequently shared it with Corner. The illustration also includes a built wetland. Councilman Costa Constantinides announced the concept in his 2015 State of the District speech. He said:

“It’s one thing to read about marine life or ecosystems in a book, but it’s a whole other thing to have a chance to experience it first hand… This simple project will offer Astorians from all walks of life a chance to reacquaint themselves with a world that for so long was neglected and disdained.”

Late last year the EDC and the Parks Department hosted a visioning session at the Astoria Houses Community Center for local input. Constantinides, Borough President Melinda Katz and the Mayor’s Office allocated $5 million for the dock and eco-remediation project.

Continue reading “New Hallets Cove kayak launch could look like this”

Friends of BQX hosts happy hour, offers vote on next neighborhood

The Friends of the BQX says it’s “been hosting awesome happy hours along the corridor.” Today it sent an email out offering supporters a vote for where the next happy hour will be.

Now, I’m not a supporter, I’m a blogger, but if Friends of BQX has a public event in LIC or Astoria I will mention it and try to show up because that’s what I do. I voted for Astoria after reading over the word “supporters.” The survey being sent out includes the question, “Why are you excited about the BQX?” with an asterisk. So I just awkwardly wrote in that I’m not, I’m just a blogger.

Corner is a space where you can mention why you are or aren’t a supporter.

Public rezoning hearing coming up for Ravenswood, 21st St apartment buildings

Screen Shot 2018-05-16 at 8.04.17 PM

A public hearing is planned on May 24 for rezoning applications for an apartment building planned for 12th Street near 35th Avenue in Ravenswood and the Variety Boys and Girls Club mixed-use redevelopment on 21st Street.

Continue reading “Public rezoning hearing coming up for Ravenswood, 21st St apartment buildings”

Music venue in Kaufman Arts District liquor license approved by CB1

 

A music venue billed as a concert hall, recording studio and youth educational-programming space on 35th Street in the Kaufman Arts District survived Community Board 1’s approval process for its liquor license last night. The space is called ARC, and is associated with music blog, DMNDR (somehow, apparently). Some construction has been done on the space at 36-35 35th Street between 36th and 37th avenues (also 36-30 36th Street) apparently in place since 2014* but a liquor license should really turn on the show in this quiet northeast section of Long Island City.

Continue reading “Music venue in Kaufman Arts District liquor license approved by CB1”

Hour Children Thrift Shop’s relocation leaves behind strip of underused retail space on 34th Avenue

Hour Children has relocated one of its thrift stores to Steinway Street, leaving behind two retail blocks dotted with vacant and inaccessible storefronts on 34th Avenue on both sides of Crescent Street. The former thrift store location at 25-22 34th Avenue has been permanently closed since January 9 due to flooding, Corner learned by a call to Hour Children. The spacious 34th Avenue property, owned by Fred DelRosario, according to city records, is joined by five other closed storefronts, plus a permanently gated storefront and a storefront being used for industrial use.

Near the former Hour location is a large storefront, 25-14 34th Avenue, used by Possible Productions, a set design company that has on its portfolio website the 2016 Democratic National Convention and Coachella. Possible Productions has a wide exterior with the gate down, and a sign which reads: “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.” I rung the bell and asked when the “season” ends, referring to the other sign, and when the store will be open. The man who answered briefly implied it’s not a store, and said the gate will stay down. The set shop seems to be listed as part of the same building or owner as the former thrift shop — when I search the block and lot, I’m only seeing this under “K1” retail code. But a set design shop isn’t retail. I think it’s either light manufacturing or warehouse. So I need to find out more about this use of a storefront on a retail block. Update: So this is what I learned from a Department of Buildings rep who acted like I was asking the most absurd question she’d heard all day. That storefront is allowed to have its gate down forever. 

Aladdin_bakery.jpg

There’s an Aladdin bakery that also appears to be in a building zoned K1-retail. Bakeries, from what I understand, are industrial. Whaa? Yea, so I’m not sure — maybe it’s allowed to be there so long as there is retail in the other storefronts of the building, or conjoined buildings? I will find out! So, on two retail strips on both sides of Crescent, eight of the storefronts are not being used as storefronts. Six of those are vacant, one is Possible Productions and the other is an Aladdin bakery. (Photos below.)

Continue reading “Hour Children Thrift Shop’s relocation leaves behind strip of underused retail space on 34th Avenue”

Simotas, Maloney and Katz dine at George’s

State Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas tweeted a photo of herself seated at a table with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz at George’s, the restaurant that replaced or reconceptualized the Astor Room at Kaufman Astoria Studios, and wrote above it, “The Power Table.” This tweet, posted Friday afternoon, is the first to be linked to the address under the name George’s. Also, the photo shows what George’s looks like.