CityView Tower proposal (79 stories)
Oct. 28, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan
Development has been on the rise in Western Queens in recent years, bringing with it rising prices and transportation issues.
Residents will have the chance to voice their concerns on these issues on Sunday, at the second “Community Conversation About Jobs, Homes and Small Business,” hosted by the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, community group Woodside on the Move and the Artist Studio Affordability Project.
The meeting, which will be held Sunday at Woodside on the Move at 39-42 59th Street at 3 p.m., will follow up on a similar discussion on September 18, where nearly 200 residents gathered in Sunnyside and discussed issues of gentrification and overdevelopment.
“It’s a collaboration between groups concerned about over development and fact that a lot of development is not catered towards longtime residents who are invested in neighborhood, and a chance to talk about concerns and begin a longer conversation,” explained Amy Paul, the Executive Director of Woodside on the Move.
She said that the purpose of the meeting would be to discuss concerns and brainstorm community driven solutions.
“Most seniors who come in to our office are seniors who make less than $20,000 per year, and even the affordable developments don’t come close to catering to their needs,” Paul said.
“And with the increased development, a lot of small business owners are feeling strapped and don’t know how to negotiate their leases, and we’re seeing more transportation crowding and issues,” she added, mentioning that the L train shutdown will only increase problems with the 7 train.
Paul said that this discussion is the beginning of a much larger conversation, and it would mostly be a chance to begin to discuss the most pressing issues to the community, many of which are due to development encroaching on Western Queens.
“All these neighborhoods in Western Queens are sandwiched between Long Island City and Flushing where there is massive development, and right now there is a little bit of time to talk about it before the development and gentrification moves here,” Paul said.
Details
Sunday, October 30
Woodside on the Move
39-42 59th Street
Time: 3 p.m.
Rendering of development at former 5 Pointz site
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23 Comments
continued…While LIC may never be the same, it can be a nice place to live if the community gets heard. The pen (also internet) is mightier than the sword sometime. Many people left Manhattan for a reason and don’t what Manhattan to happen here.
continued… many people in LIC don’t want it to turn into another Manhattan and be the same prices they left there for. LIC may never be what it waas but it can still be a nice place to live if he community gets heard. The pen (also the internet) is mightier than the sword sometime.
Facing Reality, I disagree about not being able to stop at least some of the over development. Over population is not a good thing for any city, especially a city that has terrible leadership such as NYC, not to mention really corrupt politicians. Yes corruption is everywhere but it iss on a large scale here,
Let’s be realistic! NYC is growing at such a rapid rate, as much as we may not agree with the changes, we do not have the ability to stop it, nor control it. It is not 1990 anymore. We need to accept the times and the overpopulation of this city. I hope everyone doesn’t believe we can continue on living in these little houses with apts @ $800. Those days are long gone and so is the thought of believing LIC will continue to stay the same it was in the 80s and 90s…
To sc, yes neighborhoods change and LIC has changed even before this without gentrification. What you have here is an influx of out of reach overpriced LUXURY only apts and condos. This is not the way it is supposed. The middle class and poor don’t have a chance in you know what.
To anonymous, you are so right. I have been saying the same thing about building with such reckless abandon. The LIC area just can’t handle it.
The city goes through cycles of redevelopment. We’re in a huge one now, but let’s not pretend that this hasn’t happened before. “Your” neighborhood was different before you got there, and it’ll be different after the new influx of citizens leaves.
That’s called progress.
There’s work to be done still. The infrastructure needs work, but where in NYC is that not true? Heck, where in our country is that not true?
When a city stagnates and doesn’t continue to evolve, it dies.
-sc Was it progress when Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Bed-Stuy and much of Harlem were “cycled” into dangerous crime riddled slums back in the 70’s? Your post is nothing but over simplified naïveté and fantasy.
People have to have a place to live Frank. The rents are outrageous. Have some compassion my friend.
He’s Frank, a walking and breathing No Compassion Zone.
Pay the rents or move somewhere else. Or are you so special that you deserve an extra unique rent control program just for you? Seriously, I cannot wait until people like you are priced out. Get it through your head – rent is determined by the market, not what “should be”. Most of us learned this in school.
-Frank You’re a market extremist. Hahaha That’s until your “fortune” changes. I remember many guys like you “when I wore a younger mans clothes”. They’re all whistling a different tune now. The market isn’t perfect and you won’t always still be on top. I bet three are plenty waiting for the event that will be responsible for your humbling, god you’re such an obnoxious blowhard with no class, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.
I wouldn’t consider myself on top now either, but that still doesn’t mean that I would approve of a government mechanism to systematically devalue property. That is essentially what rent control does (but only to the benefit of a select few) – it is completely unethical. Why should anyone be guaranteed a home in a particular neighbor? Are we serfs bound to the land?
Again and again with “the market.” Frank refuses to acknowledge that there is no such thing as a pure real estate market in NYC. There are subsidies, tax breaks, and other special treatment galore for developers and rich buyers, rendering the concept of a free market useless. It’s time for people earning the median income in New York to be fairly represented and served. That’s all anyone wants.
So the solution to to move to a centrally planned housing market? You must not be an astute student of history.
its just annoying that the people who are in positions of authority – who should be looking out for the best interest of the community – ARENT.
it makes no sense to allow people to build build build without having the infrastructure to support it.
seems like common sense.
apparently it isnt.
Sunnyside & Woodside does not want the over development & gentrification which happened in LIC to happen to them. I don’t blame them. Building without planning should never happen to any neighborhood. Not enough schools,stores, parks,transit etc…rising unaffordable rents for apts and businesses just don’t work.
jimmy van bramer is getting paid big time money for this trust me on that –
Rising rents is just part of life. If you dont like it, buy or bye.
To Woodside and Sunnyside etc…don’t let his overdevelopment and gentrification that happened in LIC , happen to you!!!!!! Fight it as hard as you can. Your neighborhood as it is now will change completely.
There wasn’t a sense of community like Sunnyside in LIC. LIC came from old industry. Sunnyside came from an organized community idea. Major different roots but LIC can be salvaged with whatever Van Bramer didn’t sell off to developers.
You have no idea what the hell you are talking about.
Hopefully i will be there with my friend’s.