Jan. 5, 2022 By Christian Murray The City Council unanimously approved a developer’s plan last month to rezone a section of 31st Street in Astoria—making way for three large buildings that will collectively bring 278 units along the strip. The city council voted 47 for and zero against the rezoning plan—the final step in the… Read more »
Jan. 4, 2022 By Allie Griffin Council Member Julie Won officially took office representing District 26 Monday and is now offering constituent services remotely. Won said she and her staff will be working remotely for the time being due to the current surge of COVID cases. Once it’s safe, her team will move into her… Read more »
Jan. 4, 2022 By Michael Dorgan A near century-old building in Long Island City is being repurposed into a state-of-the-art facility that will specialize in life sciences. The seven-story building, which is nearly 210,000 square feet, is located in the Court Square section of Long Island City at 43-10 23rd St. The site will be… Read more »
Jan. 4, 2022 By Christian Murray Huge Ma, who founded the TurboVax website last year that helped connect New Yorkers to COVID-19 vaccine sites, announced last month that he is running for Assembly. Ma, 32, a Democrat who was raised in Astoria, is running for the Assembly District 37 seat, which has been occupied by… Read more »
Jan. 3, 2022 By Allie Griffin Applications to serve on one of Queens’ 14 community boards are now open, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Monday. Residents interested in becoming community board members must submit their applications online by Feb. 16. This is the second year that the borough president’s office has offered the application… Read more »
Jan. 3, 2022 By Allie Griffin A woman was fatally stabbed on New Year’s Day in Astoria in what police said was the first homicide in New York City this year. The unidentified woman, who is believed to be in her 40s, was found lying unconscious on the sidewalk near the busy intersection of 23rd… Read more »
Dec. 30, 2021 By Christian Murray Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, who has represented the 26th Council District since 2010, ends his time in office Friday. We had an extensive discussion with Van Bramer in a podcast just prior to Christmas. Van Bramer discusses his achievements, such as the 10,000 school seats that have been… Read more »
Dec. 30, 2021 By Allie Griffin More than a dozen Queens residents died of COVID-19 Tuesday — the highest number of fatalities among the 62 counties in New York State. Altogether, 97 New Yorkers died from COVID-19 Tuesday including 13 Queens residents as the number of cases reached the highest level on record amid a… Read more »
Dec. 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a Queens legislator’s bill into law Tuesday that requires the MTA to prioritize bicycle access on MTA bridges and in commuter train stations. The legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas requires the MTA to develop a strategic plan to promote both bike and pedestrian access… Read more »
Dec. 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin Council Member-elect Julie Won shared a video Tuesday that doubled as a pregnancy announcement and notice that she has been sworn into office. The incoming council member posted a video saying that she is expecting a child and has been sworn in to represent District 26 — which covers… Read more »