The LIC Coalition’s vision for 44th Drive.
April 4, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
A band of civic groups and elected officials will be protesting outside of City Hall against the city’s plans for 44th Drive in Long Island City in the coming weeks.
The rally will take place on April 10 at 11 a.m., and will carry the same message of opposition heard at the March 3 protest to the Economic Development Corporation’s 1.5 million square foot project at the publicly-owned waterfront site. The plan will mix thousands of square feet of office and industrial space with about 1,000 residential units. A public park and a new school are also included in the project.
The event will see the same groups, including the LIC Coalition, the Court Square Civic Association, Justice for All, and the Hunters Point Civic Association. Elected officials present at the initial rally, including Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, Assemblymember Cathy Nolan, and State Senator Michael Gianaris, will also be in attendance, according to the organizers.
Sabina Omerhodzic, a member of the LIC Coalition, said the group will hand in their “Save the Waterfront” petition to all city officials during the event. The coalition’s online petition envisions a different development for the waterfront, including a recreation center, a wetland park, and a school, arts, and job training center at the adjacent Department of Education building. The DOE building, while not part of the 44th Drive project, was recently listed by the city in a separate project as a site for life sciences companies to potentially take up.
The online petition was close to 1,200 signatures, but Omerhodzic hopes to reach 3,000 by the rally.
“We are planning to deliver this to every council member, as well as the EDC, the comptroller, and the mayor,” Omerhodzic said. “We want to make sure everybody is aware.”
TF Cornerstone, the developer selected by the city to build out the site, said they will begin meeting with the community next month to discuss the project’s design. The public rezoning process, they say, is expected to start in the first half of 2019, once the project’s design is complete.
The EDC previously said they are in the early stages of the project, and intend to work with elected officials, the community board, and other local stakeholders on it.
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11 Comments
Please protect the waterfront not in favour of sports Field deveopment
Yeah a Rally to be held on a Tuesday at 11 AM. It’s a scam this building will be built and go forward, just check which one of these politicians have taken money from these developers.
The proposed project seems nice as long as it’s mixed-use for both residential and commercial. Also, it needs to offer nice waterfront parks.
Of course JBV wll be there. and lead the charge. He however is in bed with DiBlasio and his plan to destroy our neighborhood with the influx of homeless shelters, homeless hotels and construction of even more to built and already approved by our community board.
At least one of the identified lots in the photo is privately owned. Are planning a take over?
I agree with this petition… in part. I am generally opposed to rallies because I find them polarizing. With CBTC installation on the 7 nearly complete, and in-progress on Queens Boulevard, there is going to be more capacity on subways nearest this site. I wholeheartedly agree the neighborhood needs green space, affordable manufacturing space, and community centers! This site should take into account future climate change as well. That said, I believe there should be some affordable housing allocated to these sites, within reason. I think coming into this discussion in good faith and being willing to compromise will help all parties get a bit more of what they want.
There are 1000 affordable units ascribed right next door at the Anable Basin spot rezone that will bring 15,000 additional people to that location. In addition you have the Silvercup site on the other side. Along with the Durst building and additional upzoning in Court Square, and Sunnyside Yards having just been announced you are looking at over 120,000 additional residents to LIC. MIH is included in all that. I think we can live without the 200 affordable units at this location. Waterfront, City owned land should be for
EVERYONE. Not a select 2500 people to live there. We are a city that does not allow community input. In many cities an 60-80 percent majority is needed for projects to go through. We will never keep up with our communities needs if we keep quiet about the 7 segmented rezoning in play right now. Also I just spoke with a women last week who was accepted into the upper tier affordable housing but rented market rate because it was cheaper. Until affordable housing standards AND who is vetting the lottery is corrected it is not always affordable. Brooklyn is seeing a glut of higher tiered affordable housing. Many long time residents from LIC, were rejected from affordable housing because they couldn’t afford the lowest amount of which there were very few allotments.
Affordable housing lotteries are a boondoggle. If you cannot afford to live here anymore, move. As the saying goes, buy or bye.
Robert, if you think the new signal system will make a difference, you are delusional. 2 extra trains during rush hour is what I read. Wow. The E line is teeming with people now like sardines. This and all future development except for some retail stores should be shut down now.
Shut this project DOWN !!!! We have been so Overbuilt it is ridiculous. LIC can’t take any more development. Developers are trying to go against what the community wants (what else is new). Economic Development Corp. is in with the Developers anyway. Shut this project down so Mr. DumBlasio won’t be happy and profit from this.
and Mr. JVB won’t be happy either and he will not be profiting from it either –