Feb. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien The City Planning Commission has voted in favor of modifications to zoning regulations for the planned $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino development adjacent to Citi Field in Flushing. The proposal, a planned development by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock Entertainment, would convert a 50-acre…
Feb. 19, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Elected officials across Queens have condemned President Donald Trump after the Trump Administration moved to end federal approval for congestion pricing Wednesday. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed Gov. Kathy Hochul in a letter that he would rescind the federal approval of the congestion pricing program, describing the…
Feb. 19, 2025 By Bill Parry Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Wednesday the release of surveillance video of the cold case murder of an off-duty Rikers Island correction officer in Springfield Gardens more than four years ago. During the early morning hours of Aug. 15, 2020, 28-year-old NYC Correction Officer John Jeff was…
Feb. 18, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Queens Borough President Donovan Richards held a virtual meeting with Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing crisis at City Hall. The meeting was held in response to the resignation of four deputy mayors on Monday, Feb. 17, over allegations that Mayor Eric Adams agreed to…
Feb. 18, 2025 By Bill Parry FDNY history was made at Queens College as the head of Battalion 46 in Elmhurst became the first-ever female deputy chief and the highest-ranking woman in fire operations. Battalion Chief Michele Fitzsimmons, a 24-year veteran of the FDNY, received a standing ovation inside Colden Auditorium on Friday morning…
Feb. 17, 2025 By Ethan Marshall The real estate consultant Ariel Property Advisors experienced a decline in investment sales, despite an increase in transactions in 2024, according to their Queens 2024 Year-End Commercial Real Estate Trends report. Investment sales in Queens went down 7% year-over-year, from $3.18 billion in 2023 to $2.95 billion in…
Feb. 14, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Following the dismissal of federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, elected officials across Queens have called for his removal from office. The Department of Justice’s decision to drop the case has raised concerns among prominent Democrats, who allege that President Donald Trump now holds…
Feb. 13, 2025 By Shane O’Brien U.S. Reps Nydia Velázquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have penned a letter to the CIA and FBI demanding the disclosure of all materials related to the assassination of two leaders of the Puerto Rican independence movement during the 1970s. Carlos Muñiz Varela, a Cuban living in Puerto Rico who…
Feb. 13, 2025 By Ethan Marshall The average rent for studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units all increased year-over-year in Queens in January 2025, according to a report by the real estate firm M.N.S. Real Estate. The overall average rent in Queens increased from $2,781 in January 2024 to $2,902 in January 2025, marking a 4.38%…
Feb. 13, 2025 By Colum Motherway Several Queens elected officials are voicing their opposition to Con Edison’s proposed rate hikes for electricity and gas, urging the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to reject the increases and address ongoing concerns about utility affordability. The proposal, which could raise rates by up to 14%,…