Rep. Maloney, NYC Planning Dir. Burden Announce Full Funding for Queens Plaza Redevelopment - and Construction to Start in Late 2007
Queens, NY – Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Queens,
Manhattan) and NYC Department of City Planning Director Amanda Burden
and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall announced that the City has
obtained all the funding it needs, including $19.05 million from the
federal government, to complete the long-awaited renovation of Queens
Plaza. The City of New York will allocate the rest of the funding for
the approximately $22 million project. Maloney and Burden also
announced that construction on the project is expected to begin in late
2007.
Joining Maloney and Burden at the event were City Councilman Eric
Gioia; Gayle Baron, President of the LIC Business Development Corp.;
Joseph Conley, Chairperson of Queens Community Board 2; and a
representative of Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan.
The
redevelopment of Queens Plaza will transform the once-blighted area
into a welcoming gateway to Long Island City and the Borough of
Queens. The Project's principal objective is to beautify Queens Plaza
through the creation of a new 1.5-acre, lushly landscaped open space at
Queens Plaza East, widened, landscaped medians, and an overall plan for
new lighting, tree planting, and directional signs throughout the area.
These improvements, which will also reconfigure traffic lanes and
include a new, dedicated bike lane, are intended to create a more
pedestrian- and bike-friendly environment, thereby reducing traffic
congestion, improving air quality, and encouraging mass transit usage.
“The redevelopment of Queens Plaza will complete the rebirth of
Long Island City,” said Congresswoman Maloney. “Everywhere you look,
exciting new projects are either breaking ground or being completed.
The redevelopment will be a huge benefit for businesses, residents and
commuters alike. Queens Plaza has become known for rusty elevated
tracks, traffic snarls and take-your-life-in-your-hands crosswalks –but
all that is about to change. Queens Plaza will soon become the
welcoming gateway that the residents of Long Island City deserve.”
“I
am thrilled to announce an expected ground-breaking next year for our
Queens Plaza project to create a magnificent public open space here for
residents, employees and visitors for the first time in nearly 100
years," said City Planning Director Burden. "Congresswoman Maloney has
been an invaluable partner in helping obtain funding to transform this
unwelcoming space into a lush landscape with green space to gather, and
improved conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists and cars. This will
help Long Island City reach its full potential as one of the great
business districts of our city. We expect this transformation to
further catalyze reinvestment in this dynamic, transit rich and
culturally distinct district that is a key component of the Mayor's
five-borough economic development strategy.”
“I am thrilled that
the redevelopment of Queens Plaza has begun through the efforts of
Congresswoman Maloney and Director Burden,” said Assemblywoman Nolan.
“Long Island City is a great place to live and work, and this major
effort will make it even better.”
"This is yet another sign that
Long Island City is truly in the midst of a renaissance," said
Councilman Eric Gioia, who represents Long Island City in the City
Council. "With unparalleled views of Manhattan, easy access to public
transportation, and an amazing array of cultural institutions, Long
Island City is already a great neighborhood. Yet what has happened to
date is but a precursor to the improvements yet to come. From
recapturing the waterfront to platforming the Sunnyside yards and
creating brand new neighborhoods, Long Island City has more potential
than anywhere else in this City, and, perhaps, anywhere else in the
entire world. I thank Congressmember Maloney and Commissioner Burden
for their hard work and dedication to our community, and look forward
to working with them for years to come."
Congresswoman Maloney
has long recognized the importance of the Queens Plaza redevelopment
project for the residents of western Queens. Working with other
members of the delegation, Maloney secured $500,000 for the project in
FY2003, $750,000 in FY2004, $1 million in FY2005 and $800,000 in
FY2006. Additionally, Maloney ensured that another $6.4 million for
Queens Plaza (to be delivered over five years) was included in
SAFETEA-LU, the federal government’s five-year highway capital plan,
which was passed in 2005. The additional $9.6 million in federal funds
were obtained by the Department of City Planning through the Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program, part of the federal
transportation budget approved by Congress.
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