LIC Partnership Networking Event
Changing of the Guard, New Store Coming To Queens Plaza, New Restaurants in Dutch Kills, Jason Sheftell's Death & more at the Foundry in LIC
But on June 20th I attended a Spring Gathering hosted by the LIC Partnership at the Foundry on 13th Street in Long Island City where I learned that Dan Miner was about to leave the LIC Partnership.
This report is primarily about odds and ends / news briefs picked up at the Spring Networking event at the Foundry, but also includes a brief history of the LIC Partnership and about the current changing of the guard. Shown in the photo to your right are Gayle Baron Executive Directors, Gary Kesner Chairman and Dan Miner Senior Vice President of the LIC Partnership at their Networking event in June at the Foundry in LIC.
Dan Miner Departs For Manhattan Position
The weather was perfect as I made my way to the Foundry in LIC. The sun had headed west and down behind the Queensboro Bridge and NYC skyline. I entered the Foundry some time after the networking party was in full motion and began to mix.
Click here to read more about the changing of the guard at the LIC Partnership and general news bits from the Long Island City neighborhood.
LIC Partnership Networking Event @ The Foundry
Changing of the Guard, New Store Coming To Queens Plaza, New Restaurants in Dutch Kills, Jason Sheftell's Death & ...
August / June 2013 / Long Island City / Queens Business / Queens Buzz. Dan Miner continued. One of the first things I learned was that Dan Miner, the Sr. VP of the LIC Partnership, was moving onto greener pastures in Manhattan. Dan will become the District Manager of Community Board 6 in that borough.
Dan talked about the satisfaction he felt in helping transition two LIC businesses into solar energy during his tenure at the LIC Partnership, and he told me that he’s looking forward to doing more of the same as the District Manager of Community Board 6 in Manhattan. Click here to learn more about using solar energy in Queens.
Community Board Six in Manhattan covers the area from 14th Street to East 59th Street and roughly from Lexington to the East River. Dan said he’s going to miss LIC, but that after having spent 14 years working toward the economic development of Long Island City, he was also looking forward to the new position. Dan will still be nearby - only an East River crossing away.
LIC Partnership - A Short History
As we all know, the modernization of the Long Island City neighborhood has been long in the
Currently the LIC Partnership business improvement district encompasses the area enclosed by Queens Blvd and Jackson Avenue, southwest to 21st Street and back north to Queen Blvd along 21st street [see map]. The LIC Partnership is currently working to expand its footprint, by pushing its boundary westward from 21st Street to Vernon Blvd.
Changing of the Guard at the LIC Partnership
As mentioned in the introduction, Dan Miner isn’t the only one departing from the LIC Partnership. Gayle Baron, the Executive Director of the LIC Partnership, will also be departing this summer. She, like Dan, has been a key player on the LIC Partnership management team, leading of one of the most successful economic development efforts in NYC in the past decade. At the time of this writing we understand that Gary Kesner, LIC Partnership Chairman and SilverCup Studios VP, will remain in his position.
The LIC Partnership networking event was held at the Foundry in LIC. The Foundry is a turn of the 20th century foundry which was converted into an events space. The Foundry is frequently used for photo shoots, wedding receptions and for private party events like this one.
I entered a room just off the main hall, that I had never seen before. It was a large, beautiful, airy room with high glass paned ceilings, vine covered brick walls and a sleek, modern fireplace. The back wall had 16 large paned windows looking out toward the Queensboro Bridge. The new room at the Foundry is shown to your right, with Friends of Gantry Park Founder Mark Christie standing in the middle of it.
Death of Jason Sheftell, Daily News Real Estate Reporter
I ran into Steffan Olausson, a realtor and owner of Space Realty of Dutch Kills. He and a friend had
Jason, age 46, had died of causes that were “unclear” at the time. I just did a search on Jason’s cause of death and it is still published as “unclear” even though an autopsy was to be performed on June 20th. It seemed unusual that a prominent 46 year-old reporter, who appeared to be in good health only a month before, would die so young without a published explanation. Jason is shown right, in the photo to your right, at the LIC Partnership Real Estate Forum on April 25, 2013.
I snapped a photo of Steffan and his friend in the spacious Foundry room and remarked that they looked like a newly married couple. They laughed and said that they had just arranged to work together, which has some similarities to tying the knot. You can see a photo of the two in slide 8438 below.
Foodcellar & Co to Open Second Store in New Rockrose Bldg
The second all natural and organic supermarket will open next Spring / Summer [2014] at 43-10 Crescent Street, near Queens Plaza. The new store will occupy 14,500 square feet on the ground floor and subterranean level of the new building which recently opened. The second Food Cellar & Co location will include organic and all natural produce, groceries, and a café and deli to serve the Queens Plaza and surrounding area.
Dutch Kills Restaurant Coming Soon – The Windmill
Mark Christie was also in attendance. He’s involved in a number of civic efforts throughout LIC, including the Queens Library at Hunters Point and the Friends of Gantry Park. And Ann Margaret O’Connor, Curator of Zoescope, was also present, enjoying the social ambiance and the zen-like room of the Foundry in LIC. Both of them are shown in the photo above, as well as in the slide show.
Anastasia Cole Plakias, Director of Communications for Queens' Brooklyn Grange Farmers Market mentioned that the Brooklyn Grange farmers market is open on Saturdays from 10 am – 3 pm in the Coffee Café on the ground floor of the Standard Motor Lofts Building at 37-18 Northern Blvd in Long Island City.
Anastasia enjoys working for an urban farm and manages the community outreach, which includes a number of events this summer and fall. Anastasia is shown in the photo to your right.
Gustavo Rodriguez - Man of Many Hats?
Most folks know Gustavo Rodriguez as Gus. Gus is an accomplished musician, the LIC Bar
The LIC Partnership event began winding down, so I wrapped things up and made my way home.
Below is a slide show showing the folks mentioned above as well as many others. They include: Rachel Thieme, Executive Director of Sunnyside Shines; Rob MacKay, Director of Public Relations QEDC; Amy Hau, Director of Administration and External Affairs; Richard Mazda, Founder of the Secret Theatre; Erik Baard, Founder of HarborLAB; and Karen Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Art. Cheers.
Photos of the LIC Partnership Networking Party at the Foundry
The following slide show contains photos of the LIC Partnership Networking Party at the Foundry. Click here to go directly into the photo album containing photos of LIC Partnership Networking Event at the Foundry.
8415 - Metin Mangut, Partner Foodcellar & Co with Ann Margaret O' Connor, Founder Zoescope
8417 - Karen Fitzgerald, Artist with Rachel Thieme Executive Director of Sunnyside Shines, and Rob MacKay, Director of Public Relations & Marketing QEDC
8418 - Rachel with Amy Hau, Director of Administration and External Affairs of the Noguchi Museum
8420 - Dan Miner now the District Manager of Community Board 6 in Manhattan
8422 - Anastasia Cole Plakias, Director of Communications for the Brooklyn Grange
8424 - Richard Mazda, Founder of the Secret Theatre (R)
8426 - Gayle Baron, Executive Director; Gary Kesner, Chairman; and Dan Miner formerly SVP of LIC Partnership
8427 - Barbara Etzel, Director KPMG and Gustavo Rodriguez of RocketHub
8435 - Mark Christie, Founder of Friends of Gantry Park and Treasurer of Friends of Hunter Point Library
8438 - Steffan Olausson, Founder of Space Realty in Dutch Kills and friend
8439 - Dominick & Mrs. Stiller, Founders of the Windmill Restaurant; Mark Christie Steffan Olausson and Ann Margaret O' Connor
8443 - Gustavo Rodriguez and Richard Mazda
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