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Queens Real Estate & Business QNS NYC
October 2024 / Queens Real Estate & Business NYC / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Buzz NYC.
This section is dedicated to the Real Estate & Business section on Queens Buzz NYC.
Page Guide
How to Make the Most of This Section
1. The reports at the top of this section will contain recent reports on current real estate issues or previously produced reports that are still relevant to current real estate issues in Queens.
2. The rest of this section will contain real estate related reports done previously, organized as follows: 1) NYC & Queens Real Estate, 2) Queens Neighborhoods Real Estate, 3) Economy, Finance & Loans; and 4) links to a few of our Special Reports Series, wherein oftentimes real estate seems to play a role in some fashion.
3. The Queens Buzz website provides visitors with current news and a history of what has happened in Queens neighborhoods, generally based on events, issues, locales and sometimes personages. Use the BOOKMARK button at the top of your browser window, to facilitate your weekly visit to find out what's happening in Queens.
Thanks for visiting.
CLICK here to view our Queens Real Estate & Business NYC section.
Is a Housing “Shortage” Really the Cause of Unaffordability?
May 15, 2024 / NYC Government & Politics / NYC Real Estate & Business / City of Yes Special Report Series / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz. Published with permission from Andrew Berman, Executive Director of Village Preservation in NYC.
With the recent conditional repeal of the state’s cap on the allowable density of new residential construction in New York City, and the Mayor’s “City of Yes” proposal making its way through the public approval process, it’s an opportune time to look at the arguments behind this ever-growing push to increase the permitted size and amount of new residential development in New York City. Undergirding all of these is the contention that housing prices are up in New York City because we’re not building enough market-rate housing, and that certain parts of the city, like most of Manhattan south of Harlem, aren’t doing their fair share to address New York City’s housing needs. Let’s look at how well these claims line up with the facts.
Some data points often cited include the large increase in New York City’s population, which according to the census rose from 8.175 million in 2010 to 8.804 million in 2020, or a 7.7% increase. Figures from this same period say housing prices in New York City also rose dramatically, and the recent NYC housing vacancy survey shows record low housing vacancy rates in the city. Taken alone, this would seem to present a compelling argument that housing construction in New York City is not keeping up with population growth, leading to insufficient supply and rising prices.
But the complete picture tells a very different story.
- CLICK here to read the rest of Andrew Berman's report examining the City of Yes and NYC's unaffordable housing crisis.
Finance - Banks & Loans In Queens
May 30, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
City of Yes Text Amendments - Huge Zoning Changes in the Works - Part II.
The Proposed 'City of Yes Text Amendments' will Roll Back Local Community Board [and Hence Communities] Input into What is Built & What Activities are Allowed in Their Communities
April 2, 2024 / Brooklyn Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Just over a week ago I attended a Zoom call, organized by Community Board 6 in Manhattan, regarding the proposed City of Yes Text Amendments Part II being promulgated by Mayor Adams and his Administration. We collectively sat through about an hour long presentation, which I found to be most enlightening as well as a bit disconcerting should the proposed changes pass without significant alteration.
I have obtained permission to publish the slides, which due to technical issues, I have had to publish in the three [vs one] slide shows you see below [they are in chronological order]. I'll post my full report early next week, but in the meantime the slides should give you an idea of how big the changes really are and has been done in such a manner that you can begin to figure out how these changes may affect you.
Whether you are a tenant, landowner or real estate developer - and no matter in which borough you live - these changes, if passed unalterred, are going to significantly change how things are done in NYC. And the more I dig into this, the more it seems to be a roll back of community input, which is - in my mind - an essential / core element of any democratic process.
Isn't it?
While I'm still not done with the research, these changes look to be quite harmful to the people of NYC, in so many different ways, while failing to provide any sure path to growing our inventory of truly affordable housing.
Much more coming next week and over the next couple of weeks.
- CLICK here to view the slide show presentation made regarding the City of Yes at the Manhattan Community Board 6 Meeting on March 25, 2024.
City of Yes Text Amendments Part II - Economic Development
City of Yes Text Amendments - Huge Zoning Changes in the Works
How Much Will the Proposed 'City of Yes Text Changes' Strip Communities of Input into What is Built in their Communities & What Activities Take Place within Each Property?
Updated March 9, 2024 from 3.6.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate / NYC Government & Politics / City of Yes Zoning Changes NYC Special Report Series / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
On Thursday, February 1, 2024 I attended a Community Board 2 Queens meeting about the proposed City of Yes Text Amendments at the Sunnyside Community Services Center. The presentation was given by the Department of City Planning and the focus was the second piece of the massive, nearly 1,157 page City of Yes Text Amendment proposal.
The photo at right shows two City Planning Department representatives fielding questions from the audience following their presentation of the zoning law changes proposed in the City of Yes Text Amendments - Part II - Economic Development.
What are the City of Yes Text Amendment Zoning Law Changes?
The first segment of the proposal included changes to zoning in order to enable green energy powered buildings. The second segment of the proposal, which was what this meeting was all about, was to make changes to zoning laws to provide more zoning flexibility to enable more economic opportunity. And the third segment of the City of Yes Text Amendments is to address the need for affordable housing. As previously mentioned, for the purposes of this report, we're sticking to the second segment of the three part proposal, which moved front and center following the passage of the green energy initiative passed by the City Council in December of 2022.
City of Yes Text Amendment Changes - Part II - Economic Development
I am including a slide show from the February 1st, 2024 meeting mentioned above. And I have also reached out to Alicia Boyd, a Brooklyn activist in this area, and have obtained her permission to post a slide show she presented on January 16, 2024 at the Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island. By providing you with both slide shows you'll obtain both a 'Pro' perspective and a 'Con' perspective. The Pro perspective, provided by the City Planning Department, also includes a description of the specific changes to the zoning laws for which they are advocating. We'll have more on this in the coming weeks because we think it is one of the most important issues of the day and the City Council is expected to vote on it in April 2024.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report, including competing slide shows about the proposed City of Yes Test amendments - Part II - Economic Development. As of this post we've not yet heard back from Alicia Boyd of MTOPP, but expect to hear from her today / tomorrow or by the end of the week. So please stay tuned.
I. Queens & NYC Real Estate
Governor Hochul Scraps the LGA to Flushing Meadows Corona Park Air Train
Governor Hochul Scraps the Ill Conceived LGA - Willets Point Air Train
Former Governor Cuomo's Air Train Seemed More About Catering to the Whims of the Billionaire Class, than in Streamlining Public Transit
March 15, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
In 2017 I attended a Community Board meeting in Astoria where our urban planners talked about new improvements coming to LaGuardia Airport. Since then a number of those plans have come to fruition. But one of them, what at the time was called the third phase, the Air Train to LGA, has not. Use the link to see the thinking nearly six years ago when the plans had been drafted and the construction was about to begin. I'm happy to say that we flagged and reported to you a number of the issues with the LGA Air Train early on, which we've included in the list below.
The photo at right shows the CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] subway that runs along the Kennedy Expressway from downtown Chicago to O'Hare Airport which vies with Atlanta for the title of the busiest airport in the U.S..
The Former Emperor [Governor Cuomo] had No Clothes [Sound Public Interest Rationale]
On Monday, Governor Hochul announced what was already well known and expected, which was that the Air Train shuttling between LaGuardia Airport and Flushing Meadows Corona Park, would not be built.
There were any number of good reasons why the LGA Air Train should not have been built, such as: 1) the costs of building the train would cost more than five times the original estimated cost of under $500 million to over $2.5 billion, 2) then, implicit in a number of alternatives, there was the idiocy of connecting the LGA Air Train, to the second most trafficked subway line [the #7] in NYC, which was already nearing peak capacity pre-pandemic, 3) the politically and billionaire preferred alternative destination, Willets Point on Flushing Bay, had just been cleaned up after decades of environmental pollution, and would again be threatened again, and to top it all off, 4) the politically and billionaire preferred Willets Point alternative required all of the people traveling to and from LaGuardia on public transit, to travel out to Flushing first, before circling back around to LaGuardia Airport. The billionaires who would have benefitted from this include billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross and [now minority interest] Mets Club billionaire owners Saul B. Katz and Fred Wilpon. The new Mets baseball team owner, Steve Cohen, is also a billionaire.
CLICK here to read our report on Governor Hochul scraps the LGA to Flushing Meadows Corona Park Air Train.
LIC Real Estate Breakfast
What Happened at the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast?
LIC Real Estate Owners, Managers & Tenants Discussed the Current State of the Long Island City Real Estate Market
April 25, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be / Weather coming tomrorrow.
I never thought I would become one of the 'old timers' covering the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast. But I think that perhaps I am. I hadn't covered one of these breakfasts since before the pandemic, so I found myself looking to regain my balance, vis a vis my Queens real estate sea legs.
But some things are like riding a bike, meaning they come back to you quickly, and covering the LIC Real Estate Breakfast seemed to fit that bill. As I sat there listening to the panel assembled to discuss the current state of affairs, I noticed a number of folks from prior gatherings, and while the issues were largely the same, the current state of them is constantly changing.
And I'll provide the update this weekend.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the LIC Real Estate Breakfast of 2023 / real estate in Queens NYC.
Amazon Backs Off Building HQ2 in LIC NYC
Have the Opponents of the Deal Lost by Winning the Battle?
February 14, 2019 / Long Island City Neighborhood NYC / Queens Business NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.
Amazon, one of the world's largest and most successful companies, has withdrew its plans to locate a second headquarters in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. The giant retailer / technology company said it would continue with its other development plans in Nashville, Tennessee and in Arlington, Virginia - but was withdrawing from its plans to set up a second headquarters in New York City at this time.
Queens & NYC Residents Favor Amazon's Plan for HQ2 in NYC
According to a Quinnipiac Poll in December of 2018, 60% of Queens residents and 57% of NYC residents favored the arrival of Amazon HQ2. The reasons for favoring Amazon's move to New York include:
1) The promise of 25,000 new jobs.
2) Pricing pressure to lift rents and real estate prices [beneficial to property owners].
3) Higher tax revenue for the government because of economic growth. The arrival of Amazon HQ2 would increase the NYS / NYC taxable base by billion(s) in annual wages and commercial sales, although some of this would likely have come at the expense of existing businesses.
4) The promise of a tech / business eco-system.
But a Sizeable & Vocal Minority Oppose Amazon's Arrival
But a sizeable and vocal minority opposed the plan. The Quinnipiac poll indicated that 39% of Queens residents opposed the tax incentives [versus 55% who supported them], while majorities in Manhattan and Brooklyn opposed them, and majorities in Bronx and on Staten Island favored them.
Opponents cited the following rationales for opposition to the Amazon move.
1) The $3 billion in NYS and NYC tax breaks.
2) Opposition to unionization by Amazon.
3) The expected inflationary impact on local rents and real estate prices [negative impact for tenants / prospective home buyers].
4) The ground terms of the deal were secretly negotiated by the Governor & the Mayor without legislative input.
The Opposition by Local Pols Was Cited as Squelching the Deal
Amazon issued a statement citing opposition by local pols as its reason for withdrawing from its plans at this time, while simultaneously thanking NYS Governor Cuomo and NYC Mayor de Blasio. Here are a few excerpts from a statement issued by Amazon.
“... we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens. For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term ... While polls show that 70% [Editor's Note: the percent favoring the move differs from the independent Quinnipiac poll taken in December 2018] of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward ... We are deeply grateful to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and their staffs, who so enthusiastically and graciously invited us to build in New York City and supported us during the process ... We do not intend to reopen the HQ2 search at this time. We hope to have future chances to collaborate as we continue to build our presence in New York over time.”
I added the bold on the last couple of lines, because it seems to indicate that Amazon is still interested in expanding here. As of just before 11 am today, only an hour or two before the announcement was made [lunchtime EST], Amazon's ads pitching the community continued airing on the New York Times website - see graphic above right.
So what's next? Dunno, and I am not sure anyone else does either. Perhaps nothing for a while.
But I conjecture that Amazon, like Google and Facebook who preceded them, will grow its footprint in New York City, even without the special tax incentives. Why? Because New York City is one of the few places equipped to provide a diverse, well-educated, sophisticated workforce to accommodate large and rapid corporate growth. It's worth mentioning that only a couple of months ago, in November 2018, Google announced that it would proceed with a $1 billion expansion in New York City without any special tax incentives.
Meanwhile, remember to do something nice for your loved one and yourself, for Valentine's Day. Life goes on.
The Times They are a Changing
Amazon Coming to LIC w/ Sites Secured
New Jobs, Tax Incentives, Real Estate & Housing Impacts & Dissent
November 13, 2018 / Long Island City Neighborhood / Long Island City Real Estate / Queens Buzz NYC.
According to a November 13, 2018 Washington Post report, yesterday Amazon, NYC and NYS made public, that half of the second headquarters for Amazon would be erected in Long Island City. The other half is going to Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia; and there was a third award - not of headquarters - but rather a new operations center which is to be erected in Nashville, Tennessee which is expected to create 5,000 additional new jobs there.
The photo at right shows Hunters Point Park South along the East River in LIC. This park is just south of and adjacent to Anable Basin, one of Amazon's new HQ2 sites, and only a ten minute walk from the other one on Jackson Avenue near Citibank.
New High Paying Jobs?
The announcement included that the two new HQ2 units would eventually create 25,000 new jobs - EACH [Long Island City, NY & Arlington, Va]. In Long Island City it was expected that 3,000 new jobs would be added over the next three years, with the remaining 22,000 coming roughly over the course of the coming decade [ending 2030]. The hiring for the new locations will begin in 2019.
The NY Times in a November 12, 2018 report indicated that many of the salaries paid to the people working at the new HQ2 would make upwards of $100,000*, which they contrasted to the median income of those living in the nearby Queensbridge Housing projects where the median income is $15,000. They noted in that report that many local citizens are leery of the change, feeling rents and the cost of real estate will rise forcing many residents to move. We've heard this anecdotally as well.
HQ2 Near Low Income Queensbridge Housing Projects
The same NY Times report also stated that Amazon said it would spend $5 million on jobs training programs and resume workshops to assist Queensbridge Housing project residents. They also said they would provide incubator space for artists and tech start ups.
The November 13, 2018 Washington Post report included some indication of the upside / downside in the real estate market stating,
"Amazon’s growth is also likely to put new strains on housing. Since Amazon’s arrival, Seattle has become one of the most expensive places in the United States to live, forcing lower-income residents to move to far-off suburbs. The city and surrounding King County declared a state of emergency in 2015 over homelessness."
At right is a photo of one of the Queensbridge Housing projects in LIC a couple of years ago. The Queensbridge Housing projects have been the recipient of government investments in recent years, including significant roof repairs. Queensbridge Houses are located about a half mile north of the old downtown LIC by 50th Avenue and Vernon Blvd [St Mary's Church is the landmark] and only a stones throw from Queens Plaza.
Amazon Founder Pledges $2 Billion to Address National Housing Crisis
The report went on to include some heartening news for those feeling threatened stating,
"Since beginning the headquarters search, Bezos and the company have made several announcements that could soften Amazon’s image as it moves to open its second hub. Bezos announced in September that he would donate $2 billion of his own money to support groups battling homelessness in America and to create a network of preschools in underserved communities. In October — after bearing months of criticism from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over its treatment of workers — Amazon announced that it would raise its minimum wage for all employees to $15 per hour."
The photo at right shows Sunnyside Yards, for which a development plan is in the process of being drafted. Sunnyside Yard is on the eastern border of LIC and it is a large swath of over 192 acres of land that separates Long Island City from the rest of Queens. An NYEDC [New York Economic Development Corporation] spokesperson told me that a study indicated that 180 of the acres are potential development property.
Click here to view a special report series on the Sunnyside Yard.
Market Turbulence: LIC Real Estate Market Supply, Demand & Prices
But real estate speculation appears about to begin, as the November 13, 2018 report by CNN noted,
"The real estate listing website Redfin found searches in the first six days of November grew 345% from the same period last year in Crystal City and 659% in Long Island City."
This has roiled the real estate markets, with sellers ratching up their asking prices, or deciding to rent instead of sell. A memorable quote by developer Tien Vominh in the CNN report was,
"everything's kind of cloudy ... I think it'll settle down once people realize that those 25,000 people are not on a plane headed in this direction."
In recent years LIC has seen the largest residential unit growth of any neighborhood - not just in NYC - but in the nation as well, according to a September 2017 report in the National Intelligencer. Prices for LIC rentals had been languishing the last year or so because of the rapid growth in residential unit supply. There have been reports / rumors of generous incentives being offered to potential tenants, and LIC residential unit sales prices have reportedly been softening. Continued demand, rapidly growing supply and ongoing price fluctuations seem likely in the coming years, as Amazon begins hiring in 2019, while many more residential units are scheduled to come online over the next couple of years. And there's the big unknown regarding the development of most of the 192 acre site of Sunnyside Yard.
In the photo at right is the Anable Basin during the summer time. The Anable Basin is located just north of, and adjacent to Gantry State Park along the East River in LIC. According to the LIC Post, this is where part of Amazon's HQ2 will be located using a combination of public and private land. I hear that the site deals have already been secured.
Dissent: Pros / Cons of Governor Cuomo's Generous Incentives
A November 13, 2018 NY Times report also said that NYS Governor Cuomo pledged up to $1.5 billion** in tax incentives / credits through its Excelsior discretionary fund. And NYS Governor Cuomo offerred up to $500 million in a capital grant to aid Amazon in erecting new buildings. Traditional local and state tax incentives will also be made available to the retailing giant.
In a November 9, 2018 Op Ed in the NY Times former gubernatorial and NYS Attorney General candidate, Zephyr Teachout, and NYS Assemblyman Ron Kim of Flushing / Whitestone / College Point / Murray Hill, took a strong stance against the deal, stating the NYS return on incentives given to businesses is the second worst in the nation [based on a study by the Citizens Budget Committee NY a non-profit watchdog] and that the incentives given by NYS represent 77% of the total tax dollars paid by businesses.
In a November 14, 2018 Democracy Now interview, Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim also accused Governor Cuomo of bypassing the legislature in order to allocate billion(s) of taxpayer funds, to a company controlled by the wealthiest man in the world, to subsidize expansion plans that likely would have occurred with or without the subsidies.
The map at right shows approximately where the Amazon sites are being developed. The Sunnyside Yard, just east of them, represents over 192 acres of a mix of federal, state and municipally controlled land [per Wikipedia] of which 180 of the acres are currently in the planning process for potential future development [NYEDC spokesperson]. A mix of affordable housing has been mentioned as one of the top contenders for site development, but it should be noted that the Administration of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg labeled apartments that rented for over $48,000 per year in Hunters Point South - affordable.
Amazon Cites Economic Impact Using Seattle as Example
According to the LIC Post, One Court Square West [aka the Citibank Building] is where one of the Amazon HQ2 buildings will be located. An NYEDC spokesperson said that Amazon has rented some of the floors in the Citibank Building on Jackson Avenue, but that he was not familiar with any of those details as they were part of a private transaction. In the photo at right you can see the Citibank Building where Amazon will begin working / hiring in 2019.
Winners & Losers of Amazon Arrival
On November 13, 2018 CNN reported that Amazon said that from 2010 to 2016 it added $38 billion to the economy of the city of Seattle - its current headquarters. In a November 11, 2018 report CNN also said that employees who work in Seattle will have an opportunity to relocate.
Lastly, there was a second report in the Washington Post on November 13, 2018 - which by the way is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, so the Washington Post ought to know - that outlined who it expected to be the winners and losers. The winners are property owners and developers and highly skilled workers, while the losers will be renters, low income residents, commuters due to increased transit volume, some small businesses and rival tech companies.
* The incomes reported by Governor Cuomo have been higher than those reported by news outlets [I heard $150,000 in one report]. This may possibly be due to Governor Cuomo's use of 'average' income versus a more fair metric of 'median' income. Using average income can significantly distort the picture - as by averaging in one or a few very high income earners - the average amount can rise significantly, making up for a lot of lower earning jobs. While median income means that half of the people are earning more than the median amount and half the people are earning less than the median amount. Hence median income is generally considered a more fair metric, as a few big wage earners' incomes won't distort this measure.
** The tax incentives / government subsidy numbers reported / estimated by Amazon and government officials - appear to lower than those reported / estimated by opponents - by totals ranging from $600 million to more than $1 billion.
De Blasio's State Of The City Address
NYC Mayor Maps Out A Framework To Tackle NYC's Affordable Housing Crisis
Real Estate Lobbyist: "Zoning Is The Equivalent Of Minting Money"
February 9, 2015 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Mayor Bill de Blasio sent the NYC political, media and real estate worlds abuzz on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015 when he laid out his administration's plan to solve one of the severest shortages of affordable housing in the history of New York City. It seems everyone had something to say in response to it - from the folks on the street to the NYS Governor. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio is shown standing in the bottom left corner of the photo, after giving his first State of the City Address.
The housing crisis in New York City reached crisis proportions during the Bloomberg Administration. Former Mayor Bloomberg's approach to the issue was to let rent regulated apartments expire or become transformed to encourage investment, provide generous tax incentives and city land deals to real estate developers to build luxury high rise apartments, and build more homeless shelters.
A severe shortage of affordable housing was lurking in the background, as candidate Bill de Blasio began running for the office of mayor with the theme of "the tale of two cities". His campaign keyed into the pinch being felt by the 70% of New Yorkers who rent.
Thus one year later, while giving his first State of the City Address, the 109th Mayor of New York City put the affordable housing problem front and center for his Administration in a manner similar to what he had done on the campaign trail.
And in doing so, the Mayor set afire talk about affordable housing by city and state pols, the media and city real estate developers.
Click here later in the week to read the rest of our report about Mayor Bill de Blasio's State of the City Address, including reactions by banking and real estate executives, members of labor unions and other government officials. By Michael Wood.
NYC Landlord Harassments Continue
NYCCM Helen Rosenthal Hosts Housing Clinic to Inform Renters of Their Rights
May 29, 2018 / Upper West Side Neighborhood / Manhattan Real Estate / Manhattan Neighborhoods / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
MB - S.
On Wednesday, May 25th I went to the Goddard Riverside Community Center on Columbus Avenue at 88th Street to attend a housing clinic designed to inform renters of their rights.
***The following introduction is based on prior research done by me, and was not information provided at the housing clinic. I'll let you know when I segue out of my preamble and into the housing clinic.***
Over the past decade landlords appear to have become increasingly aggressive in trying to wriggle out of NYC and NYS rent stabilization regulations, that govern the rental payments under which about two million New Yorkers live.
It is my understanding that the government contributed land and / or financing to build or repair the buildings governed by NYC / NYS rent stabilization laws in exchange for the pricing rights on rent stabilized units. Many of the new landlords who have acquired rent stablized buildings, may possibly be in violation of approaching their business contract(s) in good faith, as the definition of good faith according to Wikipedia is:
"In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract. It is implied in every contract in order to reinforce the express covenants or promises of the contract. A lawsuit (or a cause of action) based upon the breach of the covenant may arise when one party to the contract attempts to claim the benefit of a technical excuse for breaching the contract, or when he or she uses specific contractual terms in isolation in order to refuse to perform his or her contractual obligations, despite the general circumstances and understandings between the parties. When a court or triar or fact interprets a contract, there is always an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in every written agreement."
What is at stake, throughout the city, is literally hundreds of millions and more likely billions of dollars in - rental benefits or rental income streams - depending on which side of the struggle you're on. The landlords appear to be trying - using the torturtous side effects of construction including noise, health risk dust [inhalation], privacy loss and apartment functional loss - to wrest away the billions of dollars of rental pricing rights benefits from tenants to be pocketed by the landlords themselves. Given the high dollar value of what's at stake - including people's homes - this seems like attempted grand larceny, especially in cases where landlords are breaking the law to achieve their goals.
This will be continued at a later date. Including the segue into the information provided by the Housing Clinic to inform tenants of their rights.
Tenants' Rights March & Rally - June 14th Midtown at 4.30 pm
P.S. There's a March & Rally scheduled for June 14th, beginning at 4.30 pm, at the NY Public Library at 5th Avenue and 40th Street. They plan to march to Governor Cuomo's office at 3rd Avenue and East 41st Street. For details contact info@realrentreform.org or call 212.979.6958. All but one of the No IDC NY senatorial candidates have been invited to participate, and there's a possibility that NYS gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon will be there too - as this seems to coincide with her reasons for challenging Governor Cuomo.
II. Queens Neighborhoods Real Estate
Billionaire Public Park Land Grab in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Public Park Land Grab?
Billionaire Looking to Privatize Queens Parkland?
Bill Pending in Albany Would Enable it
May 10, 2023 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Real Estate / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz.
NYS Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubrey has sponsored a bill to allow a billionaire to build a casino on Queens parkland. Why can't the billionaire buy his own land to build the casino? And why has Aubrey supported this public park land grab?
Click here to read the OpEd by the President of a local non-profit explaining the situation - scroll down to May 9, 2023. Billionaire Steve Cohen appears to be making bid to essentially privatize Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.
- CLICK here to directly to the OpEd on Billionaire Steve Cohen Mets Owner Making a Public Park Land Grab with the help of Jeffrion Aubrey?
Plans for Sunnyside Yard Moving Along
Window of Opportunity Closing for Residents' Input into Likely the Single Most Important Real Estate Development in Queens in a Lifetime
May 14, 2019 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Real Estate / Queens Buzz NYC.
The Sunnyside Yard development effort began on February 9, 2015, when Mayor Bill de Blasio presented a vision for the development of Sunnyside Yard in his first State of the City Address. The first effort in the project was a Feasibility Study, which began soon thereafter.
Two years ago, on April 18, 2017, I attended a session where the NYC Economic Development Corporation presented the results of the Feasibility Study to the Community Board in Sunnyside regarding the building of a deck over Sunnyside Yard, in a fashion similar to what was done over a century ago, when the rail lines heading north from Grand Central Station were decked over and Park Avenue was paved over them. Click here to read our series on the History of Sunnyside Yard.
The photo to your right shows Park Avenue between 1910 - 1920, being decked up above NYC infrastructure.
Sunnyside Yard Public Meetings: Moving Along the Development Curve
Last year, on October 24, 2018, the NYC Economic Development Corporation hosted an estimated 375 people at the NYCEDC's first Public Meeting at La Guardia Community College in Long Island City. I was told that they had modified the process and expanded the venue there in order to accommodate the community interest. The goal of the meeting was to obtain community input on how to utlize, the largest publicly controlled space in New York City, likely to be developed in our lifetimes.
The photo at right shows some of the elevated roads traversing Sunnyside Yard, in the same manner as some of the east / west roads traversed Park Avenue in the early 1900's. The plan is to deck it over to make use of the nearly 180 acres that encompass the space.
And on March 26, 2019 the NYCEDC held their second Public Meeting at PS 166Q Henry Gradstein Elementary School in Astoria. At this meeting the NYCEDC and the committee presented the findings of the first Public Meeting, and then oversaw breakout sessions by topic for anyone interested in contributing input into the direction of the Sunnyside Yard development project.
Sunnyside Yard Development & Community Input: Three Categories
The breakout sessions centered around three primary topics: 1) Urban Design, 2) Transportation and 3) Open Space. I chose to attend the transportation session, as it represents the underlying infrastructure - but I must admit that I would have also liked the opportunity to sit in on the two other sessions, as each has its own set of opportunities and costs.
More coming later today. I also placed a request earlier this morning with the NYCEDC as to the timing of next steps, as the information was not available on their website.
Sunnyside Yard Inches Closer to Development
The Wheels have been in Motion Ever Since Mayor de Blasio First Unveiled his Vision for Sunnyside Yard in 2015
January 7, 2018 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Long Island City Neighborhood / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Real Estate LIC Astoria Sunnyside / Queens Buzz NYC.
On Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015 - in Bill de Blasio's first State of the City Address in Manhattan - the Mayor unveiled a vague vision for for the development of Sunnyside Yard in Queens. Following Mayor de Blasio's announcement, the city initiated a feasibility plan to investigate the issues associated with developing the space atop what is now the open space of Sunnyside Yard. Sunnyside Yard lies near the eastern side of Long Island City and the western side of the Sunnyside neighborhood.
Prior to the Mayor's announcement, and continuing to this day, western Queens - but most specifically Long Island City - has been under siege by real estate developers. They have bid up the prices on old buildings and empty lots, and following the purchase of them, have then erected tall skyscraper buildings at a rapid, mind-boggling pace. By the early 2020's, NYC real estate developers will have added tens of thousands of residential units to the Long Island City neighborhood alone, in less than a decade and a half.
In the photo at right, Mayor de Blasio talking to members of the press and audience, following his first State of the City Address in 2015 in Manhattan.
A Changing & Evolving Landscape in Queens
Like all change - there are winners and losers and there are good things and bad things - that come of any change. I've tried to capture a bit of both in my reporting of Long Island City's growth over the past decade or so, but for the purpose of this report, I will leave a discussion of the many issues associated with change, here.
In October of 2018 there was a community meeting at LaGuardia Community College regarding future plans for Sunnyside Yard. Over 300 people came to watch the slide show, view the exhibits, and interact with the NYC Economic Development [EDC] team that is spearheading the effort to include community sentiment and address community issues in any future development of Sunnyside Yard.
This is the beginning of an 18 month long process to engage the community in identifying and managing issues associated with the development of Sunnyside Yard.
In the photo at right are various members of the Queens community who came out to view the exhibits and slide show put together by the NYC EDC regarding the future development of Sunnyside Yard.
WORK IN PROGRESS - more to come later this week.
Astoria Real Estate Section - Multiple Stores over Multiple Years
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Steinway Mansion Special Report Series - 2009 - 2016 - QB 566
Click here to view over a dozen reports on the Steinway Mansion in Astoria Queens. Click the report below to see a few additional shorter reports.
Astoria Real Estate - Astoria NY
Astoria Real Estate
Astoria Real Estate - Demographics & Description
Astoria / Astoria Real Estate / Updated August 30, 2012 / firt published December 2009. This report will be updated sometime in Q3 or Q4 2012. We'll have more information to provide you on the Astoria real estate market prices, inventory and demand; as well as things to look for when buying Astoria real estate.
The Astoria real estate market is the largest real estate market in our analysis. The Astoria population in the last census was about 165,000. The Astoria neighborhood is a very ethnically mixed community, with a history of German [Steinway], Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern immigrants arriving in waves throughout the last century. These days the immigrants coming into the Astoria real estate market are from NYC and other states. The Astoria neighborhood runs from LaGuardia Airport to the East River down to Northern Blvd. The housing inventory includes a mix of apartment buildings, condominiums, multi-family dwellings and single-family homes. Astoria has a rich mix of some of the best parks in the city and includes a number of full service shopping and dining areas including along Steinway Street, Northern Blvd, Ditmars Street and 31st Street.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Astoria Real Estate Market in NYC.
Update: LaGuardia Airport Development Project
First Phase Moving Along with Second & Third Phases About to Begin
April 24, 2017 / Astoria Neighborhood / Queens Real Estate / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I attended a Community Board One meeting at the Astoria World Manor on Wednesday, April 19th. People representing the LaGuardia Airport development project were scheduled to provide the community with an update regarding several of the multi-billion dollar renovation projects associated with LaGuardia Airport, that are either currently in the works or nearing the end of the planning process.
The presentation was split into three parts: 1) LaGuardia Airport development project construction updates, 2) traffic mitigation efforts and 3) community outreach including job opportunities related to the projects.
Click here to read our report on the LaGuardia Airport development project & expansion, related job opportunities, its possible impact on travel times to the airport and the public hearing details on May 3rd, 2017 in Flushing. We have also included a small bit of history about the airport and the fight over the property and development in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The graphic at right was created as part of the LaGuardia Airport development project.
Flushing Real Estate Section - Multiple Stores over Multiple Years
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Billionaire Public Park Land Grab in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Public Park Land Grab?
Billionaire Looking to Privatize Queens Parkland?
Bill Pending in Albany Would Enable it
May 10, 2023 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Real Estate / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz.
NYS Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubrey has sponsored a bill to allow a billionaire to build a casino on Queens parkland. Why can't the billionaire buy his own land to build the casino? And why has Aubrey supported this public park land grab?
Click here to read the OpEd by the President of a local non-profit explaining the situation - scroll down to May 9, 2023. Billionaire Steve Cohen appears to be making bid to essentially privatize Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.
- CLICK here to directly to the OpEd on Billionaire Steve Cohen Mets Owner Making a Public Park Land Grab with the help of Jeffrion Aubrey?
Michael Bloomberg's Real Record as NYC Mayor
This Contains the Part of Bloomberg's Record You Won't See in His Ad Campaign
December 16, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I started reporting for Queens Buzz in the second half of 2007, in anticipation of the website opening in 2008. At the time, politics wasn't in the docket. But over time, as I watched government and political events unfold, I couldn't ignore the huge gap between what was happening - versus what was reported to be happening.
Thus over time I began reporting on NYC, NYS and eventually national politics, doing in-depth research along the way, so that I could provide our readers with a fresh point of view, based on facts and knowledge, with scant pandering to the politicial spin.
While I only began tuning into NYC politics as a reporter during Michael Bloomberg's third term, I had picked up information about him prior to that as an aware NYC resident / voter. My first glimpse into Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-democratic tendencies came about in 2004, during the Republican Presidential Convention, when Bloomberg appeared to illegally lock up people protesting the wars and policies of then president George W. Bush. But before I delve into that aspect of Bloomberg's performance, I want to highlight a few others.
Disdains Democracy: Overturns Mayoral Term Limits
In 2008, just a year before former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was about to be term limited out of the Mayor's Office, he convinced the NYC City Council to override the plebiscite that term limited his time in office as the Mayor.
Thus Michael Bloomberg sought and won a third term - which he essentially bought - by funding his campaign with nearly $100 million of his own money, to defeat an relatively unknown candidate, retiring City Comptroller Bill Thompson.
Thompson was not given much support by the Democratic Party in that election, likely because they didn't believe he would do anywhere near as well as he did, and they were competing with a billionaire who could / would and did greatly outspend the competition. The final vote was 50.7% for Bloomberg and 46.3% for Thompson.
Did Former Mayor Bloomberg Override Term Limits in Order to Cash In NYC's Municipal Real Estate Holdings?
The deals on the Bronx Terminal Market, Hudson Yard, Hunters Point South & Flushing Meadow Corona Park were all begun in 2007. So were the two multi-billion dollar [each] subway line extension projects - the Q and the #7.
All of the real estate developments and the two major subway infrastructure projects seemed to greatly benefit one person - Stephen Ross and his privately held Related Companies. Stephen Ross went from not being counted as a billionaire at the beginning of Bloomberg's Mayoralty, to becoming the richest real estate developer in New York City within a couple of years after he took office.
It's worth noting that Bloomberg's net worth during this period shot up too. And that Bloomberg LLP, the company he founded, also operates in NYC and is also privately held.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Real Record as Mayor
The Real Record of Mike Bloomberg's Accomplishments as Mayor - Doubling of Homelessnes, Taxpayer Funded but Privately Owned Luxury Apartments, Massive Public Land Giveaways to Friendly Developer, Massive Public Transit Spending Benefitting Same Developer, Privatization / Profitization of Many Public Schools, Failure to Negotiate with Unions, City Time Scandal & Racist Stop N' Frisk Policing Program
The report includes:
1) HOMELESSNESS: Bloomberg had a horrendous record on homelessness which broke all records & doubled during his Mayoralty.
2) AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Bloomberg sold the public on funding 'affordable' apartments that rented for $48,000 per year. These were publicly funded but privately owned apartment units that Bloomberg sold to the public as 'affordable' in order to gain passage of the bills authorizing them.
3) PUBLIC LAND GRAB. Four huge real estate developments appeared to be given to Stephen Ross & Related Companies which are now worth billions. The public lands reportedly sold for $1 apiece include Hudson Yard, Hunters Point South and the still pending Flushing Meadows Corona Park development. I'm not sure but Bronx Terminal was also transferred in a sweet deal to the real estate developer Stephen Ross & Related Companies.
4) PUBLIC SPENDING BENEFITTING FRIENDLY DEVELOPER. Bloomberg pushed two subway line extensions that seemed to disproportionately benefit Stephen Ross & Related Companies. The subway line extensions were 1) the #7 subway line extension that supported Stephen Ross & Related Companies Hudson Yard development and 2) the Q subway line extension which greatly enhanced the value of Stephen Ross and Related Companies Upper East Side properties.
5) PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Bloomberg's privatization of a significant portion of the NYC public school system which appeared to tear apart the NYC public school system by enabling for profit private charter schools, disproportionately favoring Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy, to recruit the best students of the NYC public school system, while leaving the rest behind in the hands of the public and unions;
6) UNION BUSTER? Bloomberg's failure to sign a single major union contract during his 12 year administration and the
7) GIULIANI / BLOOMBERG CORRUPTION. City Time corruption scandal.
8) RACIST POLICING POLICY. Presided over racist Stop N' Frisk policing policy.
CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the part of the Mike Bloomberg's record of Mayor. The part of the Bloomberg record you won't see in his $33 million ad campaign to convince Democrats to vote for him. Billionaire Bloomberg, like the billionaire President, seems to have an inclination to distort the truth.
Sterling Equities & Related Companies Lose Court Battle - JULY 6, 2015 - BK 58 (below)
Sterling Equities & Related Companies Lose A Court Battle
Plans to Build Shopping Mall on Flushing Meadows Corona Park Land Reversed on Appeal, but Legal Wrangling will Continue
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This report is based on an Associated Press report dated July 2, 2015 and a Queens Tribune story dated August 28, 2014.
In August of 2014, New York State Supreme Court Judge Manuel Mendez decided in favor of Related Companies / Sterling Equities by throwing out a lawsuit filed by the City Club of New York and NYS Senator Tony Avella.
The plaintiffs alleged that billionaire Stephen Ross's Related Companies, the real estate developers of Hunters Point South and the Hudson Yards, and the Sterling Equities which was co-founded by the NY Mets owners, mega-millionaires Saul B. Katz and Fred Wilpon, had not gone through the NYS legislature for the approval of the transfer of the parkland as required by law.
The lawsuit, filed in February 2014, alleged that the transfer of 47 acres of Flushing Meadows Corona Park land that currently represents the western part of the Mets parking lot, was done without following the procedure for a proper public review [see photo above right]. The City had proposed transferring the 47 acres to Related Companies / Sterling Equities who had planned to build a 1.4 million square foot shopping mall next to Citifield.
The NY City Council and the billionaire former Mayor Bloomberg approved the project in October 2013, but the proposal never went to Albany for a vote. According to the Queens Tribune report one of the plaintiffs said that the Judge Manuel Mendez's ruling goes against the Public Trust Doctrine, ignores longstanding case law history, and bestows too much power that was formerly the purview of the Board of Estimate in one person: the NYC Mayor.
On Thursday, July 2nd, 2015, the four-judge Appellate Court overturned Judge Mendez's decision and ruled that the Willets West Mall Project was illegal because the land is a part of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, in spite of its current paved over status as a parking lot [see 2009 photo above].
And because it is a part of the public parkland of the people, it may not be turned over to the real estate developers without approval of the NY State Legislature. The judges rejected the ruling in favor of the mall development made by Judge Manuel Mendez, wherein Mendez sided with the wealthy real estate developers who argued that the 54 year old, 1961 law authorizing the construction of Shea Stadium, also included a mall.
The photo above shows the Citifield parking lot in 2009, as it was being paved over following the demolition of Shea Stadium which was authorized in 1961. The new Citifield stadium built to replace Shea, is smaller.
According to the Associated Press report, a spokesman for the real estate developers said that they would appeal the decision.
Click here for the full report on Sterling Equities Saul Katz Fred Wilpon / Related Companies Stephen Ross lose court battle over Flushing Meadows Corona Park development in Flushing Queens.
Use of Eminent Domain by Bloomberg / NYC - April 14, 2011 - QB 648
Willets Point - Flushing Real Estate
Real Estate In Flushing - Willets Point
April 14, 2011 / Flushing Neighborhood / Flushing Real Estate / Queens Buzz. This winter I attended the State of the Borough Address given by Queens Borough president Helen Marshall and a month later I attended a speech given by NYC deputy mayor of economic development, Robert K. Steel. This report captures their brief comments about Willets Point condominium and retail development project, as well as a considerable amount of research I did following those two presentations.
In the following report we provide you with a history of the effort to transform the Willets Point area and an outline of the proposed plans and including a detailing of some of the issues associated with the proposed development. A graphical depiction of the Willets Point development is shown above.
Click here to read more about Willets Point real estate development project - controversy in Flushing Queens. Story & photos by Michael Wood.
Jackson Heights Real Estate Section - Multiple Stores over Multiple Years
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Condos & Co-ops Forum Jackson Heights
Forum - Condos & Co-ops In Jackson Heights
December 7, 2010 / Jackson Heights / Queens Buzz. City Council Member Daniel Dromm, NYS Senator Peralta in tandem with ACCO [Alliance of Condo & Co-op Owners] organized a forum in Jackson Heights to inform people about their rights and responsibilities as condo and co-op owners.
In addition to the councilman and senator, the panel included two lawyers and the president of ACCO. About two hundred people showed up for the event, packing the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights. See photos in our report of the large crowd that attended this forum.
The panel informed condo and co-op owners in Jackson Heights & Queens about their rights, and discussed new state legislation which has been introduced to more clearly define the processes through which a tenant / owner can assert their rights. Click here to read the rest of our report about the forum for owners of Jackson Heights condo / co-ops in Queens.
Jackson Heights Real Estate - Jackson Heights Realtors
Jackson Heights Real Estate
Jackson Heights Real Estate - Demographics & Description
Jackson Heights / December 2009. The Jackson Heights community has a population of about 65,000. This was once a mix of Italian, Irish, German and Jewish immigrants. Since then, the population has been augmented by waves of Indians, Pakistanis and Latin American immigrants, as well as by domestic immigrants from all parts of Queens and Brooklyn. Today the Jackson Heights community is one of the most ethnically mixed neighborhoods in New York City and the world.
Over the past two decades a number of the large apartment complexes in the Jackson Heights real estate market went from rentals to coops [please note that this analysis refers primarily to Jackson Heights north of Roosevelt]. In addition to those units which were purchased by residents, many were also sold to incoming buyers from other parts of Queens, as well as Brooklyn. The Brooklynites came because many of them had been priced out of their own market by rising prices. Many of the incoming residents began starting families in Jackson Heights due to its affordability, large safe garden courtyards and proximity to high paying city jobs. Since then some of the older families have begun to migrate east in search of more suburban lifestyles. Click here to view our Jackson Heights Real Estate section, including coverage of events, restaurants and shopping.
Jamaica Real Estate Section - Multiple Stores over Multiple Years
CLICK here for the Jamaica Queens Real Estate section.
Jamaica Real Estate In Queens NYC
jamaica center jamaica collection fashion in queens ny
Jamaica Real Estate - The Art Of Selling
Jamaica Center BID & The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation Talk About The Re-Emergence Of A Vibrant Commercial Center
Updated May 3, 2014 / December 3, 2013 / Jamaica NY Real Estate / Jamaica NY / Queens Buzz. Earlier this month I attended an event hosted by the Jamaica Center BID to talk about real estate and commercial opportunities in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens.
Jamaica is one of the largest and most vibrant commercial areas in Queens, and the event was designed to talk about Jamaica in that light.
I arrived a bit early and met with Felicia Tunnah, the new Executive Director of the Jamaica Center BID [Business Improvement District]. It seems the weather, traffic congestion and the subways had conspired to delay speakers, attendees and possibly the event, but it wasn't too long of a wait before the meeting began.
The delay gave all of us a bit of time to enjoy the food and beverages being served by local restaurants and a caterer. City Ribs, a small chain started by a locally raised entrepreneur served ... well ... ribs. Sangria Catering served a fresh salad and chicken dish and Applebee's served dessert.
Click here to read more about real estate in Jamaica NY and click here to read the rest of our report including photo slide show of the meeting about real estate in Jamaica Queens NYC.
Jamaica Real Estate - The Art Of Selling
Jamaica Center BID & The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation Talk About The Re-Emergence Of A Vibrant Commercial Center
Updated May 3, 2014 / December 3, 2013 / Jamaica NY Real Estate / Jamaica NY / Queens Buzz. Continued.
There were several government officials present to lend support to the development of the Jamaica neighborhood. Among them were former City Councilman Leroy Comrie who had just been appointed Deputy Borough President [earlier in the day] by Queens Borough President-elect Melinda Katz. New York State Assemblyman William Scarborough also got up to make a few remarks. And I had an opportunity to shoot photos of the venue, audience, government officials as well as the event organizers including the new Jamaica Center BID Executive Director, Felicia Tunnah.
Katie Mirkin talked about how downtown Jamaica was on a path of downtown urban renewal with respect to retail and restaurants. Over the course of the past decade, in spite of the national and NYC metro slump, downtown Jamaica has begun attracting investment into the commercial area. National brand chain stores and restaurants have begun taking root and local restaurateurs and businesses are also opening shop. To be sure, we were told, there's more work to be done, but the area appears to be on the right path.
I mingled with some of the audience before hand and their presence corroborated Katie's words. Many of those in attendance were either building owners or realtors, some of whom represented large and Manhattan based firms.
Greater Jamaica Development Corporation - Commercial Jamaica Real Estate
Justin K. Rodgers of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation was next up at the podium and he presented a number of cogent arguments for further investments in the Jamaica commercial real estate market. A selection of his slides are shown below DSC02127 - 34. The gist of the argument is that Jamaica is the largest transportation hub in Queens. Eleven plus Long Island Railroad Lines run through the Jamaica station, four subways terminate there, the Air Train shuttles folks back and forth to JFK Airport, one of the busiest in the nation and 40 bus lines run through the downtown area.
He showed how recent transactions have brought in a large new department store retailer, a new hotel and a mixed use building. These added up to over 1,000 new jobs in the area. And he finished by noting that the downtown Jamaica area still has plenty of parking.
NYC Business Solutions - Helping Businesses in Downtown Jamaica NYC
Paula Libreros of NYC Business Solutions gave a presentation on some of the ways NYC Business Solutions can help businesses get started in downtown Jamaica. Some of the slides of her presentation are shown in the slide show below. We'll post more about this meeting at a later date.
Photos of the Jamaica Real Estate Meeting Dec 2013
Click here to view photos of the meeting about Real Estate in Jamaica Queens NYC held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens NY, or you can view the photos below at your own pace by clicking on the arrows below.
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Jamaica NY Related Info
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Real Estate In Jamaica NY - Development
Jamaica Real Estate – Development
Real Estate Development Projects - Jamaica
April 15, 2011 / Jamaica Neighborhood / Jamaica Real Estate / Queens Buzz. The Jamaica neighborhood has a history dating back to colonial times. Rufus King was a signer of the Constitution and his house still stands in a park that also carries his name. There are also a number of old churches, graveyards and business buildings dating back to the 1800’s, when Jamaica was a thriving transportation hub for the Long Island Railroad.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s a large number of the middle class in this neighborhood left it for the greener pastures of Long Island. After a period of turmoil and transition, the city began reinvesting in the neighborhood starting in the 1970’s, in a process which continues today.
Click here to read our report on real estate development projects in Jamaica Queens.
Long Island City Real Estate Section - Multiple Stores over Multiple Years
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Affordable Housing In Queens - Hunters Point South
Hunters Point South Opens Spring 2015
'Affordable' Housing Applications Set To Begin Mid October
September 29, 2014 / Sunnyside NY / Sunnyside Real Estate / News & Analysis / Queens Buzz. On Monday evening I headed over to Sunnyside Community Services Center to attend the Hunters Point South Affordable Housing meeting. Several years ago the Hunters Point South development was approved by Community Board 2 and subsequently approved by the New York City Council and Mayor. Click the link above to read the earlier report.
The site has been under construction for years, and according to a Related Companies spokesperson at the meeting, the two towers containing affordable housing are to open to residents in the Spring of 2015. Naturally this assumes that all goes according to plan.
Hence on Monday evening, Related Companies representatives in tandem with Community Board Chairman Joe Conley, NY CCM Jimmy Van Bramer, NYS Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan [and NYS Senator Michael Gianaris was scheduled to appear but did not make it] - began the outreach to the community regarding the application process for the low income and affordable housing units in the two buildings.
Attendance and interest by the community was very high and folks who arrived late were turned away as the Sunnyside Community Service Center was filled to capacity. That said there are two more of these outreach programs scheduled, the details of which you can find in our Things To Do calendar in the Business section. Click these links to gain a broader perspective of the Long Island City Neighborhood in which these units reside, as well as of the LIC real estate market for apts and condos or the Long Island City real estate market in general.
Full Report Contains Slides & Info On Qualification & Application Process For Hunters Point South Affordable Housing Units In LIC & Evaluation Of Affordability Versus Income & Apt Rents In LIC
Click here to read the rest of our report, including a photo slide show of the presentation of Affordable Housing in Hunters Point South in LIC Queens. I left out most of the presentation that dealt with how to set up a Housing Connect Profile and how to fill out the online application as it seemed pretty straightforward and you can also call the NYC Housing Authority [aka NYCHA] if you need help.
LIC Real Estate - Apartments, Condos & Office Rentals & Sales
LIC Real Estate: New Face of a Changing Borough
LIC Real Estate Development Continues, Spreading North & East
October 1, 2013 / Long Island City Neighborhood / LIC Real Estate / Queens Real Estate / Queens Buzz. I, like many in the borough, have been watching in near amazement at the rapid pace of real estate development in Long Island City. On September 18th of 2013, I attended the Grand Opening of 4545 Center Blvd, the fifth of the six TF Cornerstone buildings to go up along the Long Island City waterfront.
As you will see from the photos in the slide show at the end of the story, the apartments are beautiful. The new high rise is an airy, modern building with amenities, and apartments that have breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline and the Queensboro Bridge. I saw a studio and corner two-bedroom apartment, which rent for about $2,300 and $5,500 per month respectively – so it’s not only the views that are breathtaking, but the rents as well. Five of the six TF Cornerstone buildings along Center Blvd in LIC are rentals, and only the condominiums in The View [the only building TF Cornerstone named] were for sale.
Click here for a story about LIC real estate including a bit of the history of TF Cornerstone, Rockrose Real Estate and real estate development in the LIC neighborhood of Queens.
How The Other Half Lives
September 23, 2013 / Long Island City Neighborhood /Manhattan Real Estate / Gotham Buzz NYC _ D.
I attended a reception hosted by TF Cornerstone in late September to celebrate the official opening of their fifth property. The building had been completed earlier this year and the first tenants had moved in sometime in May. I understand they've rented about 70% of the units, so they've been moving briskly.
I visited a couple of the units for rent, including a studio that started at about $2,300 per month and a two bedroom corner that likely rented for something like $5,000 per month [give or take several hundred]. To those of us who live in Queens, these are expensive units, but to those who live in Manhattan - given the views and amenities - these are good value. Like the headline says : )
The photo to your right shows a view of one of the new properties currently lining the LIC waterfront, with a northward looking view of Manhattan.
NYC Real Estate Market - Apartments, Condos & Office Rentals & Sales - October 1, 2013 - QB 885
Stringer Conditionally Approves Midtown East Development
September 12, 2013 / Manhattan Real Estate / Gotham Buzz NYC _ D.
We attended the Community Board 6 Meeting in Manhattan on Wednesday following the election and heard the announcement that outgoing Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer had conditionally approved the large scale development in the eastern section of Midtown Manhattan.
Stringer noted that the new developments would put significant stress on existing infrastructure and must be addressed as part of the plan.
Sunnyside Woodside Real Estate Section - Multiple Stores over Multiple Years
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Phipps Houses Real Estate Development Sunnyside Queens - Proposal
Phipps Proposed Real Estate Development in Sunnyside
October 26, 2015 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Sunnyside Real Estate / Queens Buzz.
I attended a town hall regarding a real estate development proposal put forth by the Phipps Houses organization. The Phipps Houses organization is a non-profit dedicated to building and managing affordable housing. They have a number of sites including the Phipps Houses in Sunnyside and they are partners with the Related Companies in the real estate development at Hunters Point South.
The meeting was a voluntary first step taken by the Phipps Houses organization to gather community feedback and engage with the neighborhood regarding a proposal to use the land they own that is across Barnett Street behind the Phipps Houses in Sunnyside. The strip of land is currently occupied by a parking lot which stands adjacent to the LIRR railway tracks.
The proposal is in its early stages and at this point in time we were told that nothing is in the works formally - meaning no proposal has yet been officially submitted for government review. To build the 200 unit apartment complex, they need to request a zoning change from the city and thus would have to go through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure [ULURP] which can be lengthy and fraught with tension if the neighborhood is not, in some measure, on board.
What follows is an account of the presentation and discussion that took place Monday night October 26th, 2015 at the Phipps Houses in Sunnyside. The report includes a 7 minute video with highlights from the meeting which includes imporant points, some tensions, and a bit of laughter.
Click here to view the rest of our report on the proposed Phipps Houses real estate development in Sunnyside Queens.
Zoning Sunnyside & Woodside - Real Estate in Queens
Sunnyside & Woodside Zoning Plan
Proposal Moving Through The Process – Timetable Set
April 13, 2011 / Sunnyside & Woodside / Sunnyside Real Estate / Queens Buzz. Queens Borough president Helen Marshall highlighted the effort to re-zone Sunnyside and Woodside in her State of the Borough Address this winter. Following the release of the proposed zoning changes on February 28th, I spent time studying the proposal to re-zone the Sunnyside and Woodside neighborhoods and followed up with a representative of the NYC Department of City Planning to be sure I properly understood the proposed changes. It's worth mentioning that the rezoning changes were recently approved by Community Board 2, about two weeks ahead of deadline.
The thrust of the Sunnyside Woodside rezoning effort appears to be to standardize construction regulations within these neighborhoods in order to prevent out-of-character development, reduce commercial overlays, enhance street life through the allowance of sidewalk cafes and to set height limits on new buildings which is not specified in the existing zoning. Current Sunnyside and Woodside zoning only specifies how much you can build by way of limiting the Floor Area Ratio [FAR] – and doesn’t set limits on specific building dimensions, most notably building height.
Click here to view the timetable of the Sunnyside & Woodside Re-zoning proposal and to read the rest of our report, which includes a brief zoning history, and a summary of existing and proposed zoning changes including diagrams and photos.
Queens Real Estate Section - Multiple Stores over Multiple Years
CLICK here for the Queens Real Estate section.
III. Economy, Finance & Loans
Finance - Banks & Loans In Queens
Queens Chamber Hosts Tax Seminar Accountants From Mazars Provide Overview of Tax Changes March 5, 2018 / Jackson Heights / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Business / Queen...
IV. Real Estate Seems to Play a Role in Many of our Special Reports Series
SPECIAL REPORTS SERIES INVOLVING REAL ESTATE - SEE THIS SECTION
Queens Buzz Special Reports Series
Queens Buzz Special Reports Series. September 2024.
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LIC Real Estate Breakfast
LIC Partnership Event Discusses How LIC is Evolving
April 23, 2018 / Long Island City Neighborhood / LIC Real Estate Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.
A bit over a week ago, I attended the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast at the Ravel Hotel just south of the Queenboro Bridge at Vernon Blvd.
I've been attending the event since 2010 and it's been interesting to watch Long Island City's twists and turns during its incredibly rapid transformation. In 2010 large developers and big money were streaming in with critical mass, real estate prices were rising incredibly rapidly and large six and seven digit real estate transactions were happening periodically - if not more often - in spite of some of the hangover uncertainty left by the W. Bush financial crisis of the Fall of 2008.
The audience at the breakfast was still comprised of a fair number of familiar local faces as well as an increasingly large number of new interested parties.
The LIC Partnership executive level management changed in 2013 and 2014 and we started receiving fairly comprehensive data about units approved for construction, units under construction and units built. The numbers went from the low single digits THOUSANDS to the high single digit thousands, cresting last year at 9,000 new units that were expected to be built. This year it's 3,000 units.
During this time the audience began to attract vast numbers of outside interested parties, comprised of financiers and real estate developers and brokers, and less of the familiar local faces.
This year there was something of a settling down of the big business interest, and what I'd call the emergence of a new set of familiar local faces [see photo above right]. The familiar local faces of the past included artists and independent businesspeople, while the new locals are those working for some of the new businesses which have come into the Long Island City neighborhood.
I'll have more on the LIC Real Estate Breakfast including photos, later this week.
The photo above shows the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast panelists [from left to right] including Chris Doeblin - Owner of Book Culture, James Orsini - COO Vayner Media, David Scharfstein - Co-Founder Fifth Hammer Brewing Company, Charlie Stewart - Co-President & CFO Altice USA and moderator David Brause - President Brause Realty.
The Old Kociuszko Bridge Comes Down
First Segment of the New Kociuszko Bridge Opened in April 2017
October 4, 2017 / Sunnyside Neighborhood & LIC Neighborhood / Queens Business / Queens Buzz NYC.
On Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 8 am, large segments of the old Kociuszko Bridge were dropped via explosives onto a sand bed which was laid to dampen the vibrational impact of the fall. Demolition crews had been working for months preparing for this event, by removing a lot of pavement and cement from the segments prior to the explosion. The old bridge was estimated to weigh approximately 232 million tons [verify] of cement and steel. The steel will be recycled.
Earlier this year, the main segment of the bridge that traverses Newtown Creek - and connects Brooklyn and Queens - was lowered onto barges in Newtown Creek on July 26th. In April of this year the first phase of the new bridge was officially opened for business, designed to accommodate the 180,000 daily crossings. The cost to NYS taxpayers was reported to be about $554 million.
Currently construction crews are working, pretty quickly, to remove the remains of the old Kociuszko Bridge to make way for the beginning of the second phase of the project, which entails the development of a second parallel stretch of roadway, of nearly equal width of the first, which will complete the NYS infrastructure project replacing the old Kociuszko Bridge. The second phase is expected to be completed in 2020. The second phase of the project was estimated to cost NYS taxpayers $335 million.
The first Kociuszko Bridge was opened in 1939 as the Meeker Avenue Bridge and renamed a year later by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia to the Kociuszko Bridge. This renaming of the bridge after General Kociuszko, the American Revolutionary War hero, had a purpose, which we will see as we delve into the Brooklyn Queens history of the Kociuszko Bridge.
The story also includes a photo slide show of the old and new Kociusko Bridge over the past year.
LIC Real Estate Boom Appears to be Slowing
A Near Doubling of New Units Coming on the Market this Year, so there Appears to be a Pause, as Investors see how Quickly the Market Adjusts to the new Inventory & new Interest Rates
March 28, 2017 / LIC Neighborhood / Queens Real Estate in LIC / Queens Buzz.
I attended the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast just over a week ago. For the first time in a long while, I could actually find a seat. There had been a snowstorm the day before, so that may have contributed to my luck in finding a seat, but the event also did not appear to sell out as quickly as in prior years either.
This is not to say that LIC development is over ... and likely not by a long shot. But for the moment, the urgency seems to be abating as we all watch to see how things play out; while another 22,000 modern, fairly upscale apartment units come on the market.
According to the LIC Partnership, in the past decade nearly 12,000 new units have been created in LIC. Of those, less than 3,000 were sold to owners. In 2017 nearly 9,000 units are coming on the market.
The principles of economics state that when supply goes up, if demand doesn't go up by an equal amount, then it is likely that prices will go down. So it's likely that a near doubling of new apartment supply in LIC this coming year could dampen rental prices for a while, and possibly sale prices too.
Interest rates are also rising. And again according to the principles of economics, when interest rates rise, generally the prices of high dollar value purchases decline, because interest rate increases add to the cost of the monthly payments associated with large purchases like real estate.
I'll have more to report about the discussion held at the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast - which as always - was very informative.
TO SOCIAL
NYPD Commissioner O'Neill on Stop N' Frisk & Cybercrime
City & State Organizes Informative Program About Public Safety in NYC & Cybercrime
February 6, 2017 / Battery Park NYC / Crime & Safety in Queens NYC / Queens Buzz.
I attended a City & State program dedicated to exploring the many facets of community safety in New York City. The program started with a half hour speech by the new Police Commissioner, James O'Neill. He discussed his background which includes a long line of successive promotions in law enforcement, starting with the transit police in Brooklyn in 1983.
Background: NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill
O'Neill has held many positions, including taking charge as the commanding officer of the Vice, Narcotics and Fugitive Enforcement Divisions - each for a period of time. His most recent position was as Police Chief, during which time he oversaw the management of the neighborhood policing program. The neighborhood policing program was implemented in 2014, during Mayor de Blasio's first term, with the intent to build relations and trust between the police and the communities they serve. The concept is that if the community works with the police to ferret out and penalize the perpetrators, crime will continue to stay at all time lows.
Neighborhood Policing: Intelligent Approach to Safety That Works?
Part of the problem with past police / community relations is that most of those interactions with the police came with a negative connotation to them, for example as when being ticketed, or picked up for bad behavior.
The idea with neighborhood policing is to develop positive interactions by facilitating interactions between individual officers and individual members of the community, so that if and when the time comes, there's enough trust between the officer and community member to work collaboratively to round up and penalize law breakers.
O'Neill's speech was followed by a forum of four experts who have had some involvement in the governance of law enforcement in NYC. The panel included NYC Councilman Jumaane D. Williams of Brooklyn who is the Chairman of the Committee on Housing & Buildings, Elizabeth Glazer who is the Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, and NYS Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol who is the Chairman of the NYS Assembly Committee on [criminal] Codes. The panel was moderated by City & State Features & Opinions Editor, Nick Powell, who has been covering crime in New York for many years.
Stop 'N Frisk - The Facts vs the NY Tabloid Hype?
The panel explored numerous aspects of public safety in NYC, including a number of the successes NYC has been having with neighborhood policing, which is why the police / community clashes you see on the news are coming from other parts of the country - not NYC.
Needless to say, the job of the police force is never done, and challenges remain, but generally the forum had an upbeat tone due to the progress being made under Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioners Bratton & O'Neill. One of the changes that's been helpful in community relations has been the drastic reduction in stop 'n frisk, which in spite of what the NYC tabloids purport, hasn't resulted in a spike in crime [see charts to right].
I did a bit of research, and found a couple of charts published in an April 11, 2016 report by the Brennan Center for Justice. The Brennan Center is a non-partisan, non profit research center at the NYU Law School. The two charts shown here graph the significant reduction in stop 'n frisk, while also showing no attendant spike in crime. In fact it is believed that over the long haul the reduction in unwarranted stop 'n frisk searches will have a positive impact on law enforcement community relations, as vast swaths of the populace that were searched with no result, will no longer feel that their privacy has been unnecessarily violated.
Cybercrime - Anonymous, Stealthy, Cross-Jurisdictional
The second segment of the forum discussed some of the challenges facing the FBI with regard to reigning in cybercrime. The panel included Joel Stashenko who is the Albany Bureau Chief of the New York Law Journal, Nasir Memon who is a Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at NYU, Timothy Howard who is the Assistant U.S. Attorney and Cybercrime Coordinator for the NYS Southern District Office, and Prashanth Mekala who is the Supervisory Special Agent of the NY Field Office of the FBI.
The challenges facing law enforcement regarding cyber crime are different than most other criminal activity. For example cyber crime is generally anonymous, more insidious and hence more difficult to detect. And oftentimes the break-ins come through multiple legal jurisdictions which makes gaining access for tracking and prosecuting more challenging.
Budapest Convention of 2001 on Cybercrime Helping
But progress is being made. There was a Budapest Convention on Cybercrime which was passed in 2001 and became effective in 2004. More nations are signing on, as the accords enable law enforcement to move more quickly in multiple jurisdictions in response to cybercrime events.
As in community policing, establishing trust between the victims and law enforcement is critical in enabling governments to catch the criminals. Oftentimes companies victimized by cybercrime are concerned the access they provide to law enforcement may be used against them in other regulatory and civil proceedings. One of the panelists told us that the information they seek is soley for the purposes of catching the criminals, not to share with other regulatory agencies or people. And that the less time between the breach of a system, and obtaining access to analyze it, the greater likelihood that law enforcement can track them down, because in cybercrime the 'digital fingerprints' oftentimes disappear.
Speed of Response Helps Law Enforcement Respond
What's happened recently is that company security has increasingly been delegated to the legal department of a firm, because the company is then protected from disclosures because of attorney client privilege.
But what then happens, because the lawyers seek to mitigate legal risk / blame, is that there's a slow response by the company to enabling law enforcement to do their jobs in track down the criminals. One panelist noted that oftentimes what companies are trying to keep secret [their blame / culpability] comes out in the wash anyhow.
One of the panelists noted that oftentimes the biggest threats come from within an organization. Someone is turned to the dark side, or is careless - resulting in the breach of security. Currently the NSA [National Security Agency], the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency], the DOD [Department of Defense] and the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] are all working to mitigate the risks associated with cybercrime.
They had a third panel about mitigating disaster risk, like from terrorism or cataclysmic events such as hurricanes, but I didn't stay.
Organized by City & State Magazine, Website & Events
Many thanks to City & State, which is an informative magazine publisher and events organizer. Their work seems to be predominantly in the area of government, politics and social issues. You can visit their website at www.cityandstateny.com.
Update on the Steinway Mansion in Astoria Queens
Visionary Investor Makes Good on Development but Still no Announcement of his Plans for the Steinway Mansion
September 12, 2016 / Astoria Neighborhood / Astoria History / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz.
On May 3rd, 2014 the Halberian Family sold the Steinway Mansion to Steinway Mansion LLC for $2.65 million. In the two and a half years since, the new Steinway Mansion owner parceled the property into a eleven additional smaller lots and built eleven two story commercial buildings on each. We watched as the owner quietly developed the property, likely in line with his plans while making the investment.
Just over a year ago I visited the site and took some photos, which momentarily revealed the resplendent glory of the old mansion, overlooking the East River and distant Rikers Island and Bronx shores. The new owner had cut away most of what remained of the Steinway Mansion yard to make way for the new buildings at a height on a level with 42nd and 41st Streets. The construction site seemed well maintained and the historic mansion structure appeared to be treated respectfully both last year, and as I learned in my most recent trip, also since.
The photo above was taken in August of 2015.
Northern Ditmars Neighborhood Real Estate Development
Last weekend I returned to the site to shoot photos and see what was happening. I came in along 42nd Street, and for a moment I wondered if I had gotten my coordinates wrong, as the street had been transformed. The emptiness on the street of the construction site of a year ago had been filled in with a number of spanking new buildings lined along the street with what appeared an exacting precision. The photo to your right shows roughly the same space in September 2016 as was shown in the August 2015 photo above.
A year ago, 42nd Street was an empty, slightly soiled, commercial industrial hub. But on my visit this year the street took on a wholly different appearance with the new buildings / storefronts. There were eight new buildings along 42nd Street, with red brick exteriors complemented by black trim and large floor-to-ceiling paned storefront windows, which I believe could also serve as garage doors. It almost seemed like these new edifices could as easily become art galleries, as manufacturing locales and / or storage facilities.
Click here to read the rest of our report about the Steinway Mansion real estate development in Northern Ditmars, Astoria.
Guess Who's Coming To LIC?
Macy's Inks 15 Year Deal For 145k Sq Ft Office Space
Some Corporate Staff Moving From Brooklyn Site
August 12, 2015 / LIC Long Island City Neighborhood / LIC Long Island City Real Estate / Queens Buzz.
Bis Now just reported that Macy's has inked a 15 year deal for 145,000 square feet at the Factory on 47th Avenue between 30th Place and 30th Street in Long Island City. This location is on the eastern side of the Sunnyside Yards, only a block away from LaGuardia Community College on Thomson Street.
According to their report, Macy's will move corporate staff currently working at a long held Brooklyn, location to the site in Long Island City in Queens.
Of course, Macy's is no stranger to Queens. They also operate three stores in Queens - at Rego Park, Flushing Main Street and in Douglaston.
Bis Now reported that the asking rent for the space was $42 per square foot, which they said compared quite favorably to Manhattan prices. Bis Now is hosting a event called the Future of Long Island City on August 18th at the Waters Edge on 44th Drive beginning at 7.30 am and as of this writing there are 8 tickets left. Admission is $89.
The photo above is of Macy's flagship store in Manhattan.
First Female-Owned LIC Realty, Opens New Office
March 5, 2015 / Long Island City / Queens Real Estate / Queens Buzz. On Thursday evening, during yet another March snowfall, the Beaudoin Realty Group held an opening reception to announce its new office in the neighborhood.
I attended the reception and found an eclectic mix of cultural, culinary and commercial characters, who comprise one of the theatrical casts in the production of life-as-theater - and whose roles require them to give daily performances on the real-time stage we call Long Island City.
Shelia Lewandowski, a founding member of the LIC Business Women and co-Founder of the Chocolate Factory Theatre, told me that the Beaudoin Realty Group was the first female-owned realty to open an office in Long Island City. Sheila [far left in the photo at right] is shown standing with Michele Beaudoin [second from left], owner of the Beaudoin Realty Group, in the new offices at 21-52 44th Drive in LIC - only a block west of the Citibank Tower.
I had an opportunity to chat with Meir Newman and Tony Vaccaro. Tony is a renowned WWII photographer, who became a fashion and lifestyle magazine photographer following the war, while Meir is one of the owners of Sinks & Stones, the aesthetic kitchen and bathroom tile and fixtures store in LIC. Meir told me that he and Tony had recently traveled to France to visit a location where a sculpture / monument is slated for installation. The installation will include one or more of the images captured by Tony's photographic lens during WWII.
Daniel Dougherty is one of the co-founders of the Crescent Grill, which is one of the culinary destinations of Dutch Kills neighborhood - only a couple blocks north of Queens Plaza. I bumped into him at the opening and inquired whether he would be marching in the Tartan Day Parade in Manhattan this year. Last year Daniel was one of the few marchers selected to don a Scottish kilt for the parade. This year the Tartan Day Parade is being held on April 11th in Manhattan.
I also met an interior architect, Michael DeLoach, who was a classmate of Michele Beaudoin's at the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn years ago. Michael also runs DeLoach Furniture in Manhattan. There were others in attendance with whom I spoke, including the owners of a small business that installs garage doors and does related work. And of course there wasn't enough time to meet everyone, as the hours disappeared quickly, but some of the conversations included discussing Cuban jazz, winter clothes shopping in Scandinavia and ... of course ... the real estate market in LIC. The food was prepared by the Crescent Grill, Il Falco, the LIC Market and Manducatis Rustica - all of which are popular restaurants in LIC.
Michele Beaudoin told me that over the past five years she has handled a number of real estate transactions in the LIC neighborhood. She said that several years ago Beaudoin Realty Group opened an office in LIC, and that their move to this new location was to enable the Jackson Heights / LIC real estate agency to create a more visible presence with which to engage the LIC neighborhood and the LIC market for real estate.
Click here to view the slide show of the opening reception of the Beaudoin Realty Group in LIC.
Queens Unemployment Continues To Best Metro Average
Drop In Unemployment Rate Continues Improving Trend
January 28, 2015 / Flushing Neighborhood / Queens Business / Queens Buzz. In January of 2013 Queens unemployment rate was 8.9% and by the end of the year it had fallen to 6.7%. In January of 2014 Queens unemployment rate was 6.7% and by December of 2014 it had fallen to 5.7%.
Queens overall employment picture was better than the overall average for the NYC metropolitan area. In January of 2013 the NYC unemployment rate was 9.7% and by the end of the year it had fallen to 7.5%. In January of 2014 the NYC unemployment rate was 8.1% and by December of 2014 it had fallen to 6.4%.
Queens has been emerging as a business and residential destination given its proximity to Manhattan and its robust public transportation network.
Astoria Cove Real Estate Development
East River Waterfront Transformation Moves North
Updated December 3, 2014. The Astoria Cove development passed the NY City Council.
August 18, 2014 / Queens & Astoria Real Estate / Astoria Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. Unbeknownst to at least a few of the folks who live in the far northwest corner of Astoria and Queens, big plans for changes have been taking shape over the past couple of years.
The Hallets Point development passed Community Board One in May of 2013 and the Astoria Cove development is making its way through the governmental gauntlet of real estate development approvals.
The plan calls for a large new complex along the East River which will occupy the location where the building in the photo now stands, along with several other blocks of territory which will become its footprint. The building shown above is about a block east of Build It Green.
Community Board One and the Queens Borough President had issues with the development, primarily calling for a buildout of public infrastructure to support the development as well as for the inclusion of a higher number of affordable housing units. The development will be built completely on privately purchased land, which is in contrast to the Hallets Point development which was done using NYCHA [NYC Housing Authority] property.
We'll have more about this at a later date. By Michael Wood.
Steinway Mansion SOLD
Steinway Mansion LLC Purchases Mansion For $2.65 Million
May 5, 2014 / Astoria Real Estate / Steinway Mansion / Queens Buzz. On Friday May 3rd, 2014, the Steinway Mansion was sold for $2.65 million. The mansion went on the market in August of 2010 and was handled by a number of brokers - including Southebys International Realty, Halvatzis Realty Astoria and Prudential Douglas Elliman - before being turned over to Amorelli Realty of Astoria, which closed the deal.
At present, we understand that the land parcel remains intact, which last we heard was between one and two acres. This acreage is down from the 700 acres that Benjamin Pike, the original owner, purchased in the mid 1800's [circa 1858]; and the 70 acres owned in tandem with the mansion by the Steinways [circa 1870]. The most recent owners, the Halberians, held about a two acre lot in tandem with the mansion, which includes the grounds with which those who have visited the mansion in modern times are familiar.
The Steinway Mansion is currently zoned as residential and we were told that - as of this date - that nothing was underway to change that. Rumors have been circulating for months that the mansion would be turned into a restaurant, but we could not find anyone close to the owners who could confirm that.
Bob Singleton of the Greater Astoria Historical Society and Friends of the Steinway Mansion said that those two organizations continue to have an interest in helping preserve the Steinway Mansion an historic jewel for Astoria, Queens and NYC.
As we understand it, the Steinway Mansion is landmarked at federal, state and city levels, which means the outside of the structure may not be alterred nor may it be torn down. We were informed that Steinway Mansion LLC is a locally owned company, but the names of the owners have not yet been made public.
The realtors who closed the deal include Lauren Cornea, Christina Halvatzis and Paul Halvatzis - all of Amorelli Realty.
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TO POLITICS
NYC Mayoral Candidates Forum
Bloomberg Presides Over Record Homeless In NYC Shelters While NYC Developers Building Luxury Apartments
April 15, 2013 / Queens Government / Queens Buzz. I attended a Mayoral Forum last week at NYU in Manhattan where the six Mayoral candidates answered questions posed by Brian Lehrer of WNYC. The event was hosted by the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and the topic for discussion was real estate development, housing and urban policy.
One of the things I learned was that NYC has record numbers living in its homeless shelters and that over 20,000 school age children are now living in homeless shelters. This topic came up time and again and all of the candidates said that the current administration was clearly not doing enough to address the problem.
The candidates also talked about all of the new development projects going on in NYC. Many of the candidates said the Administration was not negotiating hard enough to obtain more concessions / better deals from NYC developers who have profited greatly by virtue of help and incentives given by the city.
We'll have more on this debate at a later date.
LIC Real Estate Market Update
LICP Real Estate Forum Projects Confident Tone
May 14, 2013 / LIC Neighborhood / LIC Real Estate / Queens Buzz. The LIC Partnership hosts an annual real estate forum that has sold out for the past several years. Each year they invite a cross section of speakers to opine on different facets of buying, selling and renting real estate in Long Island City.
I've attended the forum the past four years and find the forum to be an informative update of what's doing in the LIC real estate market. This year the speakers talked about the LIC market as one that has not only arrived, but of a real estate market that will stay.
You'll be able to click here later this week for a full report of the LIC Partnership Real Estate Forum. In the photo above are the guest speakers seated at the table with LICP Chairman, Gary Kesner and LIC President, Gayle Baron with their backs to the camera.
CB Votes Split On USTA Expansion Plan
March 14, 2013 / Flushing Corona / Issues Facing Queens / Queens Buzz. The USTA has asked the city of New York to give it .68 of an acre of Flushing Meadows Corona Park so that it can proceed with an expansion plan. The expansion plan is estimated to increase the sports complex capacity for the U.S. Open by about a third, while increasing the USTA footprint in the park by .68 of an acre. The USTA informed the audience attending the Community Board 3 meeting that this will result in more jobs in Queens. They also talked about the positive estimated annual $784 million economic impact that the USTA has had on NYC - according to a study done by a private consulting firm named AKRF, Inc.
The detractors informed the audience that this is the first step in a much larger effort toward a massive privatization of Flushing Meadows Corona Park by several large, well-funded corporate interests. The opponents talked about three other proposals which were not a part of the USTA plan. These other proposals to develop private interests on public parkland include the development of a shopping mall by a private investment group in tandem with the owners of CitiField; 2) a condominium / hotel complex done by another group of private investors; and 3) a 13 acre soccer stadium by Major League Soccer, which is also a privately held corporation.
Community Board Tally & Boro Prez Candidates Positions
In the end Community Board 3 voted against the expansion plan, citing among other things, promises not kept when the USTA asked to expand its footpint in 1993. All six Community Boards have now voted on the USTA Expansion proposal, with three voting for it and three voting against it. We'll post a far more complete report on this Community Board Meeting at a later date.
While I was attending the Community Board 3 Meeting in Corona, all six Queens Borough Presidential candidates were attending a forum about the issues facing Queens at the Greater Astoria Historical Society in Astoria. The issue of turning over public parkland to private interests came up during the forum. To date only City Councilmember Tony Avella has come out against giving up public parkland to private interests. NY Senator Jose Peralta is the only other candidate to take a stance on the issue, but only on one of the proposed developments, namely the erection of the MLS Soccer Stadium on 13 acres of FMC Parkland [which he conditionally supports if MLS fulfills all of their promises]. All four other candidates have taken a wait-and-see stance on the issue.
Click here to read our past reports related to the proposed development plans for Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The first report provides an early history of Flushing Meadows Corona Park I and the second report provided an intermediate history of Flushing Meadows Corona Park II which included a number of relevant historic lessons related to sports complex developments in FMCP as well as NYC.
City Withdraws Plans To Use Eminent Domain
May 11, 2012 / Flushing / Queens Buzz. The Bloomberg Administration withdrew its threat to use eminent domain to condem the properties of the remaining Willets Point property-owners who did not want to sell their land. This statement was issued just prior to the beginning of court proceedings by the remaining holdouts, contesting the city's use of eminent domain.
The city had planned to remove the final holdouts and clear the way for a large new development that would include residential, commercial and office space, and parking. The city now owns 90% of the land in Willets Point, having bought out most of the prior owners.
Click here for a prior report about the Willets Point development in Flushing.
Queens Chamber Building Awards 2013
Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Queens Builders
January 23, 2013 / Jackson Heights / Queens Business / Queens Buzz. On Thursday January 17th, the Queens Chamber of Commerce presented awards in twenty separate categories honoring builders in the borough of Queens. The Queens Chamber Building Awards Reception began in 2007.
The awards were broken into three major categories: 1) Rehabs, 2) Interiors and 3) New Construction. And, except for Interiors, each of these categories included a number of subcategories. In the photo to your right you can see QC Building Awards attendees looking over some of the awards given at the event.
The Queens Chamber Building Awards Reception was held at the Marriott LaGuardia in East Elmhurst, just north of Jackson Heights.
Chhaya Hits A Home Run
4th Annual Home Buyer Fair in Jackson Heights
January 28, 2013 / Jackson Heights / Queens Business / Queens Buzz. The more I get to know about Queens, and the more familiar I become with the many immigrant communities to which Queens is called home, the more impressed I become with the intelligence of the American system and the immigrants who fuel the American dream.
One of the American dreams is to own your own home. To that effect Chhaya [pronounced chi - ya], a non-profit organization in Jackson Heights, helped facilitate that effort at its fourth annual Home Buyer Fair on Saturday. Attendance of the Home Buyer Fair was at an all time high of several hundred, up from about 30 attendees at the first one, just four years ago.
The Home Buyer Fair featured a number of brand name lenders in the morning, and a whole host of non-profit / community minded organizations in the afternoon. The fair was open to everyone [we posted it in our Queens Events calendar in the business section], and provided attendees with a whole host of avenues for purchasing a home. Click here later today to read the rest of our report about the Chhaya Home Buyer Fair.
TO TRANSIT
MTA Rush Hour Power Outage
#7 Subway Line Down For Hours
December 10, 2013 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Buzz. What's wrong with this picture? There aren't any subways running on these tracks during rush hour on Tuesday evening.
The #7 subway is the busiest single subway in NYC and it's the second busiest subway line, after the 4, 5, 6 line that runs north and south along the east side of Manhattan.
According to an attendant there was a power outage along the entire line beginning around 5 pm Tuesday, which was partially repaired within several hours. The trains were running limited service by about 9 pm Tuesday due to ongoing signal problems at a few stations. As of Wednesday at 10 am the MTA continues to report signal problems on the #7 line, so for the time being expect delays.
Ironically this outage comes only weeks after the MTA spent two months of weekends [October / November] doing upgrades / maintenance work on the #7 subway line. It's also worth mentioning that the #7 subway line was one of the last of the major lines to go back into operation following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The reason for the delay in resumption of service in 2012 was that they couldn't turn on the power because of flooding in the tunnels.
I wonder if any of these issues / activities are related, and what the MTA is doing to address them?
Ridership on the #7 subway line is expected to continue growing because of the significant amount of real estate development going on in the Long Island City and Flushing neighborhoods of Queens. Lagging infrastructure development could hamper growth. Queens Borough President-elect Melinda Katz stated that this would be one of her top priorities upon assuming the office. It seems this might be a good place to start.