From: "Glassner, Christine" <CGlassner@empire.state.ny.us>
To: "'Michele McKee'" <junglibr@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: RE: Press Request
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 12:27:33 -0500
Return-Receipt-To: "Glassner, Christine" <CGlassner@empire.state.ny.us>

Dear Michele;
Thank you for visiting the Queens West website; we're glad you find it helpful. I have attached answers following each question. Please be in touch if I can provide any more information. In the mean time, have a happy and healthy New Year.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michele McKee [SMTP:junglibr@ix.netcom.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 8:46 AM
> To: QueensWest@empire.state.ny.us
> Subject: Press Request

> Dear Mr. Aridas, Mr. Federbush, Ms. Serrano, Mr. Parker and QW
> spokespersons,
> > Your Queens West homepage is very informative and attractive. I
> especially liked the piece on the Gantry!
> > I am currently preparing the next issue of The View, the newsletter of
> the Hunters Point Community Coalition. We are planning to get the issue
> out in mid-January. In order to give our readers the most up-to-date and
> correct information as possible, I'd be very appreciative of your
> response to the following list of "talking points," most of which stem
> from concerns expressed at our last coalition meeting in October 1998.
> 1) There is a persistent rumor in the neighborhood that the senior
> housing units slated for the Avalon building on parcel 11 will not be
> included in that building, but placed offsite instead. Please clarify.

Queens West has consistently insisted that the Senior Housing element be constructed as originally approved. We are pleased to report that the designated developer, Avalon Bay, and the Senior Citizen sponsor, New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, are cooperatively working together to bring this plan to fruition. The Senior Housing area is scheduled to be located in the North West quadrant of parcel 11.

> 2) The public wharf and plaza (originally planned as a site for the Queen
> Catherine monument and listed for completion in 1998) does not seem to be
> under construction as yet. What does the revised schedule and plan look
> like? Would there be any possibility of neighborhood involvement in the
> design? As you may know, there is a small community garden on 49th Ave.
> whose members are interested in the "greening" of the Queens West plan.

At this time there is no specific schedule for future development of the commercial stage at Queens West. However, we anticipate that as plans progress there will be a sharing of information with the public, including opportunities for community report. In addition, the Queen Catherine statue is not scheduled for installation at Queens West.

> 3) Is there a permanent site planned for the very nice temporary
> children's park in Gantry Plaza? Will it remain in Gantry Plaza until
> the development starts for the last building of Phase I in 2001?

Yes, there is a permanent playground planned, as well as sports fields, recreation center and open space; the waterfront esplanade is an extensive plan that incorporates over 20 acres of park and open space. At the time that the playground area in the south end of Gantry Plaza State Park was established there was community input in the planning and design. It was known during the planning that a portion of this park would be an interim park until such time that the infrastructure, such as Center Boulevard, needs to be continued. Even at that time, which is a while in the future, much of the current park, such as the water play area, will remain.

> 4) I'm happy to see the Penn Stacks (aka Schwartz Chemical Factory) in
> most of your renderings. Although the owner did not want it landmarked,
> it is probably the most distinguished old building in the neighborhood,
> designed for the Penn RR by McKim, Mead and White, who built the old Penn
> Station, the Washington Square Arch, most of Columbia and and many other
> great buildings in Manhattan. We should all do whatever we can to keep
> it standing. The stacks look great from the other side of the river, as
> well as being a great view from many angles in the neighborhood. Please
> comment.

While we concur that the Schwartz Chemical Factory is a distinguished old building in the neighborhood and that the smoke stacks are specifically, a distinctive reminder of Historic Hunters Point, we want to be clear that this building is not within Queens West jurisdiction and is not apart of the General Project Plan. We place the Schwartz Chemical Factory in the renderings to better help understand the location of the parcels surrounding it.

  > Is the Pepsi sign coming down?

There are no plans at this time involving the Pepsi sign.

> 5) When construction resumes next summer, the distress of many residents
> in the immediate neighborhood could be greatly mitigated by an effort on
> the part of QW to acknowledge its disrupting effect. Do you have a plan
> for interfacing with the neighborhood?

As we have in the past we will work with the community to help minimize the disruption that construction can sometimes bring. Since no construction schedule has been set, we feel it is premature to implement a plan. In addition to working directly with official agencies (MTCCC, Queens Borough President, Community Board II) we will also work with community representatives to help answer concerns. We also feel that with the introduction of our website we will be able to utilize this communication tool to enhance our previous efforts.

> 6) What are the projections for roads and subways?
> I see that the Vernon-Jackson Station is scheduled to be renovated in
> 2000, as is the LIR station. Is there any shortrange plan for extension
> of MTA services? Longrange?

Any plans concerning the Vernon-Jackson Station or the LIRR Station are made through the MTA. In our site plan legend we have reflected public information, which we will update as new information is made available. You may want to visit the MTA website from time to time to keep up on their progress.

> I've heard that 48th Ave. between Vernon Blvd. and 11th St. is going to
> be widened to a 6-lane road. Do you have any information about this?

There are plans to upgrade that portion of 48th Ave. but not to a 6-lane road. The plan is for traffic to be diverted off of 48th Ave. to a below-grade road in the former railroad right of way. This will reduce traffic on 48th Avenue and will help alleviate traffic at the intersection of 11th Street, Jackson Avenue and 48th Avenue.

 
> 7) Through an Internet search, I discovered 2 renderings by Interface
> Multimedia (studio@ifmm.com) of the Queens West Development by Cooper
> Carry Architects in Alexandria Virginia. Are these actual plans? If so,
> what parcels are they?

Thank you for bringing this site to our attention; we were unaware that it existed. The plans displayed were not created by or for Queens West and do not represent any plans approved by Queens West.

> Thanks very much for your attention. Let me know your preferred mode of
> response -- interview, telephone, letter, fax or E-Mail are all fine.
>
> Sincerely,
> Michele McKee
>
> O: 212-697-7877
> Fax: 212-986-1743
> Messages 212-946-4679
>
> Editor, The View
> HPCC (Hunters Point Community Coalition)