A task force met on Thursday January 21st at 6:30 pm to discuss some of the future Development of the Queens West area and to hear community concerns. It was open to the public and was attended by what seemed like a just a scattering of people including representatives from Citylights and the Friends of Gantry Park. Most of the evening was spent discussing the next three buildings to be built with some time spent on the Request for Proposal from Queens West Development Corporation (A Subsidiary of Empire State Development Corporation) for the next four parcels to be developed. George Aridas, Acting President & Chief Financial Officer, did most of the presentation of the plans and fielded most of the questions. Below are notes, in outline form from the meeting. I do not claim any accuracy, it was what I heard and wrote down. I will work on getting the "official" minutes of the meeting and posting them.

Stage 1 - Building Two

• AvalonBay Communities will do the construction
• To be built in the parcel of land to the south of Citylights
• Ground breaking is planned for September 1999. Occupation starts in Jan 2001
• Approximately 80 units subsidized senior citizen rentals with 50 percent of medium income
• 300+ apartments for other rentals
• The height is to range from 50 to 300 feet (30 stories) (Citylights is 380 feet)
• The tower part will be to the front of the building

Stage 1 - Buildings Three and Four

• Built to the north of Citylights
• Ground breaking planned for Spring of 2001. Occupation to start in Jan 2002
• There will be two buildings divided by Center Blvd
• 100 units in the west 130 foot (12 story) tower
• A large health club complex as well as a supermarket are slated for Development
• 425 units in the East 300 foot (28 story) tower
• A state park station

Gantry Park Expansion

• The park to the north of Gantry Park will be started later this year
• Going to set up a task force to develop further plans
• Total park length will be 1.5 miles
• The State Parks Association has a 4 year agreement to upkeep the park
• Right now there are 4 staff members (2 rangers) in Gantry Park with more added for the summer
• The little park to the south is 50/60 percent permanent

Responses & Questions

• A question about the traffic on 49th and school crossing for PS 78 (located in the Citylights building)
• A question about about additional schools as the current one has 205 students and a capacity of 350
• There was talk about how the school space is leased for 10/20/40 years from Citylights (some confusion as to the real length of the lease)

Stage 2

• Commercial core
• 2 million square feet of office space, hotel conference, not res
• RFP due April 9th
• 2.5 to 4 years before ground breaking

Other Facts

• The 7 train is at peak capacity at peak hours but is slated for new trains
• Vernon/Jackson station reconstruction is rumored not to be in the works
• LIRR is slated to get redone
• Next task force meeting in April / May