Long Island City’s Tennisport out, housing development in; linkage

The mayor is saying 60% but I was pretty sure at the meetings that the figure was 30% “Moderate and middle income.” I’m all for 60% and hope that it is indeed 60% but I think the city is pulling another one on us here.

Tennisport may have been a landmark in LIC for 33 years, but I would be hard-pressed to think of a more unloved neighborhood businesses than that place. Good riddance! As soon as that bubble is deflated, it’ll be quickly forgotten.

I think the middle school is planned for across from the old smokehouse on 5th Street closer to Anable Basin. Plans already filed here — http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=3&passjobnumber=402878631&passdocnumber=01

7, the environmental impact statement for Hunters Point South says that there is plenty of capacity on the No. 7 to handle the new riders at the Vernon Jackson station.

I never have a proble getting on the 7 during rush hour – as long as there are no delays or police investigations which back up service.

If the MTA expanded bus (or ferry?) service in LIC to Manhattan, then that could certainly alleviate any future pressure on the V-J station from Hunters Point South.

The East River has got to be one of the most underused resources of any similar waterway around the world. If we had a really innovate and well-funded transit system and politicians with any vision, we would have mass transit ferry stops all over the Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan waterfronts. Or can you imagine a bridge dedicated to bikes and pedestrians right to the UN? It kills me that we are do damn close to Manhattan and yet we have to rely on a creaking subway system build over 100 years ago.

The difference between NYC today and a century and more ago is that when people in government had dreams, they made them realities. There was very little wishful thinking. That’s why we even have the subway, tunnels and the East River bridges, which were considered near-impossible feats back then.

The Queenboro Bridge is at least 30 minutes to walk to, not to mention the time added crossing it. I agree with #15, a “green” pedestrian bridge would be great-something really beautiful and modern, it could even have a garden like the Highline.

#18, ride a bike?

18 – The East River is too wide for a pedestrian bridge. To make one as you envision and high enough for boats to pass would cost a fortune.

Dubai is having huge problems with financing those crazy buildings. They rely entirely on oil revenue.

The cost of building in NY because of the unions does make things too expensive, but how can you say we don’t do things nowadays? Two new baseball stadiums, the 2nd Avenue subway, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center (I know there were delays based on politics, but once the building started things are getting done), the extension of the 7 line, the LIRR tunnel to Grand Central – just look at the LIC waterfront and how that is getting tranformed. I could probably find 50 more things to bring up.

21, true. But if we could have “New York versions” of those kinds of ideas, the city would be a much better place to be. That’s what I was trying to get at. Nothing approaching that is possible here anymore. Just look at the fiasco in the making in lower Manhattan. It’s embarrassing.

Also the difference between today and thosee days where a Robert Moses type could exist is that you didn’t have community boards and land use review and public meetings, lobbyists, public advocay groups, protester singing kumbaya and all the other nonsense that happens today. They whole system is set up for inaction. Look at the WTC. Freaking shame almost a decade later and next to nothing has been done. Robert Moses did in a year what would take today’s politicans a lifetime. Sorry, #22 NYC is no longer a place where inovation in urban planning takes place. You need to go to China to see that nowadays.

Sorry 27 – I disagree. It took 18 months to build the empire state building (in the middle of the great depression by the way). Nearly 7 seven years later the WTC is still a hole in the ground and we are still wringing our hands about what to do with it. Its an embarrasment plain and simple. Say what you want about robert moses, but he got things done. The man had a vision and executed which is more than I can say about the do-nothings that we seem to be stuck with today.

Uh, take the subway.

Be grateful NYC wasn’t awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics. I can’t imagine what a disaster that would have been, and it would have all taken place right here in LIC.

I meant at the expense of not modernizing the transit system.

I’m not saying we don’t need highways. I’m only pointing out that certain neighborhoods were literally cut in half. In general these were poor neighborhoods. More affluent neighborhoods either did not get highways or more compatible locations with more attractive design and landscaping and access were built.

I was against the size of this development from day 1. This will equate to 12 Avalons in that space. I fought during the scoping meetings and all that changed was the park going from 10 1/2 acres to 11. Small victory. That land should have been at least half park.
Wonder what the folks at Powerhouse are thinking right now…
The city seems anxious to build, but not a peep as to who will build it. Last I heard was a REBNY consortium lobbying hard.

Are you saying Central Park is a drug invested area, or Prospect Park or Riverside Park? Seems like #39 has been in some small parks getting drugs. Half park would have been amazing, thanks for trying Andrew. Queens has the lowest park space per capita of any borough.

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Hey 42, please stop using the word “we”. We here are not disrespectful anti-dialogue as you appear to be. There are some of us who welcome intelligent dialogue and completely reject cowardly anonymous attacks.

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How about all who take part in anonymous personal bashing and name calling just learn to be civil?

Are these 5,000 new homes going to be rentals, condos, co-ops? Will they be high-rise? It would have been nice to know about these plans before committing to a 3/4 of a million dollar condo near by. While a school could help bring more families to the area, it could also lead to more garbage, graffiti and vandalism. Kids, afterall, will be kids. I’m worried about my property value, and of course, my view of Manhattan which was NOT CHEAP.