Brace yourself LIC waterfront: toxic remediation is baaaack at Queens West
Remediation at 46th Ave and the East River/Anable Basin, Long Island City
Ahh yes – winter in LIC. Add ‘the sounds and smells of toxic cleanup’ to ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire’ and you’ve got the picture, as two active remediation projects are going on in Queenswest along the LIC waterfront.
In this process, the identified toxic soil is dug up under the huge white tents that are now installed at Queenswest (meant to keep the debris/dust contained), loaded onto a truck, and transported out. This isn’t the first time toxic soil has been unearthed in LIC. Just last year there were many complaints of strange and foul smells and super-eerie dust clouds during the remediation. CB2 and Queens West Development Corp also openly asked residents to say something if they smell something, for their own health. That said, keep your nostrils open, LIC.
At the TF Cornerstone site (formerly Rockrose) on 46th Ave and the East River/Anable Basin, it seems they’re finishing up remediation in order to start on their 4th building, their 3rd rental building. The other construction site currently being remediated is across the street at the now infamous OCA development site on 5th St.
Remediation efforts at the OCA development site, Long Island City
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Sorry – on the OCA site. Thanks.
OCP fought lonad and hard to get the right to build 12 stories and it was approved by the BSA. I see no reason why they wouldn’t build the maxiumun FAR allowed by law.
Why do you say infamous? What is infamous about it?
#3 But…. they received the extra FAR because they claimed there was a ‘community facility’. Though puny, the 650 sf Queens Council did qualify as a community facility but the CUNY dorm did not. Queens Council dropped out but nonetheless by virtue of the CUNY connection of Chuck Schumer’s wife, it was granted. Ok, are you with me so far?
Here’s the f’d up part. CUNY has dropped out so there is no semblance of anything that is a community facility now. Are they allowed to transfer their variance? Legally, no. Will they? Let’s see. Even if they decide to go with the law school dorms that have been discussed, by law they must reapply for the variance. Will they? If you think so you haven’t been following local politics.
A small brave group of upstarts tried to warn us this would happen and they were mercilessly attacked here & elsewhere.
Who cares what they put there? Anything is better than whats there now.
One mans small brave group of upstarts is another mans small group of xenophobic NIMBYs.
Maybe 6 doesn’t care especially if he/she is not directly affected or has no long term stake in the neighborhood but others are affected by loss of light, higher congestion, less parking, etc. Even if that doesn’t matter to you, you should maybe be a little concerned that money and power talks in this neighborhood while the agreed on laws and processes are thrown out the window. Maybe you will not care until one day you are on the wrong end of that equation.
7 you need to learn what those terms you throw around actually mean. They at not at all relevant.
CUNY and QCA dropped out of the project? Please provide sources.
Yeah, I never heard that they dropped out, either. When did that happen?
I think #5 is just trying to smear the “brave group of upstarts” by spreading BS.
My point is what effect does it have on you if apartment 2G is occupied by a graduate student working on their thesis paper, a law student, a young couple working in Manhattan , or by an elderly retiree? I’m confused by all the intrigue and conspiracy theories. They are building a building. People will use the building. What about that is shocking? Honestly sometimes people go looking for a cause to get fired up about…
Old retirees are the worst neighbors b/c they won’t mind their own business and have too much time on their hands.
I think it is a bit disturbing if CUNY really dropped out, that was a main reason for the variance, at least politically. Having said that, #6 is right, that giant empty fenced lot is a blight and a menace and at least it will be developed, 12 stories is not crazy.
I want something built there too, but the politics of this seems shady–do we as a community want deals being cut in back rooms without our knowledge? If a variance on height was granted because of the school and QCA, that’s cool. But if now that the variance is in place, all of a sudden CUNY and QCA are not part of the building plan, and the builder gets to keep the variance, well that seems shady to me. Am I just being paranoid or does this not seem kosher–in particular, since I never heard anything about QCA and CUNY not being part of this anymore.
I think you have not heard about QCA and CUNY dropping out because it is not true.
AvalonBay North Tower was just the start of things being down without community knowledge and input. LIC seriously needs an influx of new political blood!
16, the fact that you have not heard about it yet does not mean the information is not out there to find. My guess is they want to do as much unhindered work as possible before a demand for new hearings are triggered. Don’t you get how New York politics/business works?
Tell ya what. All I want from you is when it is fully documented at least post that I was right.
I’m fine by the way with putting the land to use. This is about playing by the rules which in itself I don’t care about rules. But in this case the rules were the result of carefully crafted agreements and trade offs with the community. They side stepped the rules to benefit a private developer. The extra stories were never for the dorms. They were for market rate (aka luxury) housing.
Those of you who think that anything and everything should be given over to mega- development are IMO very short sighted.
#3 was the first one to mention that the CUNY dorm and QCA had dropped out of this project.
We all don’t even know if this is even true or not.
#3, where did you get your information? Can you post a link?
Ok, #18, unless you are prepared to offer any proof of your claims, then stuff it. It was this same pattern of innuendo and half truths that plauged the BSA hearings. If you have information share it. Otherwise we will assume you are lying. As for me I’ve looked for the information and I can’t find any public statement that either QCA or CUNY have dropped from the project. Until I see proof you are lying.
The extra stories were always supposed to be for market rate housing. They never made any secret of that and it was presented that way in getting the variance. Stop implying that this is some shady deal.
Thanks #20, you answered my question, I realize I got suckered into thinking something was going when it wasn’t.
Queens College never dropped out. Who are these busy-bodies spreading this nonsense?
And who cares about a 12-floor building? That’s hardly too large or inappropriate for the neighborhood. I would LOVE to have more apartment buildings instead of vacant lots or parking lots.
Get a hobby or something, so you don’t have to waste your time trying to bother everyone else.
#20 you are the brightest smartest most aware person I ever knew.
# 22 you are the most thoughtful caring community minded person I ever met.
Ok, back to reality…
Do yourselves a favor and learn the facts. For one thing Queens College was never mentioned and has zippo to do with this. Second thing before you fling accusations that people are lying do the research. Just because you, oh great one, can’t find the information does not mean I am wrong. How about going direct to the job site as I and others have and speaking to management there.
Finally name one half truth or innuendo from the BSA hearings.
22, you don’t speak for the neighborhood.
#23, I won’t waste my time. I have no problem w/ this project. Its getting built regardless of your theories of intruige which is all that matters to me. Maybe you can figure out who shot Kennedy or if the moon landing was faked next. All 12 wonderful stories of light and air blocking building will be going up soon and perhaps if we are lucky will cast a shadow on you to match the dark cloud always seems to be hovering over you .
Anyone know what the story is on 48th Avenue? The Solarium Condominiums – when will they open? And the Zipper building – is there any movement on converting it?
if they do anyting to the Zipper building (or building site, if they tear down that old heap) it would be great to have something a bit more “mixed-use”.
how about offices or something arts related? something more commercial? otherwise the entire 48th ave west of vernon is bland condos…yuck.
The information came from the community board. Call them up to verify. Call CB2. CB2 in fact is trying to offer the give back, as another dorm. WHICH is still not a recognized community give back. Call Kathy Nolan’s office. OCA is allowed by law to build 6 stories high. Without the community component that is all they are allowed. But because of Chuck Schumer’s wife being connected to CUNY, all politicians voted for the non recognized so called community component. How is living space for students a give back? Do you get to sleep in their bedrooms at a discount rate? Do you get to hold community meetings there in their kitchen? Do you get to park in their parking spaces? Do they give you money? What you are missing….is that this is another library farce if allowed to happen. You will not get anything….and the developer gets to run you over at your TAX DOLLAR expense. They should just build the 6 stories allowed and no one would contest a THING.
Oh who cares. Build a 12 story dorm. The only one lose sleep over this is 28.
It’s twelve stories of luxury housing. The dorms component is only 5 stories.
The geniuses here who don’t care about the height and density include young disconnected distracted types with no roots or interest in anything community related other than when is the nest bar or asian-italian fusion nonsense going to open. The other is a broker who only cares about lining his pockets.
Much of the community is deeply concerned about the growing density and the shrinking services – post office closings, crowding on subways, sewers backing up into homes, trucks rumbling up small streets leaving unrepaired potholes, fire departments threatened, and the general upheaval of small business and long term residential tenants being forced out. Not to mention the point of this article – the crap we are breathing as the soft soil is being unnecessarily stirred.
But again, even if that doesn’t matter, you should care about the backroom dealing that allows anything to happen. Gee, you don’t like it when a bar is denied a license but no problem when it comes to a building. If you had any real stake in the area other than just what farts from your brain today, you would get it.
And guess what? That 12 stories you are so sure will be built was the same 27 stories you were sure last year would be built. The 12 stories btw, were supposed to have been completed this past September. So how well is that going?
#31, I’d like to know how you claim the majority position on this issue. Just because you have a bunch of loudmouths speaking for you doesn’t mean you speak for the entire community. I’m sure among your isoloated group of friends that may be true, but in my circles everyone I’ve talked to has no problem with this. I’ve lived and owned real estate and raised a family here for 13 years, so don’t presume tell me that I don’t have a stake in the area. Unlike you I don’t care if its 27, 12, or 6 stories because unlike you I don’t have an ax to grind. Whatever the owner wants to put there that is in complance with the laws is fine with me. I respect the rule of law.
I also don’t see what this one building has to do with any of the things that you mention. Somehow this one buiding is responsible for post office closings, fire departments threatened, every pothole in LIC, the #7 train, sewers, etc. I hear this building is also contributing to global warming and the melting of the polar ice. Whatever… Also for decades industry dumped this posionous stuff in your backyard while a blind eye was turned. Now you try to clean it up as best as possible and everyone wants to be a community watchdog now that the horses are out of the barn. Like it was safe before just because no one was messing around with it. Yeah okay. Good luck with that. Seems like you should write a letter to your elected representatives.
32 states “unlike you I don’t have an ax to grind.”
Before you hurl accusations at me learn the facts. I have no axe to grind whatsoever. You don’t know anything about me. Your reaction is knee jerk.
I simply agree with your last two sentences:
“Whatever the owner wants to put there that is in complance with the laws is fine with me. I respect the rule of law.”
So, if it turns out that the project moves forward with the community facility tenant by which the variance was obtained (even though CUNY dorms never did actually qualify under DOB rules) I will live with it. I respect the process however flawed since it is at least some semblance of a process.
But… if it turns out that the same project is built without the community facility tenant that was claimed, I assume that because of your interest in the rule of law you will join me if I protest.
If it violates the law, then yes I will join you, but since the zoning variance is already in place I don’t see how that is possible unless they try to build more than 12 stories.
looking at property behind the pepsi sign, just wondering what is planned for the pepsi site-#sories etc
34, good. The answer to your question is if the ‘community facility’ tenant is changed the variance must be revisited. I assume that it would not be as full blown a hearing as previous since yes, the basic issues were resolved – at least by law. But a change in tenancy needs to be revisited even if on the surface it’s a similar tenant.
Look, my interest is not to bring this project to its knees. It comes from the long term experience of the community getting the shaft when we agree to variances. Simple example – where is the library? Different specifics but same concept.
I don’t agree. The variance was granted. There is no requirement to keep going back and providing blow by blow updates, but Iwould defer to a lawyer on that point.
37, it’s simple. The extra stories were based on housing a community facility. By law that’s the only way the variance could have been granted. You can’t then not include the community facility and expect the same right to build greater than Zoning permits.
If you plan to offer a different tenant as the community facility, that tenant has to be vetted as a new entity – minimally to determine that the tenant qualifies under DOB and Zoning rules.
I can’t for example get a permit for one property and then take it across the street and use it with the excuse that “hey, it’s just like that property over there.”
I did say that even as someone who originally opposed the variance, I would not challenge all the other issues – among them is there really a hardship here? I accept the defeat. But I don’t accept their changing the components for which the variance was granted. That requires a hearing. I don’t need a lawyer to see that.
37 may have lived here for 13 years but he doesn’t live near the CUNY site, and wouldn’t want to raise his children downwind of it. I. AM. GUESSING.
38, this is all based on the rumor that QCA has droped which no one has been able to confirm. Lets for a moment pretend it true. So in the middle of construction you are telling me that a potential tenant drops out you have to halt construction and go back to the BSA to get their blessing? If you can’t find one you leave the building half completed? No I don’t think so. You continue work on the building and try to find and acceptable alternate. Again dont confuse your personal feeling with the law.
And wrong townie, I live one block away from the proposed building and my kids are here as well.
#40, for some one who doesn’t care you sure are invested in this discussion. QCA dropped out before CUNY. Both have dropped out.
40, I see your point and since I’m not an expert I honestly don’t know the answer to the scenario you propose. That in fact may be exactly why the information is not public. It allows them time to build to the point where one cannot go back.
I also see your point that since I can’t substantiate it via the media it has to be treated as rumor. You might do some digging on your own with some local politicians if you want to see if I’m full of it. Or you can assume that very powerful people with a lot to lose are always going to play by the rules and always let the public in on their game plan.
My experience here is that the decisions are made in private and then rolled out on us when it’s too late to voice an opinion or concern. Look at simple things like the bicycle lane and the one way streets, etc. Whatever your belief about what’s beneficial or destructive, wouldn’t it be nice to have some semblance of a say in these matters?
I can accept that there are people who have no issue with the height and density and proposed use. I only wish these same people could accept that there are those of us who do have concerns and issues. We really have to stop negating each others points of view and get better at at least understanding.
Yes, I guessed wrong, 40. I shouldn’t be surprised then, that you show no concern for the health of others’ children when in this case you have none for your own. If others lack your /sang froid/ you can accuse them of letting their emotions get the better of them. You live within a mile of the most infamous toxic waste site ever devised by man and here we are preparing to dig up a large footprint a block away from your house that contains a stratum of industrial tar a foot and a half thick and I’m just an upstart.
Meanwhile, you can’t let a reasonable person make a simple distinction of fact without insulting him/her and calling them a liar. Let the man make his point. Just because he’s right, you don’t have to agree with him.
#42, thanks for your reasonable response. Agreed their needs to be more open mindedness on both sides.
#42. Know you see the loop hole.
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Does anyone know if they are going to build 12 stories up on this site? Anyone have the latest info?