West Side Tennis Club Rejects Condo Proposal

Photo courtesy Michael Perlman and the Rego-Forest Preservation Council

By Eric Yun

Forest Hills’ historic West Side Tennis Stadium is safe for now. Club members voted down an offer to sell the historic stadium to neighborhood real estate company Cord Meyer Friday night.

The stadium is owned and operated by the West Side Tennis Club, which operates 38 tennis courts adjacent to the stadium. Facing financial struggles - the Wall Street Journal reported that club membership dues covered less than 50 percent of the club’s operating expenses - the club’s board decided to listen to offers for selling the stadium.

Cord Meyer’s proposal called for renovating the exterior façade of the stadium and building condominiums inside of the walls. The sale of the property would have given the financially struggling West Side Tennis Club reportedly $9 million.

The proposal was met with resistance from the start. Michael Perlman from the Rego-Forest Preservation Council made a strong push to get the stadium landmarked. Others simply did not like Cord Meyer’s design. Club member Christine Schott described the proposed complex as more “Ft. Lauderdale than Forest Hills.”

Also, some members believed Cord Meyer was not offering proper market value for the stadium. Cushman & Wakefield independently appraised the site in September at $9.7 million. Cord Meyer’s proposal was $9 million plus an additional $750,000 for repairs to the club’s enclosure and other renovations. However, a club member and appraiser David Kra released a report questioning the methods used by Cushman & Wakefield and appraised the property at $15.5 million.

A two-thirds majority was needed to approve the project, and the final vote was deadlocked at 123-123. According to Schott’s Forest Hills Garden Blog, the official tally counts members who did not vote were counted as a no vote, which means 56 percent of members voted against the sale.

Rep. Anthony Weiner has been a strong supporter for the stadium’s preservation. Following the vote, he praised club members for voting against the sale. “My neighbors and I are gratified by the decision of the members of the West Side Tennis Club to reject the proposal to sell development rights to the historic stadium,” said Weiner (D-Forest Hills). “This will give us a chance to take a step back, take a deep breath and explore the best way forward to preserve this iconic site while respecting the rights of the club members.”

Now that the sale is off the table, club members must decide what to do with the stadium. It is still in need of major repairs—some estimates call for $12 million.

Cord Meyer Chief Operating Officer Anthony Colletti said the company is “very disappointed” about the vote. He felt there was strong support for the stadium—the board unanimously supported the sale, according to Colletti, and 123 members did vote yes. However, they were 42 votes short to attain the two-thirds super majority.

There were many issues Cord Meyer had to contend with to complete the sale. The most immediate threat was the ongoing effort to landmark the stadium. For Colletti, it seemed that “a vote against the deal was a vote for landmarking.”

Perlman wants the city to move forward and landmark the property. He believes that landmark status along with new creative uses for the stadium can help preserve the Forest Hills community and become economically viable.

A landmark designation would add prestige to the location and open the doors for grant money to help renovate the site, Perlman explained. Outside companies might also be interested in running programs in a historic site.

“Disney-esque condos would have torn the heart out of Forest Hills,” Perlman said in a release. “Mixed-use creative revitalization would yield a greater economic return in the long-run, and may feature tennis matches, concerts, weddings, exhibits, school trips, charity events, music and art festivals.”

The simplest way to inject life into the stadium is to restore its tennis tradition, argued Perlman, who would like to see a tennis academy to be built at the stadium. In August, Weiner proposed returning the US Open to the West Side Tennis Club for one match. “It is time for the United States Tennis Association to give back to Forest Hills,” Weiner wrote to USTA Chair and President Lucy Garvin.

Other proposals include reintroducing concerts at the stadium. There have been discussions with the New York Philharmonic to hold its summer concert series at the venue. No matter what the stadium is used for, Perlman wants it to become a “twenty- first century family destination.”

Whatever happens with the stadium, Cord Meyer probably will not be involved. Colletti noted that the project was not a purely profitable endeavor, but felt the company could regain losses through building good will and publicity through the project.

But never say never. “If we got a phone call we’d be interested,” Colletti said. However, he would ask the board to have club members vote first to see if they are even interested in selling the stadium. Colletti, however, doesn’t foresee members ever being interested in selling the stadium.

Homeless Man Charged with Forest Hills Stabbing

The peace and quiet Forest Hills residents have come to expect was interrupted this week when a knife wielding homeless man went on a stabbing spree, according to police.

Steven Jackson, a 48-year-old homeless man, was charged with assault after he allegedly attacked Siew Khuen Luh with a knife at the 71st Street and Continental Avenue subway station Saturday night.

According to an eyewitness, Jackson approached the victim from behind and put his hands on the victim’s shoulder. After Jackson walked away, the eyewitness noticed the victim was bleeding from the neck. Luh was taken to the hospital and received 15 to 20 stitches in the neck.

Police suspect Jackson might also be responsible for two other stabbings that occurred near the area Saturday night. A man was stabbed at Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike and another man on Austin Street and 72nd Road. Both men were treated and released at local hospitals.

Police officers apprehended Jackson and allegedly recovered a blood stained knife. He has been charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

“The defendant in this case is alleged to have set upon an innocent victim who was merely waiting for a subway train,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “The victim was struck from behind, without warning or provocation, and never had a chance to defend himself. He is fortunate, indeed, that he was not more severely injured.”

If convicted, Jackson faces up to 25 years in prison. According to a published report, Jackson was previously charged for stabbing a man sleeping inside the Grand Avenue subway stop.

Push to Landmark Tennis Stadium as Vote on Sale Nears

By Eric Yun

As West Side Tennis Club officials move forward with a proposed plan to sell the historic West Side Tennis Stadium, local politicians, residents and club members are fighting to preserve the iconic venue.

The West Side Tennis Stadium hosted the U.S. Open from 1923 to 1977. The 15,000-seat stadium was deemed too small to continue hosting the event, which was moved to Flushing Meadow. The stadium also hosted several famous concerts including The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Who.

The stadium is owned by the West Side Tennis Club, which also operates 38 tennis adjacent courts. In an effort to revitalize the area, club officials entered an agreement with Cord Meyer Corporation to build approximately 70 condominium units on the site. The sale of the property would reportedly give the West Side Tennis Club between $9 and $10 million. Club members are expected to vote on the proposal on September 23.

Cord Meyer’s tentative plans include renovating the exterior walls of the tennis stadium and building the apartment complex within the walls. This type of development is not unprecedented: old coliseums in Rome were used in this way, according to Anthony Colletti, Chief Operating Officer of Cord Meyer. Furthermore, the chief architect of the project stud- ied in Rome and understands how to build these types of structures.

Some club members are not thrilled with the proposed project, which was depicted in renderings issued by Cord Meyer. “It’s quite modern,” said Christine Schott. “It’s not in keeping with traditional Forest Hills Garden guidelines.” Schott added that the proposed condo development looks more like something in Fort Lauderdale than Forest Hills.

The Forest Hills Garden Association, which has jurisdiction over some of the land the stadium covers, has strict guidelines on what can be done on its property. Schott explained that even repainting a house can be cumbersome because the exact same color must be used.
Colletti contends Cord Meyer met with the Forest Hills Garden Association, and they accepted their tentative plans.

Members were also displeased with how this entire situation arose. One club member questioned the decision to enter an agreement to sell the stadium to Cord Meyer before asking members if they wanted to sell. There were also concerns over how the Tennis Club board negotiated their agreement with Cord Meyer.

Colletti understands if club members may have felt “kept in the dark” during their negotiations with the West Side Tennis Club, but he points out that everything is still in the tentative stages. “There’s nothing to even talk about without approval,” he said. “We didn’t want to waste [anyone’s] time.”

Colletti feels there has been a lot of “misinformation” about the sale of the stadium and Cord Meyer’s plans for the apartment complex. “We feel if people know all the facts, the vast majority of people will favor it.”

Still, with such a historic stadium facing extinction, there are many who are looking for ways to preserve it. One possible way to save the stadium is to have it landmarked. Last week, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D- Kew Gardens), City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D- Forest Hills) and Senator Toby Ann Stravinsky (D- Flushing) urged the city Landmarks Preservation Commission to study whether the stadium should receive landmark status.

“The West Side Tennis Stadium has been a longtime fixture in the Forest Hills community,” said Koslowitz. “We need to make sure that we explore all possible avenues in relation to landmarking, as we owe it the residents of the community.”

Weiner questioned why club members are the only people who have a say in what happens to the stadium. “The future of this historic stadium should be decided by the whole community,” Weiner said. “That is why we’re making sure that all possible options are explored.”

Colletti questioned whether the Landmarks Commission would grant landmark status to an old deteriorating building. He doesn’t believe the stadium could support many other options, arguing that it is too small to hold large-scale events and too big to operate as a small-scale venue.

Cord Meyer officials say they understand the stadium is an iconic structure in Queens, and wants to preserve as much of the stadium’s history as possible. A museum within the apartment complex to celebrate the tennis and concerts that were held at the stadium was proposed.

West Side Tennis Club members would also receive many benefits from the new complex. Cord Meyer intends to build a state of the art spa, health club and indoor pool that will be available for use to members.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” Colletti said.

Iconic Stadium Faces Potential Sale

By Tamara Best

During its storied history, Forest Hills Tennis Stadium has played host to many historic events, including the inaugural U.S Open in 1968, when Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win a grand slam title.

The iconic stadium, which is part of the West Side Tennis Club, has been seldom used since the U. S. Open was moved to Flushing Meadows in the late 1970s and has deteriorated over the years. And now, it may disappear forever as the club weighs whether or not to sell it.

The club dates back to 1892 and includes 38 courts. The main stadium, which seats 15,000, opened in 1923. In addition to tennis, the stadium has hosted notable musicians including Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Diana Ross and The Who.

An informational meeting on the proposal to sell the club’s main stadium will be held on August 10, with members set to vote on August 19th. The club would retain ownership over the other facilities and courts on the 14- acre property, which is located near Austin Street.

Attempts to reach the clubs officers were unsuccessful, but members weighed in on the possibility of the stadium being sold.

Susanna Hof, a longtime member and co-founder of Terrace Sotheby's International Realty in Forest Hills, said she has concerns over the timing of the meeting and vote.

“The time of planning is short and in the summer, which means some of the members won’t be there,” she said. “This announcement was brought to the membership with two weeks notice. Long-term members feel like it’s a travesty.”

Hof said there has been discussion over the last decade about selling the stadium with proposals for a hotel, townhouses and a tennis hall of fame among other considerations. Building more residential developments would create added congestion to the area, which is already heavily populated, she said.

A longtime member of the club, who asked not be named, said that discussion and voting centers on one offer— but members won’t know who is making the offer until the informational meeting. Two-thirds of members must vote to approve any sale of the stadium. In an e-mail sent to members this week, leadership clarified rules in the bylaws that decides who can vote, based on their level of membership, according to a longtime member who asked not to be named. Under the rules, some members of the club would not be eligible to vote.

Christine Schott, who has been a club member for years, said she hopes that voting on a potential sale will be placed on hold until the fall.

“I think the membership feels that one week’s time is not enough to make an important decision,” she said. “To just tear it down would make the West Side Tennis Club into just a tennis club, instead of a world renowned tennis club.”

Hof said that before any discussion of selling the stadium takes place, an independent structural report to be completed.
According to Joseph Gulino of Structural Engineering Systems PLLC in Bayside, which isn’t involved in this project, engineers examine deficiencies such as cracks, settlement problems, corrosion, rust and other issues when assessing a stadium.

“We do a visual and look for characteristics of structural deficiency,” he said. “From there, depending on what you see, you may do a detailed model in 3D to analyze the structure. Sometimes renovating a structure that size could prove not to be worth the investment,” he said, adding that correcting structural problems could costs millions for a structure the size of the stadium.

Despite the potential cost, Hof said these issues need to be explored.“ The structural integrity of the stadium is important,” she said. “From a place in American history, it is an important place. If you could find a use to the stadium that would still bring in money and preserve it that should be an option.”

Michael Perlman, of the Rego-Forest Preservation Council, is calling for the stadium to be designated as a landmark.

“There isn’t anything else quite like it in the country,” he said. “It helped tennis to become the national sport that it is.”

Perlman added that the general public should not be “shut out” of the discussion because the stadium is part of the community, not just the club.

“People should write to the Landmark Preservation Committee so that future generations can cherish something that is truly remarkable. Queens is fortunate to have it— it’s an icon.”

In a feature piece this week, Ed McGrogan, assistant editor for TENNIS.com, suggested that the stadium be renovated if possible and re-used.

“Many fans have clamored for more tennis on turf, as the current grass-court “season” is just five weeks long for the men and four weeks for the women,” he said. “But there’s no reason it has to end after Wimbledon. Another grass showcase in the U.S. in mid-July, right after fans have gotten into grass during Wimbledon, would attract viewers both at the club and on television.”

Despite not wanting to see the stadium disappear, Hof said the club must ultimately ex- plore its options to help generate revenue. “From a business perspective you have to look at all the options. You can’t have your head in the cloud.”

Eyesore Lands Owner in Court

By Tamara Best

On 69th Avenue between Kessel and Juno streets in Forest Hills, all the homes have perfectly manicured lawns, except one. For years, neighbors have watched as the house at 93-07 has gradually fallen into disrepair.

Broken windows, tattered doors and overgrown shrubbery are just a few of the problems residents on the block cite about the home.

“There’s no question it’s a problem,” said Maria Frankel, 74, who lives next door. “The roof is ready to collapse. You can smell the odor standing by the door. It scares me to live next to a house like that, I have nightmares.” Gertrude DiCapua, 85, who has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years, said she estimates that the home has been abandoned for the last 25 years.

Now, Stanley Sun of Flushing, the owner of the home, is due in court next month after it was deemed “unsafe” by the city Department of Buildings (DOB). Sun took over ownership of the house after his mother Nancy Chao Sun died in 2007.

Jen Gilbert of the DOB said there are several criteria used to decide whether an owner can be taken to court, including whether or not the house is open, vacant or unguarded.

“Because of the Sun’s family repeated failure to take action, DOB has stepped in,” said Gilbert. “If the judge declares the building is inadequate, the city will make sure that whatever action is needed and will be repaired at the owner’s expense.”

However, Gilbert said the house doesn’t pose an imminent threat at this time. Between now and next month, the DOB plans to visit the house for a site survey with the findings discussed at the hearing. After an inspection last week, the DOB recommended that the house sealed after a rear door was found open.

A review of DOB records shows that the house has acquired 16 complaints going as far back as 1995. Complaints for the property included excessive debris, improper drainage and several for failure to maintain and for being open and unguarded. among others.

The property also received several violations from the DOB over the years including several for “failure to maintain exterior building wall.” In September 1999 and again in May of this year, the building was deemed unsafe.

DiCapua said neighbors have made petitions over the years in an attempt to see a change, with little happening.

“We’ve been at this for years trying to get someone to do something,” she said.

It now appears that residents will receive support from at least one local elected official. “That house has to be put into livable conditions, I understand that the roof is in disrepair,” said City Council Member Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills). “I’m going to make sure that it doesn’t go on for a long time. Unfortunately no one looked at it but I am going to see it through.”

Tired of seeing the house in disrepair, DiCapua decided to pitch in. For the last few years, she has collected the mail from the house, which often sits in piles on the steps.

“I usually go to tidy it up,” she said. “But right now it’s so hot I can’t. When I see it needs it, I’ll do it. I want the block to look nice.”

Frankel said aside from the hazard the home poses to her property, it is also hindering her ability to earn additional income.
“I’m trying to rent out the basement and I am having problems with possible tenants because people see it and think it’s my house and drive away.”

DiCapua said she hopes the hearing will bring some sort of permanent change.

“I came here in ‘64 and it was the best looking house on the block. Now it’s an eyesore.”

Several attempts to reach Sun were unsuccessful.

Forest Hills 10-year-old Advances to Scripps Semifinals

By Tamara Best

Arvind Mahankali may not have won the Scripps National Spelling Bee title
but the 10-year-old has received recognition that most people never see in a lifetime— a day named in his honor.

The fifth grader, who made it into the semifinals of the Bee, said he was “really
surprised” and “excited” by the honor.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – ForestHills), who welcomed Arvind and his
family home to the neighborhood on Sunday, declared June 6 “Arvind Mahankali Day” in Queens.

“Not only is he my pick to win next year’s spelling bee, but he’s an incredibly
nice kid,” said Rep. Weiner. “His family deserves a lot of credit for being
such wonderful ambassadors for Forest Hills and our City.”

The journey to become a spelling whiz began long before he could pronounce
the words he now spells so easily in competitions.

***From the living room to the stage***

At four years old Arvind used to sit in front of the family television mesmerized
by spelling bee competitions.

Arvind’s cousin, Sanjay Kottapalli, participated in the Bee in 2008 and 2009.

"When I was a little kid I watched Scripps and I got inspired. It's the
spelling olympics," he said with a smile.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee began in 1925 with nine contestants,gaining national notoriety when it began live broadcasting in 1946. This year, a record 273 students from all over the world participated after winning competitions at the classroom,grade, school and next levels determined by the local spelling bee sponsors.

Arvind was the only speller from within the New York City area to make
it to the semifinals. Studying the Merriam-Webster dictionary four hours every day, he uses a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to track words he has difficulty spelling.

"And even when I'm not studying,sometimes my parents quiz me on words I don't know."
Srinivas Mahankali, Arvind’s father,said they also occasionally hold informal
family spelling bees at home.

"I won once," the proud father said with a laugh.

The 5th grader also receives support from students and teachers at Forest Hills Montessori School, saying that his classmates quiz him during the first part of recess.

"The night before the race I usually study for an extra hour. I always get
nervous."

And after each successful round, he celebrates.

“I got new video games,” claiming that Pokémon is his favorite. “Occasionally,
I take a day off.”
A dream, turned reality

For Arvind, the best part of his participation in Scripps was not the actual competition but making new friends.

Still he said the trip was “mostly business” and before speaking a letter into the microphone he had a set routine.

“I just focus on the word and think I should ask all the questions and fit it together like a puzzle.”

He did just that and reached the semifinals by spelling manciple (officer of a monastery or college), pergelisol (permafrost), effleurage (a delicate stroking motion in a massage) and metarteriole (a short vessel that links arterioles and capillaries)correctly.

"When he got the word “metarteriole”right I was so proud, I didn't remember much after that,” his father explained.

And as for the word he missed, Arvind now spells it without hesitation.

"P-R-E-S-A. Presa," he said, which is defined as a cannon or round used in music.

During the competition, he spelled it “P-R-A-S-A” and was the last contestant eliminated before the finals, which were televised live on ABC.

Arvind’s elimination was deemed controversial by some because other contestants were
allowed to advance, despite not having to spell a third word prior to moving on as a finalist.

“I was a little disappointed but now I just think I should study a little better,” he said of being eliminated.

***Moving forward***

In addition to Rep. Weiner’s proclamation,his school also threw a surprise party to celebrate his accomplishment.

Yet, rather than bask in his achievement,Arvind said he resumes training this week.
When asked if he plans on entering next year he replied without hesitation.

"Of course. I want to win."

However, Arvind said if he wins next year, he would move onto other challenges. When
asked what those may be, he said, “Like superhero training."

As for what his superhero power would be, Arvind says, "I would control gravity."

Challenger to Hevesi Quits Assembly Race

By Conor Greene

Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi’s bid for re-election got much easier last week with the announcement that one of his Democratic challengers has abruptly ended her campaign.

Lilianna Zulunova, a 27-year-old adjunct professor at LaGuardia Community College, said in a statement that she is prematurely ending her bid to unseat Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) in the 28th Assembly district due to her May 3 marriage.

When announcing her campaign earlier this year, Zulunova touted prior experience running city Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s volunteer effort, working on former Senator John Sabini’s re-election campaigns and running Albert Cohen’s City Council bid last year. A native of Uzbekistan whose family emigrated when she was nine years old, Zulunova had made garnering support from central Queen's large Bukharian Jewish community a main focus of her campaign.

“As some of you know, on May 3 I got married to Rabbi Emanuel Yelizarov. This is an exciting time for my family and me,” said Zulunova in a statement released last Thursday. “It’s with this in mind that I have decided to put my family first and end my campaign. My obligations as a wife, and eventually as a mother, give me certainty that this is the right decision for me at this time.

When she announced her intentions to run for the Assembly earlier this year, Zulunova was critical of Hevesi due to his family’s political connections. “My opponent has had everything handed to him on a silver platter,” she wrote in a February e-mail to supporters. “He’s never had to work for anything in his life. Well, he’s going to have to work this summer.”

She added, “While my opponent has rubbed elbows with Albany elites and padded his campaign coffers with pension fund monies, I helped seniors get tax exemptions. I helped families stay in their homes and helped immigrants get the services they need to succeed as Americans.”

Zulunova vowed to stay involved in local issues moving forward, despite abandoning her campaign. “I still have a passion for public service. I still yearn to serve my neighbors and my community. And I will devote my time to giving back to Queens and the neighborhoods that have given me so much,” she said.

Hevesi was first elected through a special election in 2005 after former Assemblyman Michael Cohen resigned from office. Since then, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has launched an investigation into corruption involving the state pension fund during the time Andrew's father, Alan Hevesi, was state Comptroller. Former Liberal Party chairman Raymond Harding has admitted to ensuring that the Assembly seat became vacant in exchange for $800,000 in illegal payments.

Andrew Hevesi, who Cuomo has said was unaware of the political maneuvering that took place on his behalf, will still have at least one Democratic challenger to contend with. Joe Fox, an attorney who has lived in Forest Hills for 30 years, announced his intention to run last month.

Crime News: Drug Raid and Subway Robbery

Austin Street Home Raided in Drug Investigation

Four individuals were arrested after police executed a search warrant at an Austin Street home, according to police.

Following an investigation by the 104th Precinct’s Street Narcotics Enforcement Team, an apartment at 75-02 Austin Street in Forest Hills was raided at about 6 a.m. last Saturday. While the home is within the confines of the 112th Precinct, the investigation and arrests were conducted by the 104th Precinct.

Inside the home, officers found a “substantial amount” of drugs including marijuana, heroin and an assortment of prescription pills. In addition, an undisclosed amount of cash and drug paraphernalia was also recovered at the scene.

Arrested were: David Evan, who police say lived in the apartment, and Alexis Afflick of Manhattan, Robert Kane of East Brunswick, N.J., and Michael Caccavale of Baldwin. All were charged with felony possession of controlled substances, according to police.

Man Robbed Outside Subway Station

A man was robbed by armed gunmen while entering a Ridgewood subway station last week, police reported.

The victim was about to enter the subway station at Halsey Street and Wyckoff Avenue at about 10:30 a.m. on April 22 when he was approached by two black males, according to the 104th Precinct. One of the perps flashed a gun at the victim and forcibly removed his phone and money before fleeing the scene.

A search of the area was conducted by officers from the precinct and transit division, but the suspects were not located. The investigation is continuing.

Rego Center Opening Causes Traffic Woes

By Conor Greene

The new Rego Center has only been open several weeks, but complaints have been pouring in from residents about constant traffic jams on the roads surrounding the huge retail space.

Local elected officials, community leaders and the city Department of Transportation are now looking into ways to alleviate the strain placed on area roads, including the Long Island Expressway, Queens Boulevard, Junction Boulevard and 62nd Drive. While some of the complaints focused on the center’s opening weekend, Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio said the gripes have continued since then.

And, while Kohl’s, T.J. Maxx and Century 21 are already opened, there is concern the problems will only worsen when bulk discounter Costco opens in the coming weeks. “The traffic during opening weekend was really horrendous, but we’re still getting complaints from people, mostly on 97th Street,” said Gulluscio. “Their concern is traffic, no doubt about it - getting ambulances in and out of the area, the public school down the block and pedestrian safety for residents and those going to the mall.”

Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said that Queens DOT Commissioner Maura McCarthy agreed to review the situation now that the mall is open. “They’ve been working with us on this and I don’t think is a final deal,” he said, adding that he is hopeful traffic will be alleviated once the mall’s second entrance, located off the Horace Harding Expressway, is opened. “They [mall management] have been very responsive to us, and it’s a good thing to have the mall over there, we just have to iron out the kinks.”

The property is adjacent to the district represented by Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), who vowed to work with Dromm, CB 6 and the DOT “to make sure that we meet an appropriate balance between protecting the needs of the residents in the area with the economic benefits that the new mall brings.” She urged residents to contact her office with suggestions about improving the situation.

In a statement, a DOT spokesman said department officials met at the site prior to the mall opening and will be back there next week to review issues raised since the opening. Traffic patterns outside the mall are being monitored and requests submitted by community leaders and residents are being studied. The specific proposals include changing 62nd Drive to a one-way street, changing the timing of traffic lights on Junction Boulevard and 62nd Drive and reviewing the situation along 97th Street.

The DOT spokesman noted that many of the issues occurred on the mall’s opening weekend and said the department expects traffic will ease once customers and residents get used to the new layout.

Middle Village resident Lorraine Sciulli said she was disappointed how difficult it was to navigate the local streets around the shopping center on a midday trip there on a recent weekday. “It’s a horror. It was very hard to park as you would imagine. Totally tied up,” she said. “If more stores are coming in, they definitely have to make adjustments with the traffic. I don’t know what, but something has to happen.”

Despite the planned improvements, there is a feeling that more should have been done ahead of time to reduce the project’s impact on the neighborhood. “I expressed some of these reservations in advance when I was running for office, but now it’s there,” said Dromm. “I would have liked to see a ramp going to the expressway, and there were some other things that probably needed to be negotiated before the mall was given the okay.”

Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, said the project has also led to constant backups along the LIE. He agrees that steps such have been taken prior to the center’s opening, such as creation of an additional lane on the exit ramp, to prevent these problems.

“It was insufficient five years ago and it’s only worse now because of the new mall and expansion of the Queens Center Mall,” said Holden. “They’re going to have to have an emergency DOT meeting to address all these concerns because when you can’t get around, people start moving away.”

Still, Gulluscio maintained that the project is beneficial to the community. “It’s become a destination, with everything located right here as far as retail stores,” he said. “You don’t have to go to Long Island anymore, and the economic base stays in Queens, especially the hundreds of jobs created. People aren’t happy initially, but it’s there so we just have to make it work moving forward.”

Austin Street Businesses Report Mixed Outlook

Parking, Rents, Ticket Agents Remain Top Concerns

By Conor Greene

Small business owners along Austin Street have differing opinions about the state of the nation’s economic recovery. However, one thing is clear – local issues such as parking and rents continue to play a huge role in the success or failure of the neighborhood’s mom and pop stores.

During an informal tour of stores on Monday led by Rep. Anthony Weiner, merchants provided mixed reactions to the current economic climate along one of the borough’s most popular shopping strips. While some, such as Marie Sinanian of jewelry store Stoa, say business is as bad as it has ever been, others, such as Marc Pine of Instant Replay secondhand store, say the economy has actually helped his business.

However, most agree that while the jobs bill currently being debated in Washington would help small businesses, it is often local issues such as parking, foot traffic and rent prices that make or break local mom and pop style stores.

Sinanian, who has owned Stoa for 43 years in the area, including the past 15 on Austin Street, said business has been “awful, just awful,” adding that it is worse than last year. “Is there any way you people can tell some property owners to do something with lowering the rents?” she wondered, hitting on a common theme heard along the strip.

Sinanian also said that overzealous traffic agents cause some customers to vow to never return to Austin Street after receiving parking tickets. In one case, a woman bought a $65 item, only to find a $35 ticket on her windshield.

“There really is a sense among most shop owners along Austin Street that their only connection to city government is the traffic police,” said Weiner, comparing the unit to a SWAT team.

A few doors down, the owner of Dmitry Italian Silk Ties said he was recently forced to close his Manhattan location as a result of the economy, but chose to keep his Austin Street location open. “Obviously, there has been a little bit of a slowdown, [so] we’re trying to adjust,” he said.

While online sales have helped fill the gap, Dmitry said that the $1,000 tax credit that the $15 billion jobs bill would provide wouldn’t be enough to allow him to hire another employee. In addition, he said a row of empty storefronts that have been vacant due to a high asking price have reduced the amount of foot traffic that eaches his business.

The economy has had the opposite impact on Instant Replay, where owner Marc Pine says people have turned to second hand items to save money. In addition, many people are selling antiques and other valuables they normally would hold onto. While foot traffic has stayed pretty consistent, some new businesses seemed to be doomed by high rent prices, added Pine.

New York Diamond Boutique opened its doors just two years ago, prompting manager Michael Jaye to joke, “we like challenges, that’s for sure.” Still, by making customer service and quality merchandise top priorities, the store “is holding its own” and is even looking for a new employee, said Jaye. “Ever since Christmas, we’ve seen a greater influx of people coming through the door and being serious about shopping.”

Still, Jaye echoed other complaints about parking, and suggested that Austin Street become a one-way stretch to accommodate diagonal parking. Weiner said that would be tough to do because of the lack of parallel roads to accommodate the diverted traffic.

During the tour, Weiner spoke about the jobs bill, which the Senate has yet to pass. “I don’t think you are going to have a moment when the skies part” and the economy is fixed, he said. Instead, “little by little, bit by bit, people being more confident about the future of the economy” will lead to jobs creation. “What’s going to drive hiring is business coming back, but if they’re right on the bubble it gives them a push,” he said of the $1,000 tax credit the proposed bill would provide businesses for hiring.

On the topic of sky-high rents, Weiner said that ideally, “the wisdom of the marketplace” would solve these problems without government intervention. Still, “it’s very frustrating as a resident” to have storefronts sit vacant for months while the landlord holds out. “The further away the landlord [lives], the more difficult it seems to be to persuade him to take a deal that might not be perfect. Holding out for the perfect deal means creating a very bad economic environment for our stores.”

Fire Companies Again on Chopping Block

Mayor Seeks to Close $4.9 Billion Gap in Preliminary Budget

By Conor Greene

With a sense of déjà vu, local elected officials are ready to fight back against Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to eliminate at least 20 fire companies in an effort to close the $4.9 billion gap in the city’s $63.6 billion budget.

The fight is a familiar one for City Council members – last year’s budget also included the elimination of 16 fire companies, including Engine 271 on Himrod Street. Those closures were eventually avoided when Council members used discretionary funding to restore the FDNY budget. However, that was a one-time solution that is unlikely to be repeated year after year, especially with the number of closings increased by four.

Last Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled his preliminary budget for 2011, which includes reductions to almost every city agency. However, as bad as it is, he warned that deeper cuts would be needed if Governor David Paterson’s proposed budget is adopted. That would result in an additional $1.3 billion gap, forcing the firing thousands of city employees, including 8,500 teachers and 3,150 police.

“New Yorkers continue to feel the harsh impact of the deepest national recession in more than 60 years, and as many businesses and families continue cutting back on their budgets, so too must city government,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Because of the early steps we took to diversify our economy and keep our fiscal house in order, we’ve avoided the very worst-case scenario, but we still face a very large deficit that will require very difficult decisions.”

However, as bad as the economic situation is, and as difficult as the decisions are, local Council members all say that cuts to emergency services shouldn’t even be considered.

Immediately after the preliminary budget was released, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who is chair of the fire and criminal justice committee, released a statement vowing to fight against the closings of any fire companies. “It is alarming that so many fire company closures are even being proposed in the mayor’s preliminary budget,” said Crowley. “We have a responsibility to our taxpaying New Yorkers that when it comes to safety, we deliver.”

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) said haven’t been announced, “we do know that every year when we go through the budget dance there is always one on the chopping block that would affect our community.”

He agreed that funding for emergency services “should be baseline in the budget and not up for negotiations… That should be standard, and if we have to make cuts outside that to balance the budget, so be it, but you can’t balance the budget by putting lives at risk, and that’s what the city engages in every year around this time… There are going to be cuts that will be painful, but we have to minimize the negative impact it is going to have on people, and in my opinion, closing firehouses and laying off cops is just unconscionable.”

Crowley stressed that any closings will have a ripple effect across the city. “When you start closing one company here and one there, you’re spreading the whole service thinner,” she said. “I believe we have to maintain a level of protection that is critical for all New Yorkers, and when you start closing companies, it impacts the safety of the whole city.”

Last year, the Council was able to avoid the closures by reallocating $17 million in discretionary funding to the FDNY budget. This year’s preliminary mayoral budget cuts about $22 million needed to keep the companies open, which Crowley called a “drop in the bucket” considering the city’s budget is more than $60 billion. “It is tough budget times, but I firmly believe the budget for 2011 is not nearly as bad as it was anticipated to be,” she said. “The economy is showing signs of improvement and anticipated tax revenue is higher than anticipated.” As a result, she hopes that non-essential spending will be able to be cut from the FDNY budget over the next few months.

Newly-appointed FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said recently that closing even a few companies will require an overhaul of the city’s network of engine and ladder companies. “If we have to close 20 companies, which is a six percent reduction in the number of companies we have, it is going to tax us,” he told the New York Times. “It is certainly the most challenging thing we have faced in decades.”

Several other Council members joined the chorus demanding that the fire companies are removed from the potential chopping block. “This is a very serious problem. Public safety is something we can’t cut corners on,” said Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills). “Fire companies are something we should not close, or even think about closing. It is not an option as far as I’m concerned.”

In a statement, Councilwoman Diana Reyna (D-Ridgewood) said: “In these tough economic times we must use our discretion and act strategically, going line-by-line to protect the funding that allows the brave men and women of the FDNY to continue to serve our residents with the quality and excellence they have come to expect.”

Koslowitz Begins Second Stint on City Council

By Conor Greene

A month into her second tenure serving Forest Hills, Rego Park and parts of Richmond Hill and Elmhurst on the City Council, Karen Koslowitz says she has hit the ground running and is looking forward to tacking key issues that affect her district.

Koslowitz succeeds Melinda Katz in serving the 29th Council District, after defeating a crowded field in the September primaries and cruising to victory in the November general election. This marks the second stint on the City Council for Koslowitz, who previously represented the area before term limits forced her from office. In between, she served as Deputy Borough President under Helen Marshall.

“Things are going very well – the office is up-and-coming, and we’re settling in,” Koslowitz told The Forum this week. She says she has put together an experienced staff comprised of “people who are familiar with the community.” Aside from her full-time office staff, Koslowitz arranged for a lawyer to come to the office on certain nights to answer questions constituents have about tenant-landlord issues, she noted.

Koslowitz was recently named chair of the consumer affairs committee and will also serve on the Council’s education, aging and finance committees, among others. She says these committees will allow her to work on “issues that absolutely affect my community.” For example, she plans on establishing a parent advisory council consisting of the PTA presidents from schools throughout the district. “That way I can hear their concerns and bring their concerns back to City Hall,” she said. “The legislators are kept out of the loop, so I wanted to create my own panel where you actually hear the concerns of the constituents.”

Issues impacting senior citizens are also a priority for Koslowitz, who served on the aging and education committees during her first Council stint. “We have an aging populationin my community from Elmhurst all the way to East Richmond Hill,” she said. “Changes in what is going on with the meals on wheels program, the access-a-ride, what they’re planning on doing is absurd as far as I’m concerned.”

Another ongoing concern is the state of the area’s main shopping districts including Austin Street, Queens Boulevard and Metropolitan Avenue. “I think they’re hurting from the economy just like everybody else,” said Koslowitz, adding that the constant ticket blitzing by traffic agents needs to be addressed. “There are often two or three meter maids on a block. We all have to work together, every department. If a customer gets a ticket, they’re not coming back and will go somewhere else to shop.”

While there are limited options in terms of constructing a municipal parking garage along Austin Street, Koslowitz plans to revisit an idea she came up with a decade ago – allowing shoppers to park in the lot behind Borough Hall on Queens Boulevard and offering shuttle bus service to Austin Street. “Especially on weekends, if someone is eating, watching a movie or shopping and spends a few hours [on Austin Street] that would be an ideal parking place,” she said. “However, at the time [she first proposed it] the city said it was going out of the municipal parking business.”

Another major concern for Koslowitz is the state of healthcare in Queens, where three hospitals containing more than 600 beds have closed in the past two years. “It’s a big problem… with a population of 2.3 million, to lose that many beds, when we could have used more to begin with,” she said. “I’m looking into seeing if we can get smaller [facilities].”

She plans on discussing the future of the former Parkway Hospital property with its owner to see if part of that building could be used for medical purposes. “The facility needs to be used for something. There are two things the area needs that we don’t have: hospital beds and senior housing,” said Koslowitz. “Throughout the district, that needs to be revisited and I intend to do that.”

Koslowitz’s office is located at 118-35 Queens Boulevard, 17th Floor and can be reached at (718) 544-8800.

Seller Beware: Wide Range in Prices Offered for Gold

Sellers Must Shop Around Before Parting with Jewelry

By Conor Greene

With the economy down and the price of gold up, many residents are turning to their old and broken jewelry for a source of some quick cash. However, if you’re not careful and don’t take certain steps, there is a good chance of being ripped off in the process.

In light of this trend, a local elected official is warning would-be gold sellers about one particular scam, in which a company called Cash4Gold often pays between just 11 percent and 29 percent of the current market price for gold. Local pawn shops are only marginally better, generally offering between 35 percent and 70 percent of the value.

On a recent afternoon, The Forum took a first hand look at the market residents face in order to get a better idea of how close local pawnshops and jewelry stores come to offering full market value for an assortment of old gold bracelets and pendants. To do this, a reporter took the items to Marlowe Jewelers in Howard Beach, where owner Dennis Croce determined that the jewelry was worth about $1,995.

While the reporter knew exactly how much the items were worth, he set out to six local buyers, playing dumb in order to see what kind of offers would be made. First up was Gold Rush, located at 105-14 Crossbay Boulevard in Ozone Park, just south of Liberty Avenue. After checking each piece of gold, the clerk offered just $1,125 for the jewelry. Likely based upon the expression on the reporter’s face, he quickly said he could make a much better price and punched some numbers into the calculator before offering $1,350.

Next up was Village Cash for Gold at 80-10 Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven. The clerk immediately boasted that he doesn’t “play around” and makes fair offers. He came pretty close to the gold’s actual value, offering $1,700. However, the clerk looked like he expected a deal to be made, and it took a minor amount of insisting that the offer needed to be mulled over before the clerk handed the gold back to the reporter.

A few blocks down at Metropolitan Pawnbrokers, 92-16A Jamaica Avenue, the reporter encountered what would ultimately turn out to be the fairest offer of the day. The clerk, who was one of just two who asked where the male reporter had gotten the women’s jewelry, urged him to shop around and then come back with the highest offer, and said the gold was worth at least $1,900. He also advised not to tell other buyers what offers had been made prior in order to get the best price possible.

The fourth store visited was The Gold Standard on Austin Street in Forest Hills, where the clerk first offered $1,500 before upping the price to $1,650 – at least in the ballpark of the gold’s value. However, the reporter noticed that the scale there only read 85.5 pennyweight, while the jewelry actually weighted 86.7 pennyweight.

From there, The Forum headed to Ridgewood, stopping first at Gemelli Jeweler’s Fresh Pond Road store. Despite being a jewelry store that carries many expensive items, the girl behind the counter there offered just $1,385 before saying she could pay $1,400 at most. The last stop was Liberty Pawn Brokers on Weirfield Street, which offered $1,400.

The Forum’s look at the local gold buying industry comes after Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) released a study showing that Cash4Gold, which advertises on late-night television, is preying on cash-strapped New Yorkers through deceptive marketing, low payment policies and misleading return policies. Residents mail the gold in an envelope, and the company assesses it and sends a check in return.

According to Weiner’s study, Cash4Gold intentionally low-balls offers to customers and then, if a customer complains, increases the offer. Customer service agents are reported to receive a commission for keeping the payout low, the congressman added. As a result, Weiner has asked the Federal Trade commission to investigate the misleading practices and plans to introduce the GOLD Act, which would seek protect consumers.

“It’s time for the government to take a stand against predatory companies like Cash4Gold,” said Weiner. “There’s no reason to allow Cash4Gold to continue their policy of kicking struggling consumers while they are already down… Cash4Gold is using these tough times as a golden opportunity to fleece customers. These deceptive practices must end.”

On the local level, there are simple steps sellers should take to ensure they receive a fair deal, according to Marlowe Jeweler’s Croce, who says his store has seen more people getting rid of old jewelry in recent years. “It seems to me like every time there is a spike in gold on the up side, you get a rush of people,” he said. “I guess people are definitely following that trend, we get a lot more people paying attention to the price than a few years ago.”

He says the typical sellers are either older folks who need the money to squeeze by in these tough times, or younger people who don’t necessarily need the money but just want to get rid of old jewelry while the price of gold is still high. “Some older people tell me they can use the money to pay bills,” said Croce. “The older people are more sentimental, but have to pay the bills, while the younger generation, once they’re tired of it they don’t care [about holding onto old jewelry].”

Croce’s advice is to simply shop around and only go to reputable stores that are licensed. While there is no law regulating how much a store has to offer, there are other regulations that licensed brokers must follow. “If you don’t feel comfortable with the place, don’t use them,” he added.

Other tips include getting an offer without revealing the amount other stores suggested, and to try to sell plain gold that doesn’t include stones in order to get a clearer idea of what the jewelry is worth. “Shopping is the most important thing. If they shop around, they are usually going to come back to me, since I give them a fair number,” said Croce.

Board Pushes for Changes to City's Plan for Opening of Metro Ave HS Campus

Community Board 5 has overwhelmingly voted in favor of three resolutions to be submitted to the city Department of Education seeking changes to the current plan for the opening of the new Metropolitan Avenue High School in Forest Hills.

At its meeting last Wednesday, the full board voted in favor of the three resolutions that are seeking: a greater share of the high school seats for students in District 24 (the facility will be shared with District 28); a second tier be created so that PS 91 students have the option of enrolling there if the district’s allotment isn’t filled by students from PS/IS 87 and PS/IS 113, which have first chance at the seats; and that the school be opened up to both 9th and 10th graders in its first year, instead of just freshman as currently planned.

The Metropolitan Avenue Campus, slated to open this fall, includes a 1,000 seat high school that will be split between District 24 and District 28. It also includes a second building serving students in sixth through 12th grades that is dedicated solely for District 28. Currently, District 24 students will occupy half of the 1,000-seat high school, or just 500 or the 1,400 total high school seats within the two schools. Instead, CB 5 is requesting that 700 seats be set aside for District 24 so it gets its fair share of class space.

The second resolution was the result of concerns that if 125 seats in each grade level were not filled by PS/IS 87 and 113 students, they would then be opened up to students throughout the entire district and borough. The board is seeking insurance that the seats will remain open to Glendale students who attend PS 91 until 6th grade and IS 119 through 8th grade graduation.

The third resolution is being pushed by the board due to the current classroom overcrowding crisis the borough is facing, especially at the high school level. The DOE argues that opening the school up one grade at a time – meaning it will only be filled to 25 percent capacity this fall – is the best way to set the school up for success. However, board members agreed that argument is trumped by the dire need to immediately provide more seats for students throughout Queens.

The only board member voting against the three resolutions was Chairman Vincent Arcuri, who had pushed for the three requests to be contained within a single resolution. The DOE did not respond last week to a request for comment on the board’s requests.

Officials Want More Metro Ave HS Seats for Glendale Students

By Conor Greene

As the Metropolitan Avenue school complex gets closer to its anticipated opening this fall, the battle over who gets to occupy the building is continuing with officials pushing for more seats for students in the Glendale area.

On Monday, members of Community Board 5’s Education Committee agreed to present three resolutions to the full board regarding the new complex, with features a 1,000 seat high school to be shared between District 24 and District 28, along with a 1,000seat 6-12 school dedicated solely for District 28.

The three resolutions call for 200 additional seats in the high school for students in District 24 so the two districts would more evenly split the total number of new high school seats. It also asks that a “second tier” be created so that priority shifts to students in PS 91’s zone if the 125 seats in each grade level currently assigned to District 24 aren’t filled from students in the PS/IS 87 and PS/IS 113 areas. The third resolution asks that the high school be opened to both ninth and tenth graders in its first year, instead of just freshmen as proposed.

The resolutions were expected to be voted on by the full CB 5 membership at its monthly meeting this past Wednesday. Check next week’s Forum West for an update on the vote.

In December, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) wrote to Schools Chancellor Joel Klein asking that a secondary zone be created limited to District 24 students to ensure the area doesn’t lose part of its 125 seat allocation. “The people of Glendale and Middle Village are in dire need of high school options and those families just outside the local zone should be given preference… before the school opens up to the rest of Queens,” she wrote.

Two weeks later, Crowley wrote to Klein to request that “immediate action” is taken to alleviate “dire overcrowding” in District 24. She proposed that the new Maspeth High School, which won’t be ready until 2012, be opened up in the available space at the Metropolitan Avenue complex, since that facility won’t be filled to capacity for several years. Once the Maspeth High School is complete, the students, teachers and administrators would simply move to the new building.

“As I understand, the [DOE] plans to incrementally ‘grow’ the two new schools located on the Metropolitan Avenue Complex,” wrote Crowley. “During the first years these schools are open the building will be at approximately 25% capacity. I believe we can take immediate action to alleviate the overcrowding of Queens high schools without sacrificing the level of education… If we act now to put together a school leadership team and have the administration for the Maspeth High School to start teaching children as early as the fall of this year.”

The issue of only opening the next high school up to one grade at a time has been met with criticism from some officials and parents due to the current situation. “The DOE’s argument that new schools do better when grades are phased in does merit consideration, but our Queens high schools are massively overcrowded, so delaying utilization of 1,000 new high school seats for many years can’t be in the best interested of our Queens high school students,” Dmytro Fedkowskyj, who is a CB 5member and the Borough President’s appointee to the Panel for Educational Policy, told The Forum.

The DOE said last month that parents and officials had several weeks to comment on the proposed zoning boundaries. The department didn’t immediately return a message for comment on the zoning proposal or the plan to open the school only to 9th grade, and Crowley’s office didn’t receive a formal response to either December letter.

The overcrowding situation in Queens has forced a number of high schools to operate on split sessions. According to Fedkowskyj, Francis Lewis is at 175% capacity on five sessions, Forest Hills High School is at 160% capacity on three sessions, Cardozzo is at 150% capacity on three sessions, and both Grover Cleveland and Newtown are at about 120% capacity while operating on multiple sessions.

At Monday’s meeting, attendees including D24 President Nick Comaianni suggested the three requests be submitted to the DOE as separate resolutions to prevent them all from being rejected at once. “Taking seats away from Forest Hills to give to us is not happening,” he said. “The reality is, Forest Hills will fight tooth and nail for those seats.”

Major Shopping Center Nearing Completion

Costco Slated to Replace Home Depot

By Conor Greene

The huge shopping center under construction at Junction Boulevard in Rego Park is nearing completion, but the roster of tenants to occupy the mall remains up in the air, with Costco expected to replace a Home Depot initially planed for the site.

Despite appearing at a recent Community Board 6 meeting to update officials and residents about the project, an official from developer Vornado this week declined to discuss it, citing company policy of not commenting to the media. However, work at the 6.6-acre property, which is also bounded by the Horace Harding Expressway, 62nd Drive and 97th Street, is entering the final stages in advance of an opening this spring.

The 600,000-square-foot shopping center, developed and managed by Vornado and owned by Alexander’s Inc., is adjacent to the Rego Park Mall, which features an Old Navy, Sears and Bed Bath & Beyond. The new four-level center is slated include a 138,000-square-foot Costco, a 134,000-square-foot Century 21 and a 132,000-square-foot Kohl’s. The Costco was included after Home Depot withdrew from the project, and T.J Maxx is also in the process of signing a lease with Vornado for space at the center.

Frank Gulluscio, district manager of Community Board 6, said he plans to meet with city Department of Transportation officials to ensure the shopping center doesn’t cripple the neighborhood. “I am going to meet with DOT to make sure that the plans that were initiated come to fruition,” said Gulluscio. “The impact of that mall is going to be huge, which everyone knew… We’re going to be inundated with traffic, everybody knows that, but this has all been worked out, so we want to make sure everything is in place.”

One big change from the initial proposal is the elimination of two residential towers that were planned when ground was broken at the site in 2006. Vornado has constructed the building so one of the towers can eventually be built when the market rebounds, according to Gulluscio. “It’s definitely on hold, but the footprint is there so they can build them,” he said. “They built what’s there now with the full intentions of having the towers, so all that stuff is ready to go if they decide they can do that.”

The original plans also included space for a Wal-Mart, but that plan was met with opposition from the City Council after word of that agreement began circulating in 2004.

Gulluscio welcomed the switch from Home Depot to Costco, which he says will be useful to a wide range of residents. “There is such a need for a Costco type store in that part of Queens, so this board feels that is a positive thing,” he said. “If you think about that side of Queens Boulevard, there are some small supermarkets, but nothing that can compare to a Costco.”

He noted that residents at recent CB 6 meetings are eagerly anticipating the additional shopping options close to home, which Gulluscio noted should be an “economic boom” for Queens, as many residents currently head to Long Island. “People want it open now, they’ve dealt with the construction, so there is a sense of ‘Ok, let’s get it open now,’” he said. “The fact that we could stop people from going to Nassau County and keep the tax base here, is the beauty of this whole thing.”

While the property is in the City Council district to be represented by Daniel Dromm beginning in January, much of the impact will likely occur in the Rego Park and Forest Hills area that Karen Koslowitz is preparing to represent. Her spokesman, Greg Lavine, said that Koslowitz "plans on working closely" with the community board and Dromm "to ensure that the transportation situation makes sense for the residents of the area."

A traffic study was previously completed, but Koslowitz still wants to follow up with the DOT and community board "to make sure that all issues are looked at, and that any changes that are needed to be made are accomplished in time for the mall opening," said Lavine.

"The opening of this mall really presents a great option for Queens and all of New York City, and we hope this will keep residents shopping in Queens and provides a service that hasn't been here," the spokesman added.

The large anchor stores will occupy space in the mall’s cellar and upper levels, leaving space on street-level for smaller stores and restaurants. Subway sandwich restaurant has signed a lease for one of the storefronts. Since it only recently signed on, Costco isn’t expected to open until the summer.

The center also contains a parking garage with approximately 1,400 spaces and a 2,500-square-foot community center. In all, the project is expected to cost more than $400million. Questions also remain over the construction of a new entrance at the 63rd Street G/R/V subway station, with Vornado currently planning to pay the MTA to complete that project.

City Unveils Zoning Limits for Metro Ave HS

Frustration Over DOE Process for Opening New Buildings

By Conor Greene

With overcrowding within borough schools a chronic problem, many parents are thrilled that the long-awaited Metropolitan Avenue high school complex will finally open this September. However, many are shocked at the city’s decision to only open the school up to one grade at a time, meaning it won’t be filled to capacity for four more years.

The city Department of Education unveiled its proposed zoning map for the new 1,000 seat high school set to open on Metropolitan Avenue near Woodhaven Boulevard in time for the start of the next school year. Aside from expected disappointment and complaints from parents whose block wasn’t included in the zoning, many in attendance at PS 113 on Monday were surprised that the school will initially only be occupied by freshmen.

The complex, which as been in the works for nearly two decades, includes the 1,000-seat high school, for which priority is being given to District 24 and District 28 students who live within the proposed zoning boundaries. It also contains a 6-12 school which has been set aside for students in District 28 and wasn’t part of Monday’s zoning discussion.

Gaby Fighetti, senior director of enrollment at the city DOE, said the main goal is to “set up this high school to be a success.” The goal was to create a zone that will eventually include about 250 students from each grade level, with half the seats set aside for District 24 students and half for District 28 students.

For the first year only, students living in an area previously zoned for another local high school such as Forest Hills or Hillcrest, but now included in the Metropolitan Avenue zone, will be allowed to choose which facility they attend. In future years, they will only be zoned for the new school.

Priority will first be given to students living in the zoned area, and then to the rest of Queens before admission is opened up to residents citywide. The proposed zone was created using mapping software that contains addresses of enrolled students, explained Fighetti. “It’s all about density. You go out as far as you can go until you have too many families zoned,” she said.

During Monday’s meeting, some residents requested changes to the proposed zoning, such as extending it further north so students don’t have to cross Queens Boulevard. Another asked if Cord Meyer residents currently zoned for Hillcrest would be allowed to utilize seats at Forest Hills High School that will open up as students enroll in the new Metropolitan Avenue complex.

Fighetti said that since FHHS is already overcrowded, the department will not be redrawing zoning lines for that facility. “No matter where you draw the zoning lines, there is a family across the street that isn’t included,” she said, adding that while the DOE is willing to listen to arguments regarding the zoning, the rationale behind a change can’t simply be that a particular block or household isn’t included.

However, a major point of contention was the DOE’s decision to open the new school up to one grade level at a time, meaning it won’t be filled to capacity for four years – even though nearby high schools are filled beyond capacity. In explaining the decision, Fighetti repeated the mantra of “setting the school up to succeed.”

A DOE spokesman later told The Forum that the department is “phasing in the school one grade at a time rather than opening all grades at once because research, as well as our experience, shows that new schools do better when they phase in gradually. While we understand that high school overcrowding is a serious concern in Queens, our first responsibility is ensuring that we’re setting up our schools for success. The Metropolitan Avenue complex will help alleviate overcrowding in nearby high schools starting when it opens in 9th grade next year, and as it adds new grades in subsequent years.”

Still, many didn’t buy that rationale at Monday’s meeting. “We can’t have schools operating on five sessions,” said Dmytro Fedkowskyj, the borough president’s appointee to the Panel for Educational Policy. “We’re building state of the art buildings and we’re not even utilizing them… I think this is a mistake. Go back to the drawing board and utilize more of this school now,” he said to loud applause.

Another resident suggested that the school be opened up to freshmen, sophomores and juniors initially, since most students wouldn’t want to transfer to a new school for their senior year anyway. Fighetti later denied a resident’s theory that the decision is drive by budget constraints. “It is not an economic decision, it’s an instructional one,” she reiterated.

While the proposed zoning map is close to a final product, the DOE will continue to accept community feedback over the next two weeks, according to a spokesman. Residents can e-mail suggestions and comments to portfolio@schools.nyc.gov before the proposal is submitted to Schools Chancellor Joel Klein for approval.

Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) told the audience that the zoning map presented that night was different from a proposal officials reviewed several weeks ago, which didn’t include Forest Hills Gardens. He also questioned the decision regarding the facility’s opening. “The bottom line was to reduce overcrowding [so] is there a rationale to open just one grade?” he questioned.

Dermot Smyth, the area’s United Federation of Teachers representative, suggested that parents fill Klein’s e-mail inbox to voice their unhappiness with the decision to only open the school to freshmen next year. “Let him know you don’t want it to open up with three-quarters of the seats empty,” he said. “Be a little loud and he will pay attention.”

School Construction Projects Moving Forward in Forest Hills

SCA Announces PS 196 Expansion; Metro Ave Campus on Time

By Conor Greene

The city Department of Education and School Construction Authority is making progress in its effort to provide additional seats for students in Central Queens, with several projects in Forest Hills moving forward as planned.

The SCA recently announced that the capacity of PS 196 on 113th Street will receive more than 400 new seats through an expansion and renovation effort that began recently. At the same time, work on the Metropolitan Avenue complex – which will be home to two separate schools – is progressing on budget and should be completed by September 2010, as scheduled.

Construction has begun on a three-story addition to the existing PS 196 building that will provide 408 new seats when completed in September 2011. In all, the expansion will include 644 seats, as some temporary classrooms now housed in trailers will be replaced with the new permanent building.

The expansion will result in 17 new standard classrooms serving students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The fully air conditioned building will also include a student cafeteria with a full kitchen, a special education classroom, a music room, art room, science lab with prep room, medical and administrative offices and other support spaces.

Once the expansion is completed, renovations of the existing two-story building will begin and should be finished by February 2012, according to the SCA. That will include a newly expanded library, a new elevator and various building system upgrades. At that point, the school will have capacity for 1,260 students.

In all, the PS 196 project is expected to cost $29.8 million, according to the SCA.



Meanwhile, work is progressing at the Metropolitan Avenue site, which is at the intersection of 65th Avenue and will be home to two new schools. One will serve 700 intermediate and high school students, while the other will be a 1,000 seat high school. Construction on the $158 million project began in 2007, although the project itself dates back nearly a full decade.

Each school will have its own administrative area, instructional spaces, library, cafeteria, gym, exercise room and meeting rooms. The schools will share an auditorium, base building services and outdoor recreational areas, and the high school will feature a competition gymnasium.

The campus will include space for about 200 District 75 special education students. In addition, about 500 seats have been set aside for students in nearby District 24, which is the city’s most overcrowded education district.

There currently are about 200 construction workers on site daily, with work about two-thirds completed, according to the SCA. While it remains on schedule for its September 2010 opening, there are still some outstanding issues regarding traffic in the area.

Honoring Richard Allen Pearlman: Remembering a 9/11 Hero

By Patricia Adams

September 11, 2001 is a day people recall vividly—without having to close their eyes. Most remember exactly what they were doing when they learned that Americans were under terrorist siege. And most can remember the sensation of paralysis that came over them when they felt the presence of terror in their midst.

But there were those people who had a unique reaction to the horror of 9/11. Upon learning of the events they rushed to the site of the attacks. They abandoned all sense of selfish reasoning and with no regard for obvious danger, they moved forward to help others whose might still be alive.

Richard Allen Pearlman was the youngest victim of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The Howard Beach resident was working for a law firm as a messenger and was delivering a package to One Police Plaza when he learned what was happening not far away. Pearlman immediately headed for the World Trade Center.

Upon arriving, the 18-year-old rushed into a building to aid in the rescue effort. Despite the chaos at the scene, Richard’s heroics were later confirmed by a Newsweek photo that shows him helping a woman covered in blood, but alive, from one of the towers. After getting her to safety, he ran back in to find more survivors. Shortly after, the towers came down. Richard Pearlman was on the missing list.

Last Friday night, eight years later, the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps held a ceremony, unveiling a wall created in honor of Richard Pearlman’s dedication to the department, his heroics on 9-11 and his achievement as a member of the corps.

Following a tearful invocation by corps member Michael Rizzo, Alan Wolfe, president of the Corps, was among the first to remember Pearlman at the ceremony. He described Richard as energetic - always excited to do his job. “One year ago today, I promised that we would create a wall in his honor,” said Wolfe. “Sometimes in the face of horrible tragedy, ordinary people do extraordinary things, now everyone who visits the Corps will be able to see what type of a hero Richard was.”

Chief Daniel Exler told attendees that he and Richard didn’t always see eye to eye. The chief joked with Pearlman parents, Dorie and Barry, about his disagreements with their son. But Exler turned serious as he shared what he saw as the real Richard Pearlman. “Richie could have lived anywhere, but he would have found his way to Forest Hills.”

And that sentiment was shared by everyone present who had words to say about the young hero of 9-11. Speaker after speaker associated an extraordinary dedication by Pearlman for his beloved ambulance corps.

At the end of the speeches the crowd was asked to move to the inside the building for the unveiling of the wall. Once assembled inside, with Pearlman’s parents standing by, a cord was pulled revealing the fruits of the effort put forth by the corps to honor their hero.

Photos, certificates and newspaper articles fill the space, telling the story of heroic action taken by Pearlman on 9-11.

Visitors filed by to view the wall as Pearlman’s mother looked on. When asked what the dedication meant to her, Dorie Pearlman told The Forum, “The corps and the Boy Scouts were everything to my son. They were his life,” said Dorie Pearlman. “This day means my son is not forgotten. It means he never will be forgotten.”

Street Renamed in Honor of Local Leader

Hundreds of residents joined the family of Frederick T. Haller, Jr., members of the Glendale Civic Association and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley at a ceremony last weekend to rename a portion of the Union Turnpike after the longtime community activist.

As a member of the Parks and Recreation Committee on the City Council, Crowley successfully lobbied her colleagues to approve the measure, which co-names the stretch of Union Turnpike between Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard the Frederick T. Haller, Jr. Way. At last Saturday’s ceremony, she hailed Sept. 12, 2009 as the Frederick T. Haller Day in New York City.

“Frederick Haller showed endless generosity to our community through his charitable endeavors,” said Kathy Masi of the Glendale Civic Association, who helped organize the event. “He is missed by all the people in the Glendale community who are fortunate enough to have known him. He was a great man who not only left an impact on our community but a family dedicated to service for the greater good of their communities.”

“I am pleased to stand here before you to honor a remarkable member of our community,” said Crowley (D-Middle Village). “It is a privilege to be with Frederick Haller’s children and family to our community to recognize the impact their father made here on the people of Glendale. His children and their dedication to community service is, perhaps, Frederick Haller’s greatest legacy.”

Haller’s accomplishments include helping organize the first Home School Association at Sacred Heart School, serving with the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society, founding the Greater Ridgewood YMCA, serving as past president of the Glendale Kiwanis Club, chairman and member of Community Board 5 and a member of the Board of Trustees of Wyckoff Heights Hospital. Before his death on Dec. 30, 2007, he celebrated fifty years serving as an attorney at law to the Glendale and Ridgewood community.

As one of the original homeowners on Union Turnpike, the renaming has significant meaning to the family. Devastated by a family tragedy, the Haller family moved from their home in Glendale down Union Turnpike to Forest Hills. The conaming ceremony, held at the Greenstreets Triangle at Myrtle Avenue, marked a homecoming for the Haller family.

Masi later said she thought the event “went phenomenally” and said the turnout exceeded her expectations, despite the bad weather. “It was amazing, and had a lot to do with the fact that this was a guy who everyone loved,” she said. “In a whole year working on this, I didn’t come across a single person who asked why we were doing it… It’s a really good thing and I’m glad it finally happened.”