Report Misrepresented Woodhaven Storefront Vacancies

By Eric Yun

Woodhaven residents were angered and confused by a recent report from Congressman Anthony Weiner’s office stating that the neighborhood had the highest rate of vacant storefronts in Queens, especially since the numbers were inaccurate.

Weiner (D-Kew Gardens) conducted a study on vacant storefronts as part of a larger initiative to stimulate Queens’ local small businesses. Unfortunately, due to confusion over where Woodhaven ends and where Richmond Hills begins, Woodhaven was branded as the worst neighborhood in the borough. However, only a small section of Woodhaven was counted—the rest of the stores were in Richmond Hill.

“When it came out we were really shocked,” said Maria Thomson, executive director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District (BID). She noted the Woodhaven BID generally has vacancies of 10 percent or lower. “We're really very pleased Weiner is looking after the prospects of small businesses on a federal level, Unfortunately, Woodhaven came out looking like a vacant lot.”

To dispute the numbers, members of the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association (WRBA) drove down Jamaica Avenue with a video camera and counted how many vacant storefronts were in their neighborhood. According to this survey, vacancies in Woodhaven were approximately 8 percent.

Edward Wendell, president of the WRBA, acknowledged that it is sometimes difficult to understand local boundaries. However, “there was no cooperation with locals who could have helped,” he said.

The mistake has Wendell questioning the numbers and methods used for Weiner's report. “I would love to see the raw data,” Wendell said.

Weiner’s office issued a correction this week. “While the streets surveyed where correct, the neighborhood designation for Jamaica Avenue was imprecise,” Weiner said. “Since Woodhaven begins west of 98th Street, and only about 22 percent of the street was in this area, it should have been labeled 'Richmond Hill/Woodhaven.'”

Forest Park Carousel Still Silent

The Forest Park Carousel stopped operating last year when the city could not find a vendor after the contract for New York One, LLC expired.

By Tamara Best

Despite the many amenities and recreational opportunities offered throughout Forest Park’s 500 acres, there is still one item visitors can’t enjoy—the historic Forest Park Carousel.

The carousel has remained closed since last summer, when the city failed to find a vendor to operate it after the contract with New York One LLC expired last May.

Parks Department spokeswoman Trish Bertuccio said Tuesday that the department is currently in negotiations with a company to have the carousel reopen but could not say whether it would open before the end of the summer.

The Woodhaven Residents Block Association (WRBA) has started a petition to gain more support from the community in an effort to have the carousel reopened.

“Our first step is to get it reopen and then the second get it landmarked,” said Edward Wendell, president of the WRBA, who called the carousel a work of art. “It’s not only wonderful for the children, but it’s also a selling point for homeowners. We’d hate to lose that.”

According to the Parks Department, the carousel dates back to the 1890s and is the only designed and produced carousel left and by master carver Daniel C. Muller. The carousel can be found near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue. After it was restored, it began operating in 1966 until 1985, and then received another renovation in 1988.

Supporters have taken to Facebook to raise additional support through the group “Save the Forest Park Carousel.” More than 500 members have shared memories and suggested ideas on how funds can be raised to help the carousel reopen.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) has also shown support for the effort, arguing in a letter to Parks that the carousel needs to be preserved and restored to its “original magnificence.” Ulrich asserts that many of his constituents consider the carousel to be the “heart and soul of the Woodhaven community” that should be preserved so that “future generations may share in this one-of-a-kind experience.”

“This is the 100th year of the carousel and it should be a celebration—but it’s not,” Wendell said.