Investing in Edgemere TODAY February 20, 2020
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Volume 65, No. 214 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 50¢ QUEENS Investing in Edgemere TODAY February 20, 2020 NYC VOTES AND CUNY VOTES WILL host an intensive summit on Friday centered around student voter engagement and organizing ahead of the presidential election this year. NYC Votes and CUNY are working together to double youth voter turnout in New York City in 2020 and 2021. Mayor Bill de Blasio joined Councilmember Donovan Richards (third from right) to cut the ribbon on a new affordable housing STUDENTS AND CAMPUS LEADERS development in Edgemere on Wednesday. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office from all CUNY schools, including those located in Queens such as Queens College and York College, are invited to participate in New affordable housing complex opens as city invests in shorefront community a day of speakers, workshops, and breakout By David Brand ing, known as Beach Green Dunes II, which A total of 50 units will be set aside for sessions on organizing skills, adaptive Queens Daily Eagle features 127 affordable units, including 13 for households earning less than $50,000 per leadership, issues-based organizing, voting A 100-percent affordable complex opened New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. year. The 13 units set aside for homeless New rights and more. The event will occur from in Edgemere Wednesday, the latest step in an “I know New Yorkers feel as if they are Yorkers represent about 10 percent of the to- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Borough of Manhattan effort to redevelop and restore the shorefront losing their grip on this city and fear their tal apartments in the building. A bill passed Community College, located at 199 Chambers community while ensuring long-time resi- children will no longer be able to afford to by the City Council in December 2019 will call New York home,” de Blasio said. “We are force developers that receive city funding Street. dents remain in place. Mayor Bill de Blasio joined local State Sen. changing that reality, and [we] will be in the to set aside 15 percent of units for homeless James Sanders and Councilmember Donovan corner of every family fighting for neighbor- New Yorkers. hoods they can afford.” MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ANNOUNCED Richards at the grand opening of the build- Continued on page 2 on Tuesday that the New York State Supreme Court has upheld New York City’s Fair Workweek Law and ruled that the law is not preempted by New York state wage and hour In Queens courts, unequal access laws. THE INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE to justice starts at the stairs Association, Restaurant Law Center, and the New York state Restaurant Association By Christine Chung challenged the city’s law as it applies to fast THE CITY food workers, claiming it conflicted with, and This story was originally published on was broadly preempted by state labor law. In Feb. 20, 2020 by THE CITY. rejecting the claims, and upholding the law, The wheelchair lift at the Queens Supreme the court acknowledged that New York City’s Courthouse in Jamaica doesn’t get used — purpose in passing the law was to protect but it’s not broken. vulnerable workers from exploitation by City and state officials can’t agree on whose responsibility it is to operate the lift unpredictable scheduling. on Sutphin Boulevard. State court officers say they don’t even have the key needed to turn it on. THE JAMAICA CENTER BID WILL The standstill over the lift emerged during sponsor QueensUnderground718.com’s an investigation by THE CITY that found International Black History Month Film Fest some of Queens’ half-dozen court facilities on Feb. 22. Guest tickets include a Red Carpet present physical barriers to people with mo- Film Fest with movies, poetry, music, live bility issues seeking access to the legal sys- entertainment, community awards, vendors, tem. food, cocktails/mocktails and raffle with Among the obstacles: prizes. The film fest will occur from 5 p.m. • Steep ramps leading to basement floors to 10 p.m. at the Jamaica Performing Arts •Metal barricades blocking wheelchair-ac- Center, located at 153-10 Jamaica Ave. cessible entrances • Push buttons that don’t open doors • Departments within courthouses that are QUEENS STATE SEN. TOBY ANN effectively off-limits to people with limited Stavisky and Brooklyn State Sen. Andrew Sebastian Kruszewski, 32, said he felt helpless trying to navigate the court in a mobility Continued on page 2 wheelchair. Photo by Christine Chung/THE CITY Continued on page 20 Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Visit us Online @queenseagle facebook.com/queenseagle queenseagle.com Investing in Edgemere Continued from page 1 The city’s 2015 Resilient Edgemere In an op-ed for the Eagle, Richards hailed Community Plan outlined the need for af- the project, known as Edgemere Commons. fordable housing, retail expansion and in- The development, he wrote, “will be- QUEENS frastructure improvement in the region. A come the largest, affordable housing devel- report by City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s opment led by a private applicant advanced office found that Edgemere’s poverty rate is under the de Blasio administration, deliver- almost double the citywide average, with a ing 2,050 units of affordable housing to the significantly lower rate of job growth. people of Edgemere. Providing critically TODAY Another large-scale development plan, needed new housing for a community that championed by Richards and local devel- is too short on affordable options.” Beach Green Dunes II in Edgemere fea- opers, has also commenced despite some “The future of Edgemere is bright,” tures 127 affordable apartments, includ- February 20, 2020 criticism from skeptical residents who fear Richards added. “But more work has to be ing 13 set aside for homeless New Yorkers gentrification and displacement. done.” Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Gounardes will hold a joint hearing on Friday for the State Senate Civil Service and Pensions and Higher Education Committees to discuss Cops arrest Richmond establishing a civil service pipeline for students from New York’s public and private colleges. The senators will hear testimony from college administrators and students, officials from Hill spa rape suspect the Department of Citywide Administrative By Jonathan Sperling fore ultimately fleeing on foot. Services and public sector unions. Queens Daily Eagle Surveillance images of a man who cops say A Queens man suspected of robbing and is Crooks were circulated by the 102nd Pre- raping a Richmond Hill massage parlor em- cinct shortly after the incident. MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO VISITED ployee at knifepoint has been arrested, police EMS took the masseuse to NYC Health & Forest Hills last night for a town hall meeting said late Tuesday night. Hospitals/Queens, where she was treated and hosted by Councilmember Karen Koslowitz. Luchiano Crooks, 26, was arrested on Tues- released. Visit queenseagle.com and check out Friday’s day and charged with first-degree rape, along Reports of rape, as well as other sex Eagle for full coverage of the event. with robbery and criminal sex act charges. crimes, have declined across Queens com- Around 24 hours earlier, Crooks came to pared to 2019, according to the most recent Vivi Massage Spa on Jamaica Avenue and NYPD data. Rape reports have dropped near- THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPOR- went to a massage room to await the mas- ly 27 percent so far in 2020 compared to the tation will resume Queens Boulevard safety same time last year, from 45 to 33, in each of seuse, a 45-year-old woman, cops said. When Luchiano Crooks, 26, was arrested on improvements, Patch reported on Wednesday. the woman entered the room, Crooks alleged- Queens’ two patrol areas. In the 102nd Pre- The project stalled out two years ago after the cinct, there was one report of rape so far in Tuesday and charged with first-degree ly brandished a knife and demanded cash, at community board representing the area in 2020, down from six during the same period rape, along with robbery and criminal sex which point the woman gave him $100. Forest Hills where the improvements were to in 2019. Crooks then allegedly raped the woman be- act charges. Photo via NYPD be made voted against it, opposing the choice to replace 200 parking spots with bike lanes. Until this update, DOT had not released new What's on the docket for the Queens legal community information about the project since 2018. SOUTH ASIAN INDO-CARIBBEAN BREAKIN’ UP IS HARD TO DO: FOREST HILLS STADIUM ANNOUNCED BAR ASSOCIATION OF QUEENS BASICS OF BUSINESS DISSOLUTION the relaunch of the1923 Club, which pays COUNTY AWARDS DINNER April 23 at 6 p.m. • 2.0 CLE Credits homage to the year the venue was first built. Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. Attorneys Matthew Donovan and Franklin McRoberts Membership costs $19.23 and those who The SAICBA-QC will honor State Sen. Luis Sepulveda and discuss common business divorce issues and owner grievances, participate will be able to buy up to two tickets attorney Gary Miret at their annual awards dinner. partnership withdrawal, business forms and governing law. in the limited view section, each for the same Agra Palace, 116-33 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills QCBA Office, 90-35 148th St., Jamaica price. This season’s lineup already includes Halsey, The Lumineers and Bright Eyes. FORMER PROSECUTORS FIGHTING FOR YOU! Dominic Addabbo, Esq. | Todd Greenberg, Esq Paul E. Kerson DDABBO LEAVITT, KERSON & SEHATI A & ATTORNEYS AT LAW REENBERG G LAW T: (718) 793-8822 • F: (718) 520-8544 Get 'The Best of the Nest' Experience Equals Results. www.PaulKersonAttorney.com ‧ Criminal Cases ‧ Personal Injury ‧ Real Estate Matters Forest Hills Tower: 118-35 Queens Blvd, delivered to your Addabbo & Greenberg 12th Floor, Forest Hills, NY, 11375 118-21 Queens Blvd.