I often wondered why there was so little access to the waterfront. One of the major sponsors, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has put up fences, denying this neighborhood access to the waterfront, which is in violation of the city zoning resolution. They have refused to renew the leases of certain businesses. When metal sheets from an abandoned building recently fell and damaged vehicles in the parking lot of the NY Waterway ferry, instead of trying to fix the problem, the Port Authority just put up more fences. Slowly our neighborhood is being abandoned by businesses, and buildings are deteriorating. The Queens West project has been in the works for over 10 years and it has done nothing to improve the area. It is time for the elected officials and the sponsors of this project to rethink their plans.
Nationally, a number of cities are now reclaiming land that would otherwise be wasted, and turning it into park land. San Jose is scheduled to open a 400-acre park along its downtown riverfront, while Seattle is converting an old 61-acre warehouse district into a park. In these cities, other projects that would have generated more revenue, were rejected because they did not contribute to the cityıs population as a whole. The San Jose project features ball fields, picnic tables, walking and biking trails, rose gardens, and restaurants and shops reflecting the historical heritage of the area. This is the kind of waterfront development I envisioned for Queens, something that would benefit the whole community, not just a select few.
By Kirsten Jacob Hunters Point Resident & Steering Committee Member
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