Willets Point Industry & Realty Corp.

The city hasn't heard much out of former mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer since he lost his bid against Mayor Bloomberg in 2005. Now, the former Bronx Borough President has joined the camp of landowners and critics who oppose the Bloomberg administration's plans for Willets Point, the 61-acre industrial site by Shea Stadium.

According to a release from the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association, Mr. Ferrer will join local Councilman Hiram Monserrate at the event, where the main Willets Point property owners' group will call for the ouster of the chairman of Queens Community Board 7. The board voted last week to endorse the city's plan, with some conditions.  read more »

Following last night's late-night Queens Community Board 7 conditional endorsement of the city's redevelopment plan for Willets Point, the landowner and business group opposing the redevelopment there is hailing the vote as a victory.

The margin of support, the group noted, was closer than it was just a week ago when a community board committee voted on the plan (20-15, compared with 22-3 a week ago), also noting that the conditions placed on the endorsement are rather restrictive.

Release below.

Willets Point Business Owners Declare Victory at Community Board Vote

Conditions Placed on EDC Plan Demonstrate Distrust of City

 

(New York, NY) July 1, 2008 -The Willets Point business owners fighting to protect their private property from an unprecedented and potentially illegal land grab by the Bloomberg Administration declared victory in the latest skirmish with the City, noting that opposition from members of Community Board 7 increased dramatically at Monday's vote while those board members who approved the plan imposed such severe conditions that the vote was tantamount to a rejection of the Economic Development Corporation plan.  read more »

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Veteran Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf is entering new territory: early last month a group of 10 of the largest companies at Willets Point in Queens hired him to do public relations for their group, the Willets Point Industry & Realty Corp., which is facing the possibility that the city may try to take their property under eminent domain to make way for a new office/hotel/convention center district. -Matthew Schuerman