Under the proposal a massive 1.4 million sq. ft. mall would be built by Bloomberg-preferred developer the Related Companies in partnership with Sterling Equities, the real estate firm controlled by the owner of the Mets, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on parkland currently used for Citi-Field parking. In 2008 the Council approved the Willets Point redevelopment application but the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park acreage was not part of the plan. The city is desperately trying to rely on a 1961 bill that never replaced parkland used for Shea Stadium. Critics of the plan argue that if the 40-plus acres being proposed for mall use are no longer needed for parking then it should revert back to its original recreational use.
Willet's Point business owner Jamie Sabetti holds up an eviction notice from HPD at Wednesday's press conference where he spoke passionately about having thirty days to vacate and not being compensated.
"We rely on these jobs. We don't know where we are going to go," said Mr. Sabetti. "Officials hear us but they do nothing."
Willets Point United Inc. were joined by organizations representing more than 100 civic organizations, park advocates and civic leaders to oppose "the corrupt bargain at Willets West and Willets Point."
Queens
By Geoffrey Croft
Under the proposal a massive 1.4 million sq. ft. mall would be built in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on parkland currently used for Citi-Field parking. The majority of the land for the $3 billion Willets Point project would be taken from the public parkland.
Critics of the plan argue that if the 40-plus acres being proposed for mall use are no longer needed for parking then it should revert back to its original recreational use.
The City and Bloomberg-preferred developer the Related Companies in partnership with Sterling Equities, the real estate firm controlled by the owner of the Mets - are attempting this without seeking State Alienation legislation as is required under state law to use parkland for non-park purposes.
Sign On The Times. Willet's Point business owner Jerry Antonacci blasted City Council member Julissa Ferreras for not protecting the parkland and business owners.
In 2008 the City Council approved the Willets Point redevelopment application but the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park acreage was not part of the plan.
Since then a new scheme was hatched involving the mega-developer and the owner of the Mets which does not resemble the project orginally approved in any way.
Since then a new scheme was hatched involving the mega-developer and the owner of the Mets which does not resemble the project orginally approved in any way.
In the public parkland givaway the city is now desperately trying to rely on a 1961 bill that never replaced parkland used for Shea Stadium.
The 1961 statute that the city and the applicants are desperately trying to rely on in order to justify being allowed to develop the public parkland for non-park purposes does not permit a shopping mall. Administrative Code 18-118 explicitly states that any monies gained from a temporary lease on the property must go back into the property.
Back into the property not line the pockets of Related or Sterling Equity.
Back into the property not line the pockets of Related or Sterling Equity.
The revenue must aid "in the financing of the construction and operation of such stadium, grounds, parking areas and facilities, and any additions, alterations or improvements thereto, or to the equipment thereof," the law states.
Clearly this is not the case.
The intention of the law was not to allow any project to make a permanent claim on the parkland or its facilities, because the revenue was supposed to fund the property.
The largest of the three projects being proposed in Flushing Meadows Corona Park - Willets Point West - would seize more than 30 acres of public parkland to build the City's largest mall at 1.4 million Square feet. The city has been chipping away at the only green space many Queens residents have since Robert Moses remade it for the World’s Fairs in 1939 and 1964. The developers first choice was to build an enormous casino project documents show.
Yesterday Willets Point United Inc. were joined by numerous organizations including Queens Civic Congress, New York City Park Advocates, members of Community Board 3, local tenant business owners, South Bronx Unite, Good Jobs NY, Save Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and elected officials State Senator Tony Avella and City Comptroller John Liu.
Willets Point United Inc. is the property and business owners’ group that has been fighting the redevelopment of the Iron Triangle for over five years.
Willets Point United Inc. is the property and business owners’ group that has been fighting the redevelopment of the Iron Triangle for over five years.
"What was never contemplated was that you would take parkland and built a parking mall," said Willets Point United's David Schwartz.
"This is a favor to Sterling Equities and the Wilpon family that should not be allowed to happen," he said.
Willets Point property owner Irene Presti blasted the deal calling it, "illegal and unethical." saying that the Bloomberg administration is putting forward to develop the Iron Triangle, in violation of not only the not for profit lobbying laws of New York State; but by the brazen violation of Federal law.
"In order to promote this dirty deal the city helped to set up a phony not for profit local development group headed by Claire Shulman. The group, made up of rich developers with the names Muss, Wilpon, Mattone and TDC, was never anything but a not for profit but in name only-it was put in place to advance the special interest of its real estate company members. Incredibly, NYC EDC forwarded $500,000 in tax payer funds to finance this illegal lobbying scheme."
She pointed out that in July 2012, NY State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman cited the violation of the law but, shamefully, failed to do anything to sanction the illegal behavior.
"Willets West is a scandal and the conspirators should not be rewarded for their illegal scheme. The city council must vote, No-and let the next mayor sort out this scandal."
"We see that Mr. Wilpon of the Mets-the prime mover of the illegal lobbying group- has been awarded the development rights to Willets West and $200 million worth of property for $1. And there is no one with the courage to step in and put an end to this criminal scheme. Who says crime doesn’t pay?"
Long-time critic State Senator Tony Avella called the plan a disgrace.
“Park land should be sacred,” said State Senator Tony Avella who was only one of two City Council members who originally voted against the project.
“The proposed Willets West Mall is part of the biggest land grab for parkland not only in Queens but in the entire City. I voted against the original Willets Point project as a member of the City Council because, among other things, the City was using eminent domain to take private property and give it to private developers without a public benefit. Now, the City is proposing to give away sacred parkland for private development. That is simply unacceptable and I am proud to stand here today with Willets Point United in strong opposition to this project.”
“This is the classic bait and switch," City Comptroller John Liu stated.
"Because what we were promised by the administration is no longer. What's now remaining in this current plan that the administration would like to go forward with is but a semblance of what the original plan was. This has to be stopped. It is not right. It should not go forward,” the Comptroller said.
"We should not be encroaching on parkland illegally against New York State law," said City Comptroller John Liu.
"I want to call out one person Julissa Ferreras...for five years she's done nothing," said Willet's Point business owner Jerry Antonacci.
"Everything is wrong with this and she still stands by this project. I want to know when is she going to come out and stand by the people in her community and say no, enough is enough. Five years of lies, five years of broken promises and do what her community voted for her to do and that's vote this down," he said.
"There's clearly no equity or no interest in protecting the public, there's no interest in protecting parkland, there's no interest in protecting jobs," said Save Flushing Meadows Corona Park's Paul Graziano.
"There's no interest in protecting community that use the park which desperately need it because they don't have their own places to have recreation. "
"This is an outrageous deal," said Jackson Heights Beautification Group and CB 3 board member, Ed Westly.
"We expect our City Council member Elizabeth Crowley to vote against this project and we urge the rest to do the same," said Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together's (COMET) Christina Wilkinson.
"The process has not been at all lead by the community which is not news to anyone here," commented Bettina Damiani of Good Jobs NY.
"The process has not been at all lead by the community which is not news to anyone here," commented Bettina Damiani of Good Jobs NY.
"But this is unfortunately what the Bloomberg administration has done over and over again."
"Because we are Spanish, Latino's, we don't need those kinds of discriminations," said Willet's Point business owner Marco Neira, "they are stealing our businesses, they are stealing our lives."
"It is the position of Willets Point United Inc. that the present land use application of Sterling Equities and Related Companies should be denied, and that a new Request for Proposals should be issued and new developer responses solicited – responses that conform to the property boundaries and the goals approved by the Council in 2008," Willets Point United said in a statement.
"Moreover, any selection of a developer must take place with the participation of the Willets Point Advisory Committee and Queens elected officials, as had been promised by the City administration in writing during 2008 but disregarded when Sterling and Related – and their plan to site a huge mall on parkland – were chosen."
"Moreover, any selection of a developer must take place with the participation of the Willets Point Advisory Committee and Queens elected officials, as had been promised by the City administration in writing during 2008 but disregarded when Sterling and Related – and their plan to site a huge mall on parkland – were chosen."
Critics denounced numerous issues regarding the Willets Point redevelopment project including:
- This was not the deal that the Council approved: The affordable housing component has been delayed and subject to escape clauses, and the agreed living wage provision has been eliminated;
- No project - let alone a 1.4 million square foot mall - should be built on public parkland;
- The City Administrative Code does not authorize or provide any legal basis for the construction of a mall on 30+ acres of parkland, in violation of the parkland Public Trust Doctrine;
- No massive development should be built in this area without new access ramps being built to and from the Van Wyck Expressway before any other construction;
- No private property should be taken to merely be paved over as a parking lot;
6. Developers Sterling and Related were selected via a process that excluded the Willets Point Advisory Committee and Queens officials – contrary to written promises made by the City administration in 2008;
- The City must be compensated for the $200 million it has spent to buy Willets Point property;
- No team of billionaire developers should be given said property as a $1 gift;
- No developer who was part of an illegal lobbying scheme should be allowed to profit for engaging in the illegality;
- No development deal based on an illegal lobbying scheme should be approved by the City Council
Press Conference Statement from Irene Presti, Willets Point property owner
My name is Irene Presti and I own property at Willets Point that is threatened by the illegal and unethical deal that the Bloomberg administration has put forward to develop the Iron Triangle. That’s right, the entire development was promoted by a violation of not only the not for profit lobbying laws of New York State; but by the brazen violation of Federal law as well.
In order to promote this dirty deal the city helped to set up a phony not for profit local development group headed by Claire Shulman. The group, made up of rich developers with the names Muss, Wilpon, Mattone and TDC, was never anything but a not for profit but in name only-it was put in place to advance the special interest of its real estate company members. Incredibly, NYC EDC forwarded $500,000 in tax payer funds to finance this illegal lobbying scheme.
Unfortunately, this LDC was barred from doing any legal lobbying from the standpoint of the NY State law on local development corporations. Don’t just take my word for it. In July of 2012, the NY State Attorney General cited the violation of the law but, shamefully, failed to do anything to sanction the illegal behavior.
Apparently, some people are considered to be above the law and the AG even failed to demand that the Shulman group refund the illegal contribution from EDC and the tax payers. So small property owners like myself were forced to fend off the big real estate companies who were publicly funded in the campaign to take away my property.
But it gets worse folks. When the Shulman group filed for tax exempt status with the IRS there are two important boxes it checked. The first was: Will you be doing any lobbying? The second was: will you be doing any economic development? The group, lying through its teeth, answered no to both questions-even though Shulman told the NY Times that the entire purpose of the group was to lobby for the Willets Point project.
Did the IRS act on this blatant violation of the federal not for profit laws? Not on your life. It was busy chasing the Tea Party and didn’t have the time to investigate and punish a clear violation of law. So on the state and the federal level, law enforcement is a partisan activity and justice be damned!
Now, however, it gets much worse. We see that Mr. Wilpon of the Mets-the prime mover of the illegal lobbying group- has been awarded the development rights to Willets West and $200 million worth of property for $1. And there is no one with the courage to step in and put an end to this criminal scheme. Who says crime doesn’t pay?
Not only that, but the entire original development deal has been changed in a breathless bait and switch that has eliminated the affordable housing and living wage pledges that were the heart of the approval in 2008. Instead of the “next green neighborhood” we have been given a huge mall and a parking lot. For this we are abusing the eminent domain process?
I am a proud member of Willets Point United. If my group had done what EDC, Wilpon and Shulman have conspired to do, we would be under arrest and awaiting trial. Instead, Shulman remains at large and Wilpon is poised to reap billions of dollars for evading the law and ripping off the tax payers.
Willets West is a scandal and the conspirators should not be rewarded for their illegal scheme. The city council must vote, No-and let the next mayor sort out this scandal.
Critics of the plan argue that if the 30-plus acres being proposed for mall use are no longer needed for Citi-Field parking then it should revert back to its original recreational use. (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)
Read More:
City Begins Land Use Process On Willets Point Land Grab
A Walk In The Park - March 22, 2013 - By Geoffrey Croft
A Walk In The Park - March 22, 2013 - By Geoffrey Croft
City Limits - July 30, 2012 - By Pat Arden
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