College Pt. Expansion Considered
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO

Artist's rendering- spectorgroup

At the end of four days of intense negotiation concerning growing, unresolved traffic concerns in and around the College Point Corporate Park, Community Board 7 unanimously approved an expansion plan by Skanska USA Civil Northeast, Inc. following commitments by the city to ameliorate traffic in the area.

In a letter to City Councilmember Tony Avella and College Point Corporate Park Task Force, Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff said full funding for the extension of Linden Place through to 20th Avenue would be allocated. In addition, computerized traffic signal studies, completion of the 15th Avenue sidewalk paving and construction, and a cut-through for the Waldbaum's Plaza would also be authorized.

"In four days, [the city] has come a long way that they haven't in 15 years," said Avella, noting traffic concerns have been accruing for years without action by the city.

Skanska, an international construction corporation based in Sweden that has participated in the building of the AirTrain to JFK, the BQE restoration and the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, has based its North American headquarters at 16-16 Whitestone Expwy in the College Point Corporate Park for the past 16 years.

"Skanska wants to stay in Queens," said Adam Rothenberg, representing the company at the Board 7 March meeting in Flushing. "In order to remain, this addition is badly needed."

But the proposal to construct a new three-story addition, a total of 19,032 square feet, to be located above two levels of additional parking in the College Point Corporate Park, was not the central issue. The sale of a so-called "buffer zone" to Skanska by the city Economic Development Corporation (EDC) was at issue, however.

As part of its expansion plan, Skanska sought an approval to acquire 60 feet of city-owned land that separates the commercial corporate park from its residential neighbors. "We've had concerns over periods of time about the development and continued development in College Point," said Chuck Apelian, the board's zoning chair and a member of the College Point Corporate Park Task Force that includes other members of the board, Avella and Borough President Helen Marshall.

Based upon the commitments made to the community in the letter by Doctoroff, the board approved the acquisition by Skanska of a 30-foot buffer zone for the expansion. Skanska has agreed never to build on the buffer zone and is required to maintain it. Rothenberg said full-height trees would be planted along the buffer zone.

"We worked together as a team on this," said Avella. "Negotiations aren't done- this is a great first step," he said, emphasizing the need to keep pressing the city.

Avella said Doctoroff has promised to commit $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2008 for design of the Linden Place project and $6.5 million for the actual work in Fiscal '09. "I trust that when Dan Doctoroff puts his name to something, it's going to get done," Avella said.

In addition, the board's approval carried stipulations that the city will give its full cooperation toward an extension of the College Point Urban Renewal Plan and revisit prior recommendations to relieve traffic at the four intersections leading into the College Point Corporate Park.

In other business, the board unanimously approved a street sign "A.K.A." rider, "Joseph M. Rota Place" at the northwest corner of 3rd Avenue and 147th Place. Rota was a civic leader and founder of the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers and Civic Association. "He really exemplified what it was to be a community leader," said Avella.