Develop Willets Point

From a NYCEDC press release:

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced that it has signed another property acquisition and relocation agreement with a business with which it had been negotiating at Willets Point, Queens.  The deal is the fourth such agreement in recent months as the City proceeds through the Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

Flushing Towing has agreed to have NYCEDC acquire 4,000 square feet of industrial land.  The sale is contingent upon ULURP approval of the Willets Point Development Plan.

“Our efforts to negotiate with each of the businesses and landowners at Willets Point continue to show results,” said Seth W. Pinsky, President, NYCEDC. “We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with Flushing Towing and we remain committed to reaching more as we move through the approval process.”

“I’m happy with my agreement and to have the opportunity to move my business,” said Carlos Canal, owner of Flushing Towing.  “I now have a future I can look forward to.”

Under the City’s plan, the 62 acre site, which includes the property on which Flushing Towing had been operating will be remediated and prepared to be part of a new mixed-use community that will include housing, restaurants, stores, parks, and a school. The project will also provide 18,000 construction jobs and more than 5,000 permanent jobs.

NYCEDC has been engaged in active relocation and property acquisition negotiations with many businesses and property owners of all sizes at Willets Point since announcing its redevelopment plans last spring, holding well over 100 meetings with such businesses and owners during this period.

Please visit the NYCEDC website for more information on the Willets Point Redevelopment plan: http://www.nycedc.com/willetspoint

Another piece of good news regarding this development project.  It’s good to hear from these businesses, which all seem pretty satisfied with their sales and relocations.  The opponents of this project would have you believe that the city is forcing every business to leave Willets Point with little to no compensation. and that seems like it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I’m sure we’ll hear about a few more property sales as time goes by.  Each one is an important step in this whole process.