By Peter Sorkin
Officials of Silvercup Studios at 42-25 21st St. in Long Island City said they had intended to expand the three-acre facility to six acres along the East River. But now they may abandon the plans because the New York Power Authority wants to place two gas turbine generators close to the Vernon Boulevard waterfront on the land where Silvercup wants to build.
Dan Andrews, a spokesman for Borough President Claire Shulman, said there are better sites in Queens for the turbines and he thinks a lawsuit is imminent. He said the turbines would also disrupt plans for development of the Queens West apartment houses, for which ground was broken last week.
“The turbines are a stone's throw away from the Queens West development,” Andrews said. “We may be joining in a lawsuit with Silvercup Studios because we believe it would create some problems.”
Andrews said 1,200 jobs would be lost if Silvercup is not permitted to expand. “The Sopranos” and “Sex in the City” are among the shows produced at the Silvercup Studios.
The New York Power Authority announced in October it had selected the sites for nine of 11 small electric generators that were purchased in August for as much as $220 million from General Electric Packaged Power Inc. Mike Petralia, a spokesman for the NYPA, said the 44-megawatt gas turbines were intended to avert a power supply problem in New York City beginning in June 2001 until the completion of three larger new plants, which are expected to be on line within the next two or three years.
Silvercup officials said they understand the need for power, but fear the placement of two of the temporary turbines would disrupt plans for development along the East River, which is considered prime real estate.
David Von Spreckelsen, the director of real estate development for Silvercup Studios, said NYPA's plans would decrease property value and disrupt plans to build more studios.
“We recognize the need for power in the city – we're a big user of power,” Von Spreckelsen said in a phone interview Tuesday. “But we just feel that the site is wrong for the facility. We're working with the borough president and other elected officials in trying to get the Power Authority to look into these other sites.”
Officials from the NYPA could not be reached for comment.
Last week, Gov. George Pataki joined Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Shulman to break ground at the new apartment complex building in Hunters Point, the first of three new luxury rental buildings slated for development at Queens West.
The new building, covering 74 acres of land, will be located on Center Boulevard, directly across the East River from the United Nations, officials said. The first building will be located between 49th and 50th avenues and will be known as Avalon Riverview. It will cost $103.5 million and will be 32 stories high, providing space for 372 apartments and a 130-car parking garage. It is expected to open in spring 2002.
Von Spreckelsen said the site is part of the prime Queens waterfront on the East River, because it is also adjacent to the 59th Street Bridge and Silvercup fears the noise from the generators will disrupt work in the studios.
“By virtue of the noise and the vibration, [the generators] would render the studio virtually unworkable,” Von Spreckelsen said. “The other reason [for the objection] is we own three acres right adjacent to the site, and a power plant there would negatively impact our property.”
Each turbine will produce up to 44 megawatts, or in the case of two units at a single site, a combined maximum of 79.9 megawatts, at any given moment, NYPA officials said. NYPA's chairman and chief executive officer, C.D. Rappleyea, said the sites were chosen after a complete evaluation of the possible impact on the local environment.
The purchase and the placement of the turbines are a result of last year's decision by the state to dismantle the electric-utility monopolies so customers could choose their own energy providers. New York state is now moving from a system in which Con Ed produced and supplied most of the city's electricity to an arrangement under which Con Ed and other utilities buy power from private electrical power generators.
The suppliers will now deliver the energy to New York through their distribution systems.
Von Spreckelsen said his company does not worry about pollution because the plants would be cleaner than in the past, but he said there are better sites throughout Queens for the turbines.
“Our long-term plan is for a large development on the six acres,” he said. “We were planning on doing additional film and TV production studios on ground level, with the residential apartments on the towers above them. It's great real estate and it should be developed for more positive uses.”
