By Alexander Dworkowitz
College Point residents worried about more big-box retailers on 20th Avenue can breathe a small sigh of relief.
The city announced last week it has issued long-awaited request for proposals for the remaining 23 acres of the Flushing Airport site in the College Point Corporate Park but has restricted the use of the location to industry or soft recreation, not retail.
Community Board 7 had requested that the city not allow any commercial use of the site, which sits off 20th Avenue and across the street from large stores such as Target and BJ's.
“I am glad they are listening to what the board requested,” said Marilyn Bitterman, district manager of CB 7. “Basically, the area cannot sustain any additional traffic.”
The exact nature of the site and its ultimate effect on traffic, however, remain to be seen.
The city Economic Development Corp., which runs the corporate park, defines “soft recreation” as “anything that would not require a lot of construction,” said Janel Patterson, a spokeswoman for the EDC.
A blimp port and a golf range have both been mentioned as possibilities for the site.
Flushing resident Alan Gross, who has actively pushed the idea of a blimp port to local politicians and the media, said his company, Airships Unlimited Inc., was working to make the city's June 30 deadline.
“One way or another, we are trying to get at least one blimp on the property,” he said.
Patterson said the Federal Aviation Administration found the possible blimp port's proximity to LaGuardia Airport “problematic,” but added “we'll review any proposal we'll get.”
The city may amend the Urban Renewal Plan that governs the corporate park to allow recreational use.
The Flushing Airport site is the “last large property available for development” in the corporate park, said EDC President Andrew Alper.
The 77-acre site has been deteriorating since the airport closed in 1984. Last summer mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus were found at the location.
In February, the city announced the southern 34 acres of the site would be transformed into wetlands.
The project, which is in its final design phase, includes the removal of runways and buildings and their replacement with a storm water filtration system.
The wetlands will be separated from the development by a 100-foot buffer.
The EDC is encouraging companies to keep the neighboring wetlands in mind when drafting proposals, suggesting architects incorporate environmentally friendly features into the buildings.
“Situated near a freshwater wetland restoration project, the site would be ideal for certain recreational uses,” Alper said in a news release. “Industrial uses would also fit well with the makeup of current tenants of the corporate park, which include light manufacturing, printing and distribution businesses.”
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
