By Rebecca Henely
City officials have raised much of the money to purchase a concrete yard next to a Jackson Heights private school for a park, but the school may decide it needs the money now and look elsewhere.
“Right now we’re in a race against the clock about them opening up the sale to a possible developer vs. going through the process of the city,” said City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights).
Dromm’s office has secured $4 million and Borough President Helen Marshall has $1 million to buy land from the Garden School, a private institution at 33-16 79th St. in Jackson Heights. The Garden School is selling the yard for $5.25 million.
“The idea is that we can then extend Travers Park,” Dromm said, referring to the 2-acre park on 34th Avenue between 78th and 79th streets, across the street from the Garden School.
Officials from the Garden School did not respond to calls for comment.
Dromm said he had been working with the Garden School’s board and headmaster, Dr. Richard Marotta, to purchase the land and had been dealing with the city Department of Parks and the city Department of Design and Construction to speed the process along.
But Dromm said school officials had told him the school is in financial straits and needs to sell the land soon.
“They did not inform us of the immediacy,” Dromm said.
The councilman said he believes selling the land to the city would be best for both the people of Jackson Heights — an area which has the second smallest amount of park space in the city — and the school, whose students would still have use of the park during school hours. He said selling it for development would also decrease the value of the school not only financially, but would be a detriment to the students.
“The Garden School is a valuable asset to Jackson Heights,” Dromm said.
The councilman said he was also unsure whether selling to a developer would get money for the school more quickly. He said the city was about a month into the seven-to-eight month process of buying the land.
Ed Westley of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group said he was surprised by the school’s rush to sell the land since he had thought the talks between the city and school were going well.
“They’re doing what they think they need to do,” Westley said.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
