Aims To Rejuvenate Shopping Area
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Small Business Services Commissioner Robert Walsh, Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski, City Council Members Julissa Ferreras and Daniel Dromm, and Seth Taylor of the 82nd Street Business Improvement District announced a $200,000 renovation of Dunningham Triangle in Jackson Heights.
The triangle, located at the corner of 82nd Street and Baxter Avenue, named for Jabez Dunningham, the former representative of Joseph Pulitzer, Elmhurst resident and civic leader who founded the Queens Council of Civic Associations.
“It is fitting that we are here today to focus attention on this land that will create an outdoor gathering place for the community, enhance local business activity and enliven this shopping district,” Marshall said at the announcement last Wednes- day, May 2. The borough president provided $150,000 in funding for the renovation and Mayor Michael Bloomberg provided another $50,000.
In April, the 82nd Street Partnership announced significant improvements had taken place in the Jackson Heights and Elmhurst neighborhoods in the past several months.
“The 82nd Street Partnership, under the leadership of Seth Taylor, has done an outstanding job transforming the commercial corridor through graffiti removal, new sanitation services, and marketing initiatives,” said Walsh. “We thank Borough President Helen Marshall for investing in Dunningham Triangle, which will further enhance and revitalize this dynamic neighborhood.”
Dromm echoed those remarks, saying, “The renovation of Dunningham Triangle in Elmhurst will be a much welcomed improvement for a community in need of adequate park space and will also serve as an integral part of the economic revitalization of 82nd Street. I look forward to continue to working with the Borough President’s office and the 82nd Street Partnership to improve conditions in our community and reinvigorate one of the most diverse and attractive shopping corridors in New York City.”
Ferreras added that, “In keeping with the revitalization of the 82nd Street business corridor and BID, I am happy that Borough President Marshall is funding the beautification of Dunningham Triangle. I would like to thank the Borough President for her continual support of our district.”
Lewandowski said, “Some of our most utilized, but sometimes overlooked greenspaces are those triangles and greenstreets that enhance our quality of life when we pass through them.”
“On behalf of the 82nd Street Partnership, we are thrilled by the announcement that Borough President Marshall has allocated capital funds toward the improvement of Dunningham Triangle,” said Taylor. “This plaza has great potential to become an anchor for 82nd Street, and we are confident that it will be a valued amenity for all those who visit the neighborhood. We look forward to working with our stakeholders, the Borough President’s Office, and the Parks Department to ensure its success.”
Dunningham worked in London for the publisher Joseph Pulitzer. He later moved to Queens, where he continued to work for the publisher until his death in 1911. After moving to Elmhurst in the 1920s, Dunningham became active in civic affairs and founded the Queens Council of Civic Associations. He died in 1945 after fighting against a multitude of issues, including pollution, and for mass transit.
