A pedestrian plaza frequented by Corona residents and employees at the busy Roosevelt Avenue thoroughfare will get a $5.6 million makeover.
The former thoroughfare that also including parking for trucks and vans, was first transformed in 2012 as a temporary plaza with the installation of chairs and tables. The plaza, located at Roosevelt Avenue between National and 104th streets, also hosts civic events and programming by the Queens Museum. In 2015, it also became the first plaza in Queens to offer free Wi-Fi.
Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia and Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland announced the additional improvements to the space in a press conference on April 10. Construction will be completed in spring 2018.
The Department of Design and Construction will make the plaza a permanent one by filling the space in with concrete and stone, adding a performance space with built-in seating and new shrubs and trees. Additionally, the space will include new pedestrian lighting, a drinking fountain, power supply for performances, WalkNYC wayfinding, bike racks, an automatic pay toilet and a mixture of fixed and movable furniture.
“Corona Plaza is much more than a public plaza,” Ferreras-Copeland said. “Here we see families engaging in civic life and small businesses expanding their reach. It’s a vibrant example of all our community has to offer. I look forward to starting construction and reopening it to be even better than it is.”
The Queens Economic Development Corporation will maintain the space and the Neighborhood Plaza Program will provide daily cleaning and horticultural maintenance. This care is funded by One NYC Plaza Equity Program, which works with organizations to create neighborhood plazas.
The Plaza Program was created in 2008 and since then, has helped coordinate the creation of 73 plazas across the city including 13 in Queens.
“We often say plazas are like a living room for the community, and I want to thank all parties involved for their commitment to bring a vibrant an energetic public space that is a reflection of this Corona community,” Garcia said.
If you’d like to see a plaza in your neighborhood, you can apply for the program until June 30 at the DOT website.
