A favorite neighborhood landmark in East Elmhurst is going to be rededicated in a special ceremony on Friday.
On Friday, Oct. 20, LaGuardia Plaza hotel employees, members of the Corona East Elmhurst Historic Preservation Society, elected officials, and other community leaders will host a rededication ceremony at the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel, located in the vicinity of 104-04 Ditmars Blvd., and plaque unveiling on what will be officially termed “Giant Rock.”
The 1,000-ton, 5-foot-high, 11-foot-wide rock arrived in the vicinity of what is now Ditmars Boulevard and 102nd Street through an ice sheet about 12,000 years ago. Since then, the rock has become a popular reference point, a sort of playground for children and a source of community pride.
Since 1980, developers have tried to demolish, dig up or relocate the rock. However, the community has always come together to keep the rock in its home.
The giant rock currently sits in a parking lot between LaGuardia Plaza Airport and Hampton Inn, just off Ditmars Boulevard.
The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. and will include speeches from Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry and Corona East Elmhurst Historic Preservation Society President Carol Drew.
