Vernon Mall Proposed to Be Renamed After Late Hunters Point Civic Leader Terri Adams

Santa, State Sen. Mike Gianaris, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, HPCDC president Terri Adams and Capt. Brian Hennessy during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Vernon Mall in 2013.

Oct. 31, 2017 by Nathaly Pesantez

HUNTERS POINT — Terri Adams, the long-time advocate for Hunters Point who passed away in September, is on the way to having a public place in Long Island City named after her.

Vernon Mall, the traffic island on Vernon Boulevard between 50th and 51st Avenues where Adams was known for holding Christmas tree lighting ceremonies since 2007, will be renamed to Terri Adams Plaza if passed by city council and Community Board 2.

The proposal stems from the office of Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, which asked Community Board 2’s Land Use committee for feedback on what to call the stretch during an Oct. 18 meeting.

The committee made a motion to approve naming the stretch as a plaza, but not without raising some questions on whether “Terri Adams Way” would be more appropriate, given the Department of Transportation’s proposed plans to reconstruct some streets in Long Island City and Hunters Point, which would do away with the island and incorporate an expanded sidewalk from the east instead.

Van Bramer initially announced efforts to get the island renamed after the lifelong Hunters Point resident, who died at 75 on Sept. 18, during her funeral, according to CB2 chairwoman Denise Keehan-Smith.

Adams was the president of the Hunters Point Community Development Corp., a merchant group established in 1952, and was an active member of Community Board 2. Adams also held community events at ‘Shady Park’, also called Andrews Grove, on 49th Avenue. She is seen by community leaders as having played a major role in the development of Hunters Point South, where she advocated for residents.

Community Board 2 in its entirety will vote on renaming the stretch to Terri Adams Plaza during the monthly meeting on Nov. 2. Once approved, Van Bramer will initiate the public plaza renaming process in city council, his spokesperson said.