As we look forward to 2026, QNS is looking back at the top stories throughout 2025. Below are the top stories from the month of February, which include new plans for the old Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills, the MTA launching its long-awaited Queens bus redesign, Bayside residents rallying against a cannabis dispensary, and a Maspeth teacher learning he would receive the gift of life from a co-worker.
Former Parkway Hospital site in Forest Hills set for environmental remediation, redevelopment
The long-vacant Parkway Hospital site in Forest Hills is set to undergo a major environmental cleanup as part of its planned transformation into a mixed-use development featuring senior affordable housing, family units, and community space. Applications have been filed to enroll the property at 70-35 113th St. into the New York City Office of Environmental Remediation’s Voluntary Cleanup Program, a key step in addressing contamination on the site before redevelopment can begin. The remediation process, which includes extensive soil excavation and groundwater testing, will be guided by a Remedial Action Work Plan.
Perennial Owner LLC is listed as the property owner who filed the applications for the Voluntary Cleanup Program enrollment.
According to the Remedial Investigation Report, Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), metals and a pesticide above cleanup guidelines were found in the soil. Additionally, groundwater samples found Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds, as well as metals, exceeding the limits for quality groundwater.
MTA to launch Queens Bus Network Redesign in two phases
After years of community outreach, the MTA launched the long-awaited Queens bus network redesign. To prepare for the changes, the MTA and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are joining forces to implement a large-scale public outreach campaign to inform transit riders. New York City Transit (NYCT) and the DOT began adding new signage at thousands of bus stops throughout Queens, advising customers that the redesigned bus network will be implemented this summer.
The signs featured QR codes that provide more information about the new routes, destinations, and benefits of the new program.
“While 84% of Queens bus riders will continue to use the same bus stop, there are new routes, expanded hours of operation, greater service frequency, and changes in stop patterns – this is the time to learn if and how your commute is changing and tell a friend,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow.
Bayside residents rally against cannabis dispensary opening near elementary school
Bayside residents took to the streets on Feb. 18, protesting the approval of the Canna Buddha cannabis dispensary, which is set to open just one block from an elementary school.
The rally, held outside the shop at 215-46 39th Ave., drew parents, community advocates, and elected officials, all demanding that the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) rescind its approval.
Despite unanimous opposition from Community Board 11’s licensing committee, which rejected Canna Buddha Corp’s application in December, the OCM moved forward with granting the permit. The shop’s proximity—just 520 feet from Sacred Heart Catholic Academy and its church—has become a focal point of community outrage, even though it technically meets the state’s 500-foot minimum distance requirement from schools. Protestors argue that this standard is insufficient and should be expanded to better protect children.
Maspeth teacher receives ‘unexpected and amazing’ kidney transplant from selfless co-worker he hardly knew
A “lesson in selflessness” unfolded at IS 73 in Maspeth when a teacher received a life-saving kidney transplant from a colleague he barely knew.
Maggie Goodman, 34, of East Atlantic Beach, Long Island, heard about her fellow teacher’s kidney struggle when she saw a post from his mother on Facebook and went above and beyond to help.
Goodman, a sixth-grade special needs educator, learned that Thomas Coveney, 47, of Rego Park, was in dire need of a kidney after being diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a severe kidney disease that he’d battled for over a decade. With his health deteriorating, Coveney was added to the kidney transplant list.
Despite working in the same school, Goodman and Coveney were hardly close. However, when Goodman heard of his plight, she felt compelled to act. Without hesitation, she underwent compatibility testing and was a perfect match.
“This was both unexpected and amazing,” said Coveney, an eighth-grade social studies teacher. “It’s such a relief. It brought back my faith in humanity. There are good people willing to do selfless things.”
