The Middle Village Residents Association (MVRA) met to discuss and debate several hot-button issues around the neighborhood: the Interborough Express (IBX), larger housing developments, marijuana dispensaries and St. Saviour’s Church.
CB9 Managing Director and All Faiths Cemetery Treasurer James McClelland spoke as a representative of the cemetery, and after several other presentations from elected offices, a representative of Senator Joseph Addabbo gave a plaque to MVRA President Paul Pogozelski, commemorating the long history of the property owners and residents association.
“I, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., proudly recognize and celebrate the 210th anniversary of Middle Village Residents Association, honoring its rich history, resilient spirit and bright future,” said Addabbo, whose representative presented the certificate in his stead.
McClelland informed the community that MTA engineers, looking into the potential for expanding the tunnel that runs underneath All Faith’s Cemetery to fit two new tracks for the IBX, had visited the grounds on two occasions for a “total of about 20 minutes.” Community members present at this meeting and a previous open house with MTA employees have expressed fears that the operation would disturb the peace of those resting at the cemetery, as well as push the authority to seize surrounding homes via eminent domain to fit the proposed Elliot Avenue station.
The IBX has a long history of its plan being floated by those in Queens: 35 years now, according to one MVRA member. Residents of Middle Village worry about extra noise pollution and the potential influx of crime, should the residential neighborhood be connected via subway to both Brooklyn and Northern Queens. Particularly, residents fear that building the substation needed to power the line would require the use of eminent domain.
The community fears eminent domain could be exercised on the final resting place of those within the Eternal Light Community Mausoleum at the entrance of the All Faiths Cemetery, as the MTA has previously stated it could potentially be moved to make room for the expanded tunnel. However, the MTA has stated that the IBX is still in its design phases, and engineers are determining what is and is not possible.
“The MTA has a team of designers and engineers minimizing disturbances during construction. We’re committed to working with the cemetery and stakeholders throughout the process,” an MTA spokesperson told QNS in November 2025.
Though MVRA members still have hopes of delaying the new train line or stopping the station entirely, Pogozelski emphasized the need to work closely with the MTA to ensure minimal community disruption, citing Queens’ lack of support for congestion pricing. Middle Village and Southern Queens residents were largely against the idea, and Pogozelski believes it’s the reason why the tolls were instituted in suboptimal spots, leading to commuters paying fines for driving past the 59th Street bridge without ever entering Manhattan.
“We need to stop trying to stop the IBX line completely. The money [for congestion pricing infrastructure] was earmarked, they put it in and it came to fruition, but all the local legislators all said it was never going to happen,” Pogozelski said. “If the legislators were a little more proactive, they would have been able to get those counters moved one block. Instead of saying ‘It’s never going to happen, or it’s not going to happen in our lifetime,’ I think it’s more important to say ‘How are we going to get ahead of these issues?'”
Pogozelski prefers to concentrate on the proposed Elliot Avenue station and mitigating its impact on the nearby businesses and Juniper Valley Park. Alicia Vaichunas, deputy chief of staff for Council Member Phil Wong, seconded concerns for Elliot Avenue and included another proposed station on Grand Avenue.
“They’re looking to take homes in Middle Village. We’re also going to worry about Grand Avenue, so if folks stop we need to actually fight for it because we don’t want them taking homes because then they’re all over Grand Avenue in Maspeth, and whoever’s coming in, say from Roosevelt Avenue, will stop on Grand Avenue, and they’re going to come into Middle Village.”
As of now, the MTA is still working with CSX, the owner of the existing freight line, to access and assess the tunnel for the potential expansion. Currently, the team is surveying to gather data and geotechnical information for the plans and stated the process remains in discussion with both CSX and All Faiths Cemetery.
