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Borough Board casts vote in first meeting of the year

Leroy Comrie and Melinda Katz
THE COURIER/Photo by Melissa Chan

The Queens Borough Board approved the $1.5 million sale of a vacant Flushing lot Monday, during its first meeting of the year.

Board members unanimously voted to allow the city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services to dispose of a 2,500-square-foot parcel in the heart of Flushing to an entity of the city’s Economic Development Corp.

The property at 135-15 40th Rd. will then be sold to developer Success 88, to be built into a six-story building with commercial and office space. It will also have a community facility, which includes a school for English learners.

“This is a very good project,” said Councilmember Peter Koo, who represents the area. “It will bring prosperity and jobs to the community.”

Then-Borough President Helen Marshall approved the city’s ULURP plans in October.

The $4.5 million project is expected to begin construction in 2015 and end in late 2016, officials said.

Voting members of Monday’s board included Borough President Melinda Katz, the borough’s City Council delegation and Community Board 7 Chair Gene Kelty.

“Even though it’s my first meeting as the borough president, it’s not everybody else’s first meeting,” Katz said. “You guys have been doing great work, and I look forward to continuing that.”

“I look forward to having a very active borough board,” Katz said. “It’s an exciting time for us.”

Developers of the long-delayed Flushing Commons project also updated the board on changes to its $850 million plan, including a parking strategy that would keep the lot’s 1,144 spaces during construction.

“This will have a softer impact on the community,” said Michael Meyer, president of F&T Group. “I think it’s a win-win-win. We’re excited we’re finally getting started.”

The two-phase upscale complex, when complete, will include a total of more than 600 residential units, 500,000 square feet of retail space, a 62,000-square-foot YMCA and a 1.5-acre space with a fountain plaza and amphitheater.

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