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September 17, 2012

Video: Queens Residents Weigh In On Willets Point Plan

By  NY1 Staff / NY1


Queens residents packed the auditorium at the Our Lady of Sorrows Church Monday to voice their opposition to a plan to redevelop Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Members of the community say they want some input on the project that would see a shopping mall go up near Citi Field and a Major League Soccer stadium where Industry Pond now sits.

In addition to the shopping and sports complex, the U.S. Tennis Association is lobbying for a new stadium at the site as well.

Opponents say they don't want their park gutted.

"Why don't they just build the stadium in Central Park?" said City Councilman Daniel Dromm. "That's the question all of us have here. Whenever they want to build something, they don't ever think about putting it in their flagship park in Manhattan."

"What we want to kind of show today is that this community is organized," said Javier Valdes of Make The Road New York. "This community wants to be part of those conversations. This community wants to be thinking about what is the future of Flushing Meadows Corona Park."

Any transfer of park land has to go through the State Legislature.

The City Council will hold a series of public hearings on the matter, the results of which could influence the state's decision.

In a statement, Major League Soccer said it would replace any park land used for the stadium.

To view the video, click here.


More on: Enivironmental Justice 

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Victory for Immigrant Families: Preventing Unjust Deportations in NYC

On March 18, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg signed new legislation to stop federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using NYC’s criminal justice system to deport thousands of New Yorkers.

Building on legislation we helped to win just over a year ago, Local Laws 21 and 22 prohibit not only the Department of Correction but now also the NYPD from spending millions of city taxpayer dollars to hold individuals on behalf of ICE agents for detention and deportation. Each year, thousands of New York families will stay together who would otherwise have been torn apart by overly aggressive, indiscriminate immigration enforcement.

At a moment when the country is debating immigration reform, with these laws, New York City sends a clear message to Washington that tearing apart thousands of immigrant families is bad policy.

With your support, we look forward to winning national reform that keeps families together. We thank our partners at the Center for Popular Democracy, the Cardozo Immigration Justice Clinic and the bills’ sponsors, NYC Council Speaker Quinn and Council Member Mark-Viverito, for their courageous leadership.


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