Jan. 10, 2024 By Bill Parry Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Wednesday his approval of Phase II of the Willets Point redevelopment plan that will bring 1,400 units of affordable housing to a desolate area near Citi Field, along with a 25,000-seat soccer stadium to be used as the home of the New York City Football Club (NYCFC), a 250-room hotel, a 650-seat public school, retail space and nearly three acres of open space. The recommendation, subject to conditions, comes nearly a month after a hearing was held Dec. 13 where two dozen area residents offered testimony, with the…
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Tag: queens-borough-president-donovan-richards
2024 Queens community board applications open
Jan. 4, 2024 By Ethan Marshall Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced his office is now accepting applications for the 14 Queens community boards in 2024. Qualified and civic-minded individuals have until Feb. 16 to apply. The deadline also applies for existing community board members who wish to continue to serve should their two-year term…
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Queens officials celebrate completion of renovation project at Flushing-Main Street subway station
Nov. 28, 2023 By Rachel Butler Flushing Council Member Sandra Ung joined representatives from the MTA to celebrate the completion of upgrades at the Flushing-Main Street subway station on Nov. 22. The improvements, which took nearly two years to complete, consisted of the replacement of eight staircases and installation of eight new ones, the addition of four new points of entry to the station and the creation of two new fare control areas. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said that the expansion was one of the largest modernization projects undertaken by the MTA. “Installing new staircases, creating new entries…
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Queens communities gather at Borough Hall for festive Diwali celebration
Nov. 9, 2023 By Ethan Marshall Around 100 members of Queens’ Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain communities, along with local leaders, gathered together to celebrate Diwali at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center in Queens Borough Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Several Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain individuals and organizations were honored at the celebration as well. The celebration kicked off with the lighting of the Diya lamp, which is meant to symbolize the holiday’s message of the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Those honored at the Diwali celebration with citations included Ram Hardowar, Harish Chander Puri,…
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Queens borough president hosting veterans celebration at Helen Marshall Cultural Center
Oct. 31, 2023 By Bill Parry With Veterans Day approaching on Saturday, Nov. 11, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is inviting all military veterans across Queens County to a celebration honoring the sacrifices of those that have served the United States of America in uniform. The celebration will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 8 in the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall. “Queens is proud to be home to nearly 42,000 military veterans — more than any other borough,” Richards said. “We are having this celebration to express our appreciation for all that our veterans…
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‘Major step closer’: Massive Willets Point transformation project enters city’s land use approval process
Oct. 16, 2023 By Bill Parry The city’s arduous public review process is underway for the massive plan to build a new neighborhood at Willets Point. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced Monday the formal beginning of the Uniformed Land Use Review Process, known as ULURP, for the city’s largest all-affordable housing…
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Queens community stands united in support of Israel at Kew Gardens vigil
Oct. 9, 2023 By Iryna Shkurhan More than 100 people gathered outside of the Queens Public Library in Kew Gardens Hills to show their support and stand in solidarity with Israel while mourning the lives lost as a result of Hamas’ surprise attack this past weekend. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who gathered numerous politicians…
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Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge returns for second season
Oct. 4, 2023 By Bill Parry Coming off a successful inaugural season in which five Queens start-up companies each received $20,000 in seed funding, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Tuesday that his Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge (QTIC) is returning for a second straight year. The competition seeks to empower borough entrepreneurs with the…
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City announces $8.5 million investment for Queens Museum, additional funding for cultural institutions across borough
Aug. 23, 2023 By Bill Parry
Queens borough president’s demographic report shows large number of first-time appointed community board members
Aug. 9, 2023 By Carlotta Mohamed In 2023, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. continued to build on his administration’s efforts toward rectifying long-standing demographic inequities in community board membership by doubling down on effective reforms and prioritizing appointees from underrepresented constituencies. On Monday, Aug. 7, Richards’ office released its latest 2023 Queens Community Board…
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