You are reading

Troublesome Kew Gardens Hotel Served With More Than a Dozen Summonses

Umbrella Hotel (Google Maps)

Nov. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin

A troublesome hotel in Kew Gardens, which has been a hotbed for crime and illegal activity since the summer, was served with more than a dozen summonses from city agencies last week.

The Umbrella Hotel was hit with 15 summonses – including two criminal summonses — following a multi-agency inspection by the NYPD, FDNY, DOB, DEP and Sheriff’s Office, local lawmakers announced Wednesday.

The hotel, located at 124-18 Queens Blvd., was issued three civil violations from the NYPD, nine violations from the FDNY and three by the DOB in total for a variety of issues such as lack of egress and a faulty fire alarm system.

The operators of the hotel were slapped with multiple fines and court appearance tickets as a result of the violations. They could face further sanctions, local Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal said.

The Umbrella Hotel was the scene of two shootings over the summer — one of which left the front door bullet-ridden — as well as a sex trafficking incident involving a minor.

Bullet holes in the door of the Umbrella Hotel (Courtesy of Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal’s Office)

Elected officials, including Rosenthal, have been calling on City Hall to address the violence and criminal activity at the hotel for months.

This past weekend, the Mayor’s Office approved a Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots (MARCH) Operation in response to their calls, the assembly member said.

“For months, we have been asking City Hall to take action and assist the 102nd Precinct and our community in shutting down this hotel,” Rosenthal said in a statement. “The MARCH operation was a good first step in bringing these concerns to the forefront of enforcement, but we need continued cooperation from the City to ensure that violent crimes and public health violations come to an end at this location. We cannot accept anything less.”

Lawmakers praised the 102nd Precinct for its response. They remain hopeful that the hotel will be shut down and viewed the MARCH operation as an important first step toward that end.

“I want to offer, on behalf of myself and the Kew Gardens community, a sincere thank you to Captain Ficadaro of the 102nd Precinct for his resolute determination to bring the indefensible and outrageous situation at the Umbrella Hotel under control,” Council Member Karen Koslowitz said. “Hopefully, this mayoral multi-agency response under the Captain’s leadership will provide the impetus for shutting down the Umbrella Hotel.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Three masked men sought for snatching gold chains from 7 train rider at Main Street-Flushing subway station: NYPD

Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are looking for a trio of turnstile-jumping, chain-snatching robbers who targeted a 7 train rider at the Main Street subway station late last month.

The incident took place on the night of Thursday, Sept. 26, when a 24-year-old man was walking through the Main Street-Flushing subway station just before 8 p.m. Three strangers confronted him, snatched two gold chains from his neck and fled in an unknown direction, according to police. The victim was not injured in the robbery.

Op-ed: Time to register, license, and insure motorized two-wheelers before our streets become even more dangerous

Oct. 2, 2024 By Tom Grech, Councilmember Sandra Ung and Assemblymember Sam Berger

Businesses are feeling the impact. From Astoria to Flushing, sidewalks and streets that once allowed shoppers to stroll safely have become obstacle courses where two-wheelers zip past at alarming speeds, weaving between pedestrians and cars with little regard for the rules of the road. When customers are concerned for their safety, they are less likely to visit, which hurts both business owners and the wider local economy. Haphazardly parked two-wheelers frequently block sidewalks and parking spaces in our commercial corridors, making it more difficult for customers to access our local businesses. This is especially true for seniors and individuals with mobility issues, who now have the added challenge of navigating around e-vehicles to shop at their favorite stores or eat at their favorite restaurants.