Willets Point, Queens
Encyclopedia
Willets Point, also known locally as the Iron Triangle, is the name currently applied to a neighborhood of Corona
, in the New York City
borough
of Queens
.
It is bounded by Northern Boulevard to the north, 126th Street and Citi Field to the west, Roosevelt Avenue
and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
to the south and the Flushing River
to the east. The IRT 7 Train
stops at the Mets–Willets Point station near the southwest corner of the "Triangle", at Roosevelt Avenue at 126 Street. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 7
.
Willets Point currently has no sidewalks or sewers. In times of heavy rain, flooding is common. The area is very industrial and is filled with auto repair shops, scrap yards
, waste processing sites, and similar small businesses. A Hunter College
study found that Willets Point was a "unique regional destination" for auto parts and repairs.
of the same name at the confluence of the East River
and Long Island Sound
. The true Willets Point is the site of Fort Totten near Bayside
, but over the course of the 20th century it became common to apply the name "Willets Point" (derived from the street, rather than the geographical feature) to this area instead.
After the New York Jets
left Shea Stadium
following the 1983 season to play at the Meadowlands
, Willets Point was the proposed location for a new 82,000-seat domed football stadium that would bring the Jets back to New York. After the Jets decided to remain in New Jersey
, the proposed stadium was also discussed as a potential new home for the St. Louis football Cardinals
, Atlanta Falcons
, and New Jersey Generals
. Since 2009, the neighborhood has been discussed as a potential site for the New York Islanders
to move to, as well as a Major League Soccer
team.
Willets Point was also the location for a proposed stadium for the 2012 Summer Olympics
and press center, which would have replaced Shea Stadium
and the car junkyards; however, New York City lost its Olympic bid
. Nonetheless, a new baseball stadium for the New York Mets
named Citi Field was constructed to replace the aging, adjacent Shea Stadium
.
, Robert Moses
tried to incorporate Willets Point into Flushing Meadows-Corona Park but failed when the junkyard owners hired Mario Cuomo
as their lawyer.
On May 1, 2007, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
announced his administration's new plan for urban renewal
in the area, calling Willets Point "another euphemism for blight." The plan called for replacing the scrapyards and industrial sites with a sustainable and affordable mixed-use development including a convention center
,5,500 units of housing,1.7 million sf of retail,130,000 sf k-8 school,500,000 sf of office space,150,000 sf Community Facility, as well as environmental remediation, installation of sewers and other infrastructure, and relocation of previous businesses.Willets Point would created more than 5,300 permanent jobs and add 18,000 construction jobs.
On April 9, 2008, the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association (WPIRA), a group of the 10 largest business and land owners in Willets Point, filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the City of New York
seeking a court order requiring the City to provide infrastructure improvements, including repairs to streets and storm sewers, installation of sanitary sewers, street lights, street signs and other services that the City had allegedly withheld for over 40 years, as well as unspecified damages for past neglect. Judge Edward R Korman
granted the City's motion to dismiss this lawsuit on November 25th, 2009.
On April 21, 2008, a majority of the New York City Council
's members expressed their "adamant opposition" to the proposed Willets Point redevelopment in writing to Robert Lieber, New York City's Deputy Mayor for Economic Development.
The "adamant opposition" letter was signed by the following 29 City Council members: Addabbo, Avella, Barron, Comrie, DeBlasio, Dickens, Eugene, Fidler, Gennaro, Gentile, Gioia, S. Gonzalez, James, Koppell, Liu, M. Martinez, Mealy, R. Mendez, Monserrate
, Palma, Reyna, J. Rivera, Sanders, Sears, Vacca, Vann, Weprin, T. White and Yassky.
On April 24, 2008, Queens elected officials, various union members and others rallied at a press conference on the steps of New York City Hall. The gathering was in support of having the City move forward with the proposed development of Willets Point. The rally was led by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall
. Also in attendance were state senators Frank Padavan
and Toby Ann Stavisky
and Assembly Member Nettie Mayersohn
, former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman
and Queens Chamber of Commerce President Al Pennisi who spoke about the vital role the development would play in the Queens business community.
The plan was approved with numerous conditions by Queens Community Board 7 on June 30, 2008 and by the City Planning Commission
on September 24, 2008. The City Council held a public hearing regarding the plan on October 17 and voted on November 13, 2008 to approve the redevelopment plan, which includes the potential use of eminent domain to acquire property. Some property owners have vowed to try to stop the plan through litigation, while others voluntarily sold their property to the City during the fall of 2008 so as to avert involuntary taking of their property through eminent domain and relocation by the New York City Economic Development Corporation
. On July 31 2009, the Corporation announced plans to invest $100 million into infrastructure projects in Queens that would include development in Willets Point.
In March 2009, Joseph Ardizzone (the only resident of Willets Point) and several local businesses filed another lawsuit, in state court, challenging the City's approval of the development plan and contending that the plan had undergone inadequate environmental review.
Allegations arose in 2009 that the City of New York and its Economic Development Corporation had improperly provided funding to organizations that lobbied the City Council in favor of the Willets Point development plan.
In May 2010 the New York City Department of Transportation
opened a new Municipal Asphalt Plant on Harper Street, on the north side of Willets Point.
Corona, Queens
Corona is a densely-populated neighborhood in the former Township of Newtown in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States...
, in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
It is bounded by Northern Boulevard to the north, 126th Street and Citi Field to the west, Roosevelt Avenue
Roosevelt Avenue
Roosevelt Avenue is a main thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens. Roosevelt Avenue begins at 48th Street and Queens Boulevard in the neighborhood of Sunnyside...
and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadow Park, Flushing Meadows Park or Flushing Meadows, is a public park in New York City. It contains the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the current venue for the U.S...
to the south and the Flushing River
Flushing River
The Flushing River, more properly and historically known as Flushing Creek, is a waterway that flows through the northern part of central Queens in New York City, emptying into the East River...
to the east. The IRT 7 Train
IRT Flushing Line
The Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route...
stops at the Mets–Willets Point station near the southwest corner of the "Triangle", at Roosevelt Avenue at 126 Street. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 7
Queens Community Board 7
The Queens Community Board 7 is a local governmental advisory board in New York City, encompassing the neighborhoods of Flushing, Bay Terrace, College Point, Whitestone, Malba, Murray Hill, Linden Hill, Beechhurst, Queensboro Hill and Willets Point, in the borough of Queens...
.
Willets Point currently has no sidewalks or sewers. In times of heavy rain, flooding is common. The area is very industrial and is filled with auto repair shops, scrap yards
Wrecking yard
A scrapyard or junkyard is the location of a dismantling business where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies...
, waste processing sites, and similar small businesses. A Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
study found that Willets Point was a "unique regional destination" for auto parts and repairs.
History
The area was named after that portion of Willets Point Boulevard lying west of Flushing Creek, which flows northward past the area. Willets Point Boulevard once crossed a bridge (no longer in existence) over Flushing Creek and continued to the capeCape (geography)
In geography, a cape or headland is a point or body of land extending into a body of water, usually the sea.A cape usually represents a marked change in trend of the coastline. Their proximity to the coastline makes them prone to natural forms of erosion, mainly tidal actions. This results in capes...
of the same name at the confluence of the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
and Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. The true Willets Point is the site of Fort Totten near Bayside
Bayside, Queens
Bayside is a suburban neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York, New York in the United States. Bayside is known as one of the most expensive areas to live in Queens, with well kept homes and landscaping...
, but over the course of the 20th century it became common to apply the name "Willets Point" (derived from the street, rather than the geographical feature) to this area instead.
After the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
left Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
following the 1983 season to play at the Meadowlands
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
, Willets Point was the proposed location for a new 82,000-seat domed football stadium that would bring the Jets back to New York. After the Jets decided to remain in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the proposed stadium was also discussed as a potential new home for the St. Louis football Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and New Jersey Generals
New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
. Since 2009, the neighborhood has been discussed as a potential site for the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
to move to, as well as a Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team.
Willets Point was also the location for a proposed stadium for the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
and press center, which would have replaced Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
and the car junkyards; however, New York City lost its Olympic bid
New York City 2012 Olympic bid
The New York City 2012 Olympic bid was one of the five short-listed bids for the 2012 Summer Olympics, ultimately won by London 2012.New York City's Olympic Bid, run by the private non-profit organization NYC2012, was founded by Daniel L. Doctoroff, who was managing director of a successful private...
. Nonetheless, a new baseball stadium for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
named Citi Field was constructed to replace the aging, adjacent Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
.
Urban renewal
Several redevelopment plans for Willets Point were proposed during the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but never consummated. Before the 1964 New York World's Fair1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
, Robert Moses
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
tried to incorporate Willets Point into Flushing Meadows-Corona Park but failed when the junkyard owners hired Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
as their lawyer.
On May 1, 2007, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
announced his administration's new plan for urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
in the area, calling Willets Point "another euphemism for blight." The plan called for replacing the scrapyards and industrial sites with a sustainable and affordable mixed-use development including a convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
,5,500 units of housing,1.7 million sf of retail,130,000 sf k-8 school,500,000 sf of office space,150,000 sf Community Facility, as well as environmental remediation, installation of sewers and other infrastructure, and relocation of previous businesses.Willets Point would created more than 5,300 permanent jobs and add 18,000 construction jobs.
On April 9, 2008, the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association (WPIRA), a group of the 10 largest business and land owners in Willets Point, filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the City of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
seeking a court order requiring the City to provide infrastructure improvements, including repairs to streets and storm sewers, installation of sanitary sewers, street lights, street signs and other services that the City had allegedly withheld for over 40 years, as well as unspecified damages for past neglect. Judge Edward R Korman
Edward R. Korman
Edward R. Korman is a United States district judge serving on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on October 2, 1985, confirmed by the United States Senate on November 1, 1985, commissioned on November 4, 1985, and...
granted the City's motion to dismiss this lawsuit on November 25th, 2009.
On April 21, 2008, a majority of the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
's members expressed their "adamant opposition" to the proposed Willets Point redevelopment in writing to Robert Lieber, New York City's Deputy Mayor for Economic Development.
The "adamant opposition" letter was signed by the following 29 City Council members: Addabbo, Avella, Barron, Comrie, DeBlasio, Dickens, Eugene, Fidler, Gennaro, Gentile, Gioia, S. Gonzalez, James, Koppell, Liu, M. Martinez, Mealy, R. Mendez, Monserrate
Hiram Monserrate
Hiram Monserrate is a former member of the New York State Senate. He represented the 13th District which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Woodside...
, Palma, Reyna, J. Rivera, Sanders, Sears, Vacca, Vann, Weprin, T. White and Yassky.
On April 24, 2008, Queens elected officials, various union members and others rallied at a press conference on the steps of New York City Hall. The gathering was in support of having the City move forward with the proposed development of Willets Point. The rally was led by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall
Helen Marshall
Helen M. Marshall is the 18th Borough President of Queens, first elected in November 2001, to succeed the term-limited Claire Shulman...
. Also in attendance were state senators Frank Padavan
Frank Padavan
Frank Padavan is an engineer and was a Republican New York state senator representing District 11, located in Queens County. His district included the communities of Queens Village, Flushing, Bayside, Whitestone, Douglaston, Little Neck, College Point, Bellerose, Hollis, Jamaica Estates, Floral...
and Toby Ann Stavisky
Toby Ann Stavisky
Toby Ann Stavisky represents the in the New York State Senate which comprises the Queens neighborhoods of Bay Terrace, Bayside, Beechhurst, Clearview Gardens, Flushing, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Hillcrest, Elmhurst, Electchester, Pomonok, Queensboro Hill, Whitestone, Woodside, Mitchell Linden,...
and Assembly Member Nettie Mayersohn
Nettie Mayersohn
Nettie Mayersohn is a former member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 27th District in Flushing, Queens. Her district extends from Kew Gardens Hills, to Kew Gardens and the northern edge of Richmond Hill....
, former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman
Claire Shulman
Claire K. Shulman is an American politician. She was the borough president of Queens, New York from 1986 until 2002; the first woman to hold this position in New York City's history....
and Queens Chamber of Commerce President Al Pennisi who spoke about the vital role the development would play in the Queens business community.
The plan was approved with numerous conditions by Queens Community Board 7 on June 30, 2008 and by the City Planning Commission
New York City Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning is a governmental agency of New York City responsible for setting the framework of city's physical and socioeconomic planning...
on September 24, 2008. The City Council held a public hearing regarding the plan on October 17 and voted on November 13, 2008 to approve the redevelopment plan, which includes the potential use of eminent domain to acquire property. Some property owners have vowed to try to stop the plan through litigation, while others voluntarily sold their property to the City during the fall of 2008 so as to avert involuntary taking of their property through eminent domain and relocation by the New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a non-profit local development corporation that promotes economic growth across New York City's five boroughs. It is the City's official Economic development corporation, charged with using the City's assets to drive growth, create jobs, and...
. On July 31 2009, the Corporation announced plans to invest $100 million into infrastructure projects in Queens that would include development in Willets Point.
In March 2009, Joseph Ardizzone (the only resident of Willets Point) and several local businesses filed another lawsuit, in state court, challenging the City's approval of the development plan and contending that the plan had undergone inadequate environmental review.
Allegations arose in 2009 that the City of New York and its Economic Development Corporation had improperly provided funding to organizations that lobbied the City Council in favor of the Willets Point development plan.
In May 2010 the New York City Department of Transportation
New York City Department of Transportation
The New York City Department of Transportation is responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure...
opened a new Municipal Asphalt Plant on Harper Street, on the north side of Willets Point.
Miscellaneous
- The 2007 fictional film, Chop ShopChop Shop (film)Chop Shop is a 2007 American drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Ramin Bahrani. The film tells the story of a twelve-year-old street orphan living and working in Willets Point, an area in Queens, New York filled with automobile repair shops, scrapyards and garbage dumps.Chop Shop...
, was filmed and takes place in this neighborhood. - Willets Point has one resident.
External links
- New York City EDC description of Willets Point Development District plan
- PlanNYC (NYU Furman Center): Willets Point Development
- noLandGrab
- VIDEO - "Willets Point: Behind the Curbline"
- VIDEO - "Willets Point Lawsuit News Conference, PART ONE" (City Council Members).
- VIDEO - "Willets Point Lawsuit News Conference, PART TWO" (Attorney; Property and Business Owners).
- Willets Point Industry and Realty Association