News
Announcement for Completion of QueensWay Phase I Schematic Design
May 17th, 2017
Contact: Maggie McKeon, 315-730-5101 [email protected]
THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND AND FRIENDS OF THE QUEENSWAY ANNOUNCE COMPLETION OF QUEENSWAY PHASE I SCHEMATIC DESIGN
New QueensWay Renderings Show Proposed Park Features
Announces Security Consultant Will Advise on Safety & Security Measures
New York, New York –The Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay today finished the schematic design for the first half-mile of the proposed 3.5-mile linear park and trail, and released the new plans and images which depict and locate key public amenities
Phase I, which is next to the neighborhoods of Forest Hills and Glendale, could be built and open to the public by 2020 as a City park. Phase I, “the Metropolitan Hub” will greatly improve access to Forest Park, running from Metropolitan Avenue south to Union Turnpike, where an existing path provides pedestrian and bike access to the park. This section will also provide learning gardens and outdoor classrooms for the over 2000 students in the three schools comprising the Metropolitan Education Campus.
Andy Stone, New York City Director of The Trust for Public Land, said: “Today’s announcement is a tremendous step forward for the QueensWay, which would not have been possible without our partners in government and the community, who enthusiastically provided ideas for safe routes for biking and walking, outdoor classroom space, and enhancements to baseball fields. The completion of a compelling design for the first phase will bring us that much closer to making the QueensWay a reality for hundreds of thousands of people who live within a 10-minute walk.”
The QueensWay Phase I Schematic Design was led by DLANDstudio Architecture + Landscape Architecture, and included input from local residents about desired uses involving community workshops and meetings, as well as a detailed site analysis and survey process. Construction-ready working drawings will be produced over the next year, which will provide the community with additional details on new features of the proposed park. In addition, the QueensWay project will be retaining a safety and security consultant to make recommendations for design and operations of the QueensWay, to maximize the safety of park users and adjacent homes and businesses.
Travis Terry, Member of the Friends of the QueensWay Steering Committee, said: “Today, we are proud to announce that we have reached another significant milestone. In true responsiveness to the community and elected officials, we are releasing the schematic designs for the QueensWay project for everyone to review. Additionally, and equally important, we have hired a security consultant to advise us on the future development of our project. For decades, our own communities and neighbors have endured the unique hardships of living near an abandoned, unsafe and unnatural structure. With these recent developments, we are one step closer to realizing the full potential of the QueensWay project and seeing real improvement to our daily lives. The Friends of the QueensWay expresses its deepest gratitude to the Trust for a Public Land, DLANDstudio, and all of the businesses and residents who have taken the time to contribute their ideas to this project. We look forward to continuing our discussions with the community at large to further refine and improve our plans to produce a project that will be enjoyed by NYC residents for generations to come.”
New York State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (A.D. – 28) said: “It was a pleasure to have been able to provide funding for this stage of the QueensWay project, and am pleased with the progress that has been made to realize this tremendous community amenity. The QueensWay will not only improve quality of life for so many Central Queens residents, but will make great strides in helping to impact our local economy. I look forward to continuing my work and partnership with The Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay in building the QueensWay.”
So far, The Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay have combined over $2 million in private funds and New York state grants to move the QueensWay project forward – completing a plan, building a network of thousands of local supporters and volunteers, in addition to preparing the first stages of design.
For more information on the QueensWay, you can:
- Visit the project web site at www.thequeensway.org.
- Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/QueensWayNYC
- Follow us on Twitter at @QueensWayNYC
- Follow us on Instagram at @QWayNYC
- Email us at [email protected]
About the Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.
About the Friends of the QueensWay
The Friends of the QueensWay is an organization of Queens residents whose mission it is to transform the abandoned and blighted 3.5 miles of the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch into a new linear park and cultural greenway. In addition to the creation of new park space, FQW strongly believes the QueensWay will improve quality of life while generating significant economic benefits for the residents, workers, businesses and visitors to Central and Southern Queens and the City of New York as a whole. Learn more at www.thequeensway.org.
