City Council Ignores NY'ers - Queensboro Bridge To Become Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge

1909 postmarked postcard. Copyright 1908 by Moses King. Rendering by J. Koehler, NY. Caption: Queens Borough Bridge, over the East River from East 59th St. and 2d Ave., Manhattan, to Jane and Academy Sts., Long Island City; great cantilever structure costing with approaches $25,000,000; rests on six masonry piers; 7,636 ft. long; west span, 1,182 ft.; clear height over channels, 135 ft.; height of island towers, 324 ft.; width 86 ft.; two decks with 53-ft. roadway, four trolley lines, two railroad tracks and two promenades; will open short, direct route to Queens Borough; designed by Gustav Lindenthal, Bridge Commissioner, 1901-3; to be opened 1908

The results are in! Despite public opposition, 3/23/11 will be remembered as the day City Council voted 38 to 12 to rename the Queensboro Bridge as the "Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge."

Some elected officials worked on behalf of their constituency's interests and our city's history, including CM James Van Bramer & CM Peter Vallone Jr, so kudos to them. Within the upcoming weeks, our city's name-change idea originator, Mayor Bloomberg, will presumably give his pen to enact this legislation. For information on its political supporters and opponents, visit The New York Times: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/soon-you-can-take-the-koch-bridge-to-queens/?ref=nyregion

A poll by Quinnipiac University found that 64% of New Yorkers opposed the renaming plan. In addition, there are great comments from a vast coalition of New Yorkers and tourists abound who signed a petition in opposition to renaming the historic Queensboro Bridge, and this is one of the many notables...

Signer 867. Elizabeth Mueller, Sunnyside, NY: As a proud Queens resident of 5 years, I would like to ask that the bridge remain named the Queensboro Bridge. I love the bridge and its legacy of over 100 years, and feel that a renaming would be disrespectful to not only the bridge, but the entire borough. Would you rename the Brooklyn Bridge after Ed Koch? I think not.

Mayor Bloomberg said that private donations would be collected to finance the changing of the bridge's signage. Well, let's consider the reported $4 million utilized in 2008 to change our Triboro Bridge's name to the RFK Bridge. Regardless of whether private donations will be used in the Queensboro Bridge case, shouldn't we be focused on spending such a sum on restoring infrastructure, repaving roads, preserving our children's education, keeping our firehouses open, and reopening and improving our hospitals? Placing the integrity of former Mayor Ed Koch aside, there is a multitude of ways to better spend public and/or private funds, than needlessly compromising the name of our storied bridge for politician sake.

Is All Hope Lost? The Power In YOU...

1. City Council should realize that the Queensboro Bridge name is supposedly subject to protection under the Landmarks Law, so will renaming plans be scrapped afterall? Voice your opposition to Chairman Robert Tierney of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission or e-mail him directly at rtierney@lpc.nyc.gov & comments@lpc.nyc.gov

2. The constituency of Queens and New Yorkers at large is once again overrode, but REMEMBER that We The People are the true winners, who embrace civic pride and duties, and launched a diligent cause. Some politicians need a Civic 101 course on why they were elected to office. Never abandon your freedom to advocate for what you believe in while acknowledging the citizen majority, & keep signing and commenting on the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/QBrename/petition.html

The Queensboro Bridge was also referred to as the Blackwell's Island Bridge - Circa 1909 postcard

Circa 1920s postcard published by American Studio, NY, shows the Richard Peck steamship. Caption: QUEENSBORO BRIDGE over east River and Long Island City from East 59th St, Manhattan to Long Island City, is a great cantilever structure 7,636 feet long, clear height over channel 135 feet, height of island towers 324 feet, begun in 1901, opened March 30, 1909; total cost $29,000,000.

Queensboro Bridge 1-fare brass token. circa 1970

Queensboro Bridge 1-fare brass token. circa 1970, 2nd side

Petition Opposing Renaming of Queensboro Bridge!

Queensboro Bridge Circa 1910 Postcard

Mayor Bloomberg might as well wipe Queens off the map. The Queensboro Bridge may be stripped of its historic name, and may only exist as a roadway connecting Queens to Manhattan. Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Quinn reportedly support the renaming of this historic bridge after former Mayor Ed Koch. Who will say, Let's take the Ed Koch Bridge? And... Where will it leave you?

Please sign, comment, & share the PETITION opposed to renaming the Queensboro Bridge: http://www.petitiononline.com/QBrename/petition.html

It is a LANDMARK on an architectural, cultural, & historical basis, & its name is supposedly safeguarded under the Landmarks Law. If the politicians have their way, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission doesn't take a stance, will they sell the Queensboro Bridge's 1909 dedication plaque on the approach for scrap, which bears Queensboro Bridge, or will it be tossed into the East River?

Opinions aside on former Mayor Edward I. Koch's integrity, but what affiliation does he have with the bridge & Queens? The practice of renaming historic sites after politicians, and wasting any of the city or state's funds must come to a halt! Elected officials including Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. and Queens State Senator Tony Avella hear the voices of the people; many of whom we conversed with that oppose the bridge renaming.

The Queens Campaigner reported on February 24th that a hearing was held by the Council for the proposed name change. It states, "At the hearing, 12 to 15 people gave testimony, most of whom had worked with Ed Koch. Of those who testified, only one said he was not in favor of changing the name."

On Dec 10, 2010, Queens BP Helen Marshall told The Queens Courier, “I haven’t found one person who thinks this is a good idea. I think a lot of people have good feelings about the former mayor, but renaming a bridge is another story. We are going to watch this.” The Queens Courier then went on to report, "The renaming of the Triboro Bridge, which became the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in 2008, cost the city and state nearly $4 million for new signage."

Let's reflect upon our recent past... Remember the Queensboro Bridge's Centennial Celebration from May 28 - July 31, 2009? Events & history: http://www.nycbridges100.org/queensboro.php

A final vote on the renaming will occur on March 23, 2011. Will the constituents be heard?

SUM: If approved, this will be yet another long-term publicity campaign at our city's "expense," in more ways than one.

Forest Hills Inn Awaits Restoration... Will The Promise Be Fulfilled?

If the Forest Hills Inn's co-op board is able to pull together the funding for a long-awaited restoration of this prominent tower, the facade will once again be appreciated for its historic Tudor appeal, cultural prestige, and the unsightly scaffolding and netting that was erected in 2004 will be a chapter of its not-so-memorable "recent past."

Rendering of Station Square with the Forest Hills Inn, gracing the skyline in a circa 1909 ad. Note the English garden community feel, and the $14 to $18 quotes for a week's stay, which includes meals, the tea garden, golf, tennis, squash, & billiards. Restore the recreational aspect to Forest Hills! Courtesy of Michael Perlman Postcard Collection

Wide-angle of Station Square from LIRR Station on July 27, 2009. A century after its establishment! Sadly, netting obscures the facade for nearly 7 years. Photo by Chair Michael Perlman, Rego-Forest Preservation Council

Aerial view from The Kennedy House at 110-11 Queens Blvd towards Austin St & Station Square, Sept 23, 2010 - Photo by Chair Michael Perlman, Rego-Forest Preservation Council

May the Forest Hills Inn once again be a framing opportunity! This ornate work enhances the ambiance of Nick's Pizza on Ascan Ave in The Tilden Arms apt house.

The Forest Hills Inn is an anchor of Station Square, the Forest Hills Gardens, and the greater community. The Gardens, which was rated #1 in Cottage Living magazine in summer 2007, is our country's earliest and most highly regarded planned communities (1909), inspired by Ebenezer Howard's Garden City Movement. It is a superb and rare model of urban planning, with its Tudor mansions, few apartment buildings, private parks and streets, religious sites, community house, monuments, and the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium as another anchor. 

Station Square Photoset on Flickr by RFPC Chair Michael Perlman

According to published reports, when the deterioration of a pipe of the Forest Hills Inn came to its climax nearly 7 years back, it resulted in flooding, and some residents had to relocate. The facade was also in need of re-pointing and the replacement of some terra-cotta tiles. Netting and scaffolding was erected around that time.The restoration process has reportedly run overtime due to a dispute between the Forest Hills Inn's co-op board and the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation; the latter which ensures that the Forest Hills Gardens' extensive array of historic properties are safeguarded aesthetically, through historic Restrictive Covenants. The co-op board claimed that the Forest Hills Gardens Corp wanted them to remove the "unsightly" scaffolding. Litigation was pursued. A major concern was that if the Forest Hills Gardens Corp kept pursuing litigation, the funding secured for the Forest Hills Inn's restoration would be in jeopardy, in order to finance any necessary attorneys. In any case, it is important for a historically-sensitive restoration that would bring the Forest Hills Inn up to code, and not let legal matters play a major role, since it may jeopardize the future of what is known as a "landmark" by sight.

Let's party like it's July 4, 1919, as featured in a celebration poster. Station Square hosted patriotic festivals in its heyday. Will we schedule another celebration upon completion of the Forest Hills Inn's restoration?

 The Forest Hills Ledger has the full report of the Forest Hills Inn's current status, and hopes for a sightly future: 

http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2011/02/18/forest_hills/forest_hills_ledger/news/fh_forest_hills_inn_20110217.txt