2006 Queens Business Book

When cars enter the Queensborough Bridge in Manhattan, they are momentarily whisked away from posh restaurants and apartments on Second Avenue and into an enclosed, shadowy roadway. As the cars descend into Queens Plaza on the other side, they encounter a confused mess of dirty streets where drivers are guided by bunched signs and dilapidated buildings and strip clubs dominating the neighborhood.

Needless to say, it’s a transition the community hopes to change. And, with a new influx of federal funds and local initiatives, many believe Queens Plaza can be rejuvenated into a welcoming gateway to Queens.

The Queens Plaza Roadway Rebuilding project, a $30 million, mostly publicly funded initiative, would seek to restructure the 250-foot roadway that runs from the foot of the bridge to the junction of Northern and Queens Boulevards. The direct objective is to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, which officials hope will ultimately make the area more attractive to new business and residential communities.

The first phase of this redevelopment will involve improving conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, creating dedicated bike lanes, initiating new traffic patterns, landscaping the sidewalks and adding public art fixtures.

U.S. Rep Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), picking up the torch of redistricted U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), has made Queens Plaza something of a pet project. Over the last two years, she has earmarked more than $11 million in federal transportation dollars toward fixing the worn down area.

“Thousands of Queens residents – seniors, commuters and museum-goers alike –will benefit from these federal investments,” Maloney said about the federal funding. “I am proud to direct federal funds to improve our transportation system and to help organizations that are vital parts of Queens’s social and cultural life.”

For years, Queens Plaza was neglected, considered a den of prostitutes and drug peddlers. Outside the many strip clubs in the neighborhood, women can still be seen practicing the world’s oldest profession. Despite numerous crackdowns, authorities recognize the problem has not gone completely away.

But there are signs that the seedy neighborhood could be turning over a new leaf. The new MetLife headquarters, completed several years ago, has been a success, according to most accounts. A famously run-down parking garage will soon be redeveloped. And Long Island City recently gained a Business Improvement District, a consortium of business owners who will collaborate to improve the neighborhood.

A new apartment development recently opened on 27th Street, touting the changing cultural identity of the area. Some are still skeptical, however.

“At least you get a balcony to check out thetwo adjacent strip joints, hookers,the noisy N and 7 right across the street- oh, and the Riker’s bus dumps the fresh out of jail here as well,” one person said of Queens Plaza, writing on a real estate Web site.

Obviously, only time will tell if opinions will change.