Security camera footage captured in Queens allegedly caught CEO Julio Medina taking kickbacks and bribes in exchange for services from Queens hotel operator Weihong Hu Photo via the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Several local Queens electeds and City Comptroller Brad Lander are calling on the city not to renew a contract with a borough hotel linked to an alleged illegal kickback scheme Assemblymember Nily Rozic and Councilmembers Linda Lee and Sandra Ung want the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice not to renew a contract for housing formerly incarcerated individuals with Wyndham Garden Fresh Meadows hotel after its owner Weihong Hu was indicted in a fraud scheme alongside other organizations included in the contract The $20 million contract is set to expire on June 30 the comptroller says it could mean more city funding in the pockets of Hu and other indicted individuals also alleged that the city office improperly increased the contact two times previously and failed to vet the problematic vendor claims that the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice denies Hu along with Julio Medina and Christopher Dantzler were charged with fraud bribery and money laundering for allegedly taking millions in kickbacks from city taxpayers given to them through the contract a nonprofit that provides reentry services for formerly incarcerated people diverted taxpayer funds to Dantzler and Hu in exchange for kickbacks Medina allegedly solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks from Hu in exchange for bringing her hotel and her relative’s catering businesses into the work he was contracted to do through the Emergency Housing Program “Hotel owner Weihong Hu stands to gain millions of dollars through a shady contract with outlandish lease payments and nepotistic double-dealings with the food caterer,” said Lander “Ripping off funds meant to provide housing to people transitioning off Rikers is obscene in calling on the Mayor’s Office to immediately halt its plans to renew this contract because doling out $20 million to an individual indicted for fraud against the city is an abuse of taxpayer dollars.” Lander’s office said that the contract should not be cancelled immediately but not renewed when it comes due this summer “This office expects that MOCJ will carefully reconsider whether it is appropriate for services to continue to be provided at the same locations and whether the terms and conditions agreed upon in the underlying contract and related leases serve the best interests of the city and justify the expenditure of public dollars,” Lander’s office’s letter reads the comptroller’s office argued that MOCJ should have terminated the Wyndham contract and a contract with Exodus when reports started to surface last year of improprieties by Medina – who is a well known ally of Mayor Eric Adams “[MOCJ] has continually failed to address or take any action in response to the numerous concerns raised in press articles that have ensued over the past year plus,” the letter read MOCJ continues to facilitate the ability of an indicted hotel owner to reap the benefits of City contracting and receive public dollars.” Lander’s report also claims that the city and its housing vendor Housing Works which the report said a higher fee than other hotels on the program The comptroller also claims that two increases to the contract amount came from MOCJ totalling a little over $3 million “The comptroller's letter makes a series of claims about MOCJ that are not accurate – including suggestions of contract increases that never happened,” the agency said in a statement to the Eagle adding that they intend to respond to Lander in a “timely manner.” MOCJ said the alleged increases were a re-assignement in the budget done to correct a different mistake “Our top goal remains providing safety and stability to justice-involved New Yorkers as they transition back into their communities,” the agency continued MOCJ also said that while it is working to try and find alternatives to the Wyndham site they say that the sites are difficult to find blaming the real estate market and city contracting criteria “MOCJ continues to work with its providers to identify alternative sites for this hotel which the city began using during the previous administration due to the urgent need for housing during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the agency said terminating our work at this property without a suitable alternative would risk community safety While we are working diligently to find a new site siting these kinds of shelters can be difficult for a number of reasons including a tight real estate market and Fair Share criteria we defer to our vendors to choose suitable sites but we will continue to offer assistance through the process.” a quartet of local Queens officials want the problematic hotel site off the city’s payroll and the issues out of their districts "The Wyndham Hotel has a history of problems,” said Meng I have called for the hotel’s contract to be terminated and I join my government colleagues in renewing this demand especially with continuing concerns and new revelations Ung said the hotel raised a number of issues for her constituents “Not only has this hotel raised issues in the community for years the decision to allow it to operate as a shelter raised a number of red flags related to transparency and good governance,” she said “Residents were forced to suffer the quality-of-life issues this hotel created at the same time the operator was profiting from their hard-earned tax dollars I hope this report from the Comptroller’s Office is just a first step in bringing a resolution to this longstanding issue.” Home / Law / Crime / Politics / Communities / Voices / All Stories / Who We Are / Terms and Conditions A century of golf has come to a close at 22nd and Wolf Road Located 20 minutes from downtown Chicago in the rolling hills of Hillside Fresh Meadow Golf Club closed for good on October 14 the land on which Fresh Meadow sits was initially intended as cemetery land What the property will be used for in the future has not been announced Originally known as The Fair Lawn Golf Club 1924 with plans to include a limited membership of 250 The initiation fee for the first 110 members would be $110 Less than three months after the course opened an advertisement appeared in The Chicago Tribune promoting Fair Lawn Golf Club as a public fee course Golfers could play the course all day for 50 cents during the week and $1 on Saturday and Sunday The course was initially 6,150 yards across 143 acres Club house facilities included locker rooms for men and women with shower baths a 9-hole putting course was authorized by club directors in 1924 to be built on the property It’s unclear whether the putting course was ever built The course name eventually morphed into Fairlawn Golf Club and was purchased by Joe Jemsek in 1953, who also acquired Cog Hill Golf & Country Club two years earlier Leasing the grounds from the Archdiocese of Chicago Jemsek made improvements to the layout and renamed the course to Fresh Meadow Golf Club Fresh Meadow was a par 70, 6,276 yard golf course. However, the highlight of the facility was the expansive night-lit learning center which featured a 100-bay covered driving range chipping and putting greens as well as two practice bunkers Walter Lis is the managing editor of Chicago Golf Report Chicago Golf Report is the most visited website on Chicago golf and is one of the top ten most popular local golf websites in the country We are a digital-only news and information resource covering everything golf in Chicago and its suburbs providing the latest news about local golf facilities and civic leaders gathered today at the Holy Family Catholic Church parking lot in Fresh Meadows where cars have for years after hours and late at night for ‘sideshows,’ in which drivers perform reckless burnouts and donuts before crowds of spectators to celebrate the passage of their legislation to crack down on these dangerous activities The church was recently forced to install a gate to barricade the parking lot after hours.  Last week, Governor Hochul signed into law their bill, S760/A402 prohibiting reckless driving in parking lots and allowing for greater enforcement by local authorities. This new law aims to make parking lots safer for both drivers and pedestrians by curbing reckless driving behaviors.  The bill was introduced by Liu and Rozic in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to an increase in extreme and reckless driving in area parking lots Residents reported groups of cars speeding across the neighborhood from parking lot to parking lot to perform dangerous stunts The new law adds “parking lots” to the definition of reckless driving allowing for such displays to be enforced by local law enforcement as a misdemeanor charge This new law will allow police to react quickly and decisively when these dangerous popup takeovers arise so that those responsible face consequences for endangering public safety.  “As we have seen too often here at Holy Family Church This new law will allow police to react quickly and decisively when these dangerous popup takeovers arise so that those responsible face consequences for endangering public safety.  Many thanks to our community civic associations who have been staunch advocates on behalf of our community and have had a great effect at getting this legislation signed into law.” we are taking a huge step in curbing reckless driving and dangerous car takeovers that have put our community at risk for far too long This law empowers law enforcement to address illegal drag racing and stunts in parking lots—activities that have caused a rise in crashes and injuries across New York City Thank you to my colleagues in the Legislature and Governor Hochul for making our neighborhoods safer for everyone.” there has been an increase in the number of cars doing donuts in the parking lot at Holy Family It is dangerous and a nuisance to us and our neighbors we had to install gates to close the parking lot because it was getting out of control “These reckless drivers aren’t just damaging property they’re putting the lives of innocent people in danger Getting this law signed is a great example of our entire community working together to make Fresh Meadows a safer place for everyone.” President of the Fresh Meadows Tenant Association “Our Fresh Meadows Tenants Association appreciates the efforts of Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and Senator John Liu who guided their parking lot safety bills through their respective State chambers With Governor Hochul signing this bill into law people of all ages who frequent shopping centers will be safer It will be a relief in the shopping centers in our development to know that we can have the benefit of public law enforcement on this “private property.” President of Utopia Civic Association, stated “I am thankful for the work done by Senator Liu and Assemblywoman Rozic in getting this legislation passed They work for their constituents and listen to our concerns This bill goes a long way in giving law enforcement the tools they need to keep our community safe Thanks to all who advocated in support of this important bill.” President West Cunningham Park Civic Association, stated, “Reckless driving throughout our community has exacerbated to the point that it is not just a nuisance but an extreme public safety hazard such as the one at Holy Family Church have been very difficult for police to catch and the justice system to hold those culpable accountable for their crimes This bill changes that and will result in greater safety in our community.  I would like to thank Assemblywoman Rozic and State Senator John Liu for their hard work in making this happen!” local resident and owner of Meadows Cafe, stated that for years she’s been kept awake by the nightly “terror” from drivers revving their engines as they make their way between parking lots in the neighborhood lethal situation that needs to be rectified Our law enforcement has been tied up for too long I have extreme gratitude for our elected officials including Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and State Senator John Liu for listening to their concerned constituents diligently fighting on our behalf in Albany making sure it gets to the Governor's desk and signed into law Now our law enforcement can tackle this issue once and for all and rid our neighborhoods of this lawlessness.” It’s a journey that is bolstered by support from people she has never met in Fresh Meadows the largest Catholic High School in the United States the school raised $60,000 through its annual Lenten service projects part of which provides scholarships to students at St Two Franciscans associated with the school Brothers Bernard Kariuki and Boniface Kyalo The presentation capped the Kenyans’ recent visit to their “sister school,” which included their attendance at the school’s 50th Anniversary Gala on April 12 at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach we have seen Franciscan spirituality so ingrained in the students and the staff,” Brother Boniface told an audience of students assembled in the auditorium for prayer and the presentation of the funds “You can see the joy with the students and staff,” he said Francis is very much alive here in this school Brother Boniface is a former board chairman of the school in Lare located about 100 miles northwest of Kenya’s capital city Brother Bernard is the current board chair of the secondary school Brother Leonard described how the two schools bonded 14 years ago at the suggestion of the Irish Franciscans who have ties in Brooklyn and Kenya Francis Prep students sponsored an annual sale of t-shirts printed with scriptural messages that commemorate the Lenten project “Remain Here and Watch with Me” — Jesus’ plea to his apostles prior to the Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:38) Brother Leonard explained that $26,000 of the $60,000 would fund the “Upendo Sponsorship Program,” which helps 45 students like Koziah with tuition scholarships The remaining funds will support expansion projects at the Kenyan school which now offers classes for junior high school students the projects helped pay for a new bus to ease the commutes of students who previously walked as far as eight miles to reach their school “Now they have a more relaxed time because they are not tired,” Brother Bernard said the Kenyan school’s staff has budgeted the money to improve classrooms for the new junior high students Brother Leonard noted that faculty and staff wanted to fund Upendo scholarships for children of the Kenyan school’s staff His contributions specifically went to help Koziah “It’s addictive,” exclaimed Brother Leonard who has made three trips to visit the sister school and its community in Kenya The students also found the fundraising contagious “They’re the nicest people,” said Charlie Vallone I’m even more inspired to keep as many programs going as strong as possible.” responded to Brother Boniface’s comment that $1 can feed a family in his country for a day whatever they raise can go a long way in Kenya we can help and do as much as we can,” Adria said “I feel like Prep has definitely taught us to give back.” has helped the students develop “good hearts.” Your email will be used to send you The Tablet newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy. More info Create your free account or log in to continue reading The Tablet is the newspaper of the Diocese of Brooklyn, serving Brooklyn and Queens since 1908.© 2025 DeSales Media Group, Inc. Website by 345 Design ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Queens, New York – State Senator John Liu and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic today convened a coalition of civic leaders and local residents to advocate for S760/A402 a bill passed by the State Legislature this year with bipartisan support that would prohibit reckless driving in parking lots and allow for enforcement of such behavior by local authorities If signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul the new law would better protect pedestrians and other drivers from dangerous incidents of illegal drag racing and other reckless driving like displays of takeovers slideshows and donuts that occur in private parking lots.   Extreme and reckless driving in parking facilities often results in injuries and fatalities. Throughout New York City, parking lot crashes and high-profile traffic incidents are alarmingly high, accounting for 37% of the driving-related fatalities citywide Due to archaic laws and inconsistent enforcement reckless drivers routinely drive away from the scene without even a slap on the wrist despite the danger to the public.  “No one should get away with driving in a way that endangers others Our neighborhoods deserve to be safe for everyone New York State could take a necessary step in holding reckless drivers accountable and ensuring safety of our communities.”  parking lots in and around Fresh Meadows have hosted pop-up car takeovers and sideshows where reckless drivers would do donuts dangerously close to crowds of spectators Our bill gives law enforcement greater ability to react quickly and decisively to these incidents and better protect the safety and property of our community.”  have been used/abused by groups of drivers who like to race Our State Senator John Liu and our Assemblywoman Nily Rozic have heard the complaints of their constituents who have been kept awake at night and been nearly injured by the drivers speeding down streets before or after their parking lot hijinks Their bill has been passed in both State houses and we urge Governor Hochul to sign it into law so that legal action can be taken against drivers whose irresponsible activities put New York residents at risk,” said Sol Sturm “For years our community has been inundated with souped up cars that meet and perform in parking lots in our community and throughout the City These performances disturb residents in the apartments that surround them and when they leave they speed throughout the community.  We ask the Governor to put teeth into the enforcement efforts by our police by signing into law the ‘parking lot safety’ bill,” said Maria Deinnocentiis President of the Utopia Estates Civic Association “As the President of the West Cunningham Park Civic Association representing 1,200 households in Fresh Meadows we have been extremely concerned about the out of control driving in parking lots We have several of these lots in our community We welcome and support Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and State Senator John Liu's parking lot safety bill and strongly urge Governor Hochul to sign this bill into law,” said Elaine Young President of the West Cunningham Park Civic Association “Cracking down on reckless driving is extremely important for the entire community of Fresh Meadows with drivers performing donuts and putting everyone at risk as more parking lots continue to open in our neighborhood and may welcome more opportunities for reckless drivers and I thank Assemblywoman Rozic and State Senator Liu for putting this bill together This bill needs to be signed as soon as possible,” said James Gallagher President of Fresh Meadows Homeowners Civic Association.  In the face of rising concerns over safety the collaborative effort of local elected officials law enforcement and community leaders reflects a commitment to creating safer streets and neighborhoods for all New Yorkers.   2024The cause of the fire remains under investigation.FRESH MEADOWS Queens (WABC) -- One person was killed after a fire tore through an apartment in Queens It happened in a garden apartment in a three-story building on 190th Lane in Fresh Meadows shortly after 7 a.m The FDNY has not released the victim's name The cause of the fire remains under investigation Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Marian has more than 20 years of experience as an Editor covering various industries in B2B publishing She’s spent the last 10-plus years specifically working in the food industry including at John Wiley & Sons’ food quality and safety title Marian's publications have gained recognition in such editorial awards as ASBPE’S Azbee Awards the SIPAwards and Tabbies International Editorial Awards Marian lent her professional expertise in the editorial SIPAwards competition by serving as an editorial judge She joined the Progressive Grocer team as the Digital Editor in November 2020. Marian oversees the publication’s daily online editorial operations newsletter creation and social media platforms Marian earned a bachelor's degree in English/journalism from Montclair State University.  Follow her on LinkedIn.  (Please refer to Progressive Grocer's Contributing Guidelines to submit content for consideration.) The store is located at 187-04 Horace Harding Expressway The new location is part of Lidl’s growing store network in the southeastern New York area. Other nearby Lidl stores in New York City include locations in Elmhurst, Astoria, The Bronx and Crown Heights. Or Raitses Lidl’s senior director of real estate for the North Region, said: “At Lidl high-quality food to communities at affordable prices we are thrilled to continue Lidl’s expansion in New York City and look forward to bringing exciting new products to the customers in the area.” Local leaders will welcome the new Fresh Meadows Lidl to the community at a ribbon- cutting event starting at 7:30 a.m. which will be followed by a grand-opening celebration featuring special offers for shoppers The first 100 customers in line before the store opens at 8:00 a.m will receive special gift cards ranging from $5 to $100 each Shoppers can also enjoy samples and take advantage of special giveaways As part of its commitment to support the community Lidl will be making equal donations to City Harvest and the Food Bank for New York City Lidl will donate $1 for each shopper who signs up for the myLidl app and sets Fresh Meadows as their store The Fresh Meadows store will create approximately 40 new jobs In other store news, Lidl has signed a lease to open a store in Hackensack, N.J., according to Jersey Digs The new location will be part of a mixed-used development and is expected to open sometime in 2025 Lidl is also coming to another mixed-use development, this one in the West Midtown area of Atlanta, according to Atlanta Business Chronicle The 42,000-square-foot Lidl will anchor the Interlock Tower development when considering new locations for its stores Lidl looks for areas with at least 50,000 people within a 3-mile radius Another prerequisite is a median household income of at least $55,000 The company also tries to create stores with as much visibility from the road as possible By: 7:30 am on October 2 Work is set to begin on a new mixed-use skyscraper complex at 71-12 Park Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills the project will comprise two towers rising from a shared podium and could potentially span over 1.1 million square feet The property is located along Parsons Boulevard between 71st and 72nd Avenues According to the developer’s website the structures will stand 47 stories and yield 800 apartments permits filed in 2019 detail a 50-story tower designed by DSM Design Group that rises 572 feet and comprises 853 units and 26,946 square feet of community facility space Situated on a vacant lot adjacent to the New York Police Department 107th Precinct the mid-block site is bordered by Parsons Boulevard to the west and Park Avenue to the east Recent permits were filed for ground work to begin Image of building according the poster placed on the work site Renderings on the developer’s site depict a glassy tower made up of multiple volumes stacked at alternating angles over a glass cube podium the rendering on the construction board shows two L-shaped towers Their façades are composed of floor-to-ceiling glass framed with an irregular grid of paneling It’s unclear which design will be built Site of 71-12 Park Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills 71-12 Park Avenue is expected to be completed in 2028 Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews The patterned towers make the podium look painfully plain There are many high density areas in NYC that aren’t adjacent to rail This should hopefully please all the size queens But that base really is terrible and a complete affront to the neighborhood And apparently NYC needs 623 more dirty cars on the streets Queens and Brooklyn are determined to become parking lots Good for Kew Gardens!..These buildings look more like Manhattan ‘trophy towers’..Go Queens Note: this is technically Kew Gardens Hills It will be a few blocks away from Queens College It fits right in more luxury apartments and how many rent stabilized What’s getting built is the updated design on the construction fence and it looks great Fingers crossed the design on the construction fence is the one we will see built Probably could use 100+ more parking spaces and project really needs a commercial overlay along Parsons Blvd so they can have some active ground floor uses These buildings do not fit in with the general character of Kew Gardens They are much too tall and their architecture is very jagged I would not like to have these buildings here Is this really going to fit in with this neighborhood Great views from the apartment cs but a real middle finger to the neighbors The “Manhattanization” of central Queens begins Zero subway access at or near this location ! ALREADY OVERCROWDED BUS stops and routes by this location No road capacity for the the hundreds of cars this skyscraper with add to neighborhood streets No space on the street for the delivery trucks coming to this location making money for the developer (and politicians who approved this neighborhood-busting green-destroying vanity project) Or are the developers counting on getting lucrative “emergency” contracts from city government to house prisoners there An “emergency” homeless shelter there if this is genuinely planned as residential housing it would be a disaster for its residents and for current residents on neighboring blocks This skyscraper has already OVER capacity buses nearby scaled buildings with none of the subway access Why does new housing send some into nervous breakdowns residential neighborhood with a mix of apartment buildings The area is known for its peaceful environment making it a desirable place for families and individuals looking for a quieter part of New York City modern skyscraper like 71-12 Park Avenue could bring a fresh While the new development is a departure from the traditional architecture in the area it could inspire further growth and modernization potentially attracting new businesses and amenities This could enhance the local economy and provide more opportunities for residents it’s essential to balance this growth with the community’s existing charm and character ensuring that the neighborhood’s unique qualities are preserved The stacked showing its height on separation it’s been a glassy tower but podium looked pale at this moment: Thanks Only about 20 stories higher than the permitted zoning for Kew Gardens The City should have never approved this project The new skyscraper complex at 71-12 Park Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills combines beauty with sustainability modern design elements such as clean lines and energy-efficient systems ensure sustainability and smart building technologies contribute to its eco-friendly credentials With ample public spaces and elegant design this development promises to be both an architectural and environmental beacon in Queens What part of this development excites you the most Long Island City and Brooklyn have been buzzing with development and innovation With ambitious projects like the one at 71-12 Park Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills setting the bar high these areas are bound to keep pushing the envelope in modern architecture and sustainability It’s an exciting time for the NYC skyline to evolve with such vibrant and eco-friendly buildings The future looks bright for these boroughs Didn’t know about it and I’m just down the street Someone in zoning got paid off really well The stacked box look for skyscrapers is becoming trite and uninspired The first couple of “stacked” buildings that are going up across the world are enough Crazy parking ratios on these buildings–.over 0.7 spaces per unit This really doesn’t fit in with the character of the neighborhood What would really be nice is a nice big park and maybe a community garden/greenhouse I don’t like how developers or officials keep changing the name of areas to suit them ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Flushing Meadows-Corona Park has always been more than just green space—it’s a cultural crossroads a playground for generations of New Yorkers and has long served as an unofficial backyard for Queens’ immigrant communities eager to transform the park’s faded glamour into TikTok gold “There’s always been tension between keeping it a people’s park and turning it into something more… polished,” says urban planner David Huang who has studied Queens’ evolving public spaces “The park has absorbed so many different immigrant waves but now it’s also being marketed to a new kind of user—someone who might see it less as a neighborhood fixture and more as an Instagrammable destination.” One of the biggest shifts is the looming redevelopment of the New York State Pavilion, that spaceship-like ruin immortalized in Men in Black Advocates see it as a way to honor the past; skeptics worry about creeping privatization new artificial turf soccer fields have replaced some of the dusty well-loved pitches where Flushing’s Latin American and South Asian communities have played for generations now draws food influencers and tourists in equal measure where the Mets’ billionaire owner Steve Cohen is pushing to build a casino—a proposal that could further alter the park’s ecosystem smaller shifts are reshaping how people use the park Joggers and cyclists increasingly share paths with electric scooters and rented e-bikes Vendors selling fresh mango slices with chili powder now compete with trendy coffee carts and artisanal ice cream trucks is now the subject of a revitalization plan sparking debates about whether its character will remain intact Longtime visitors worry about what will be lost “I remember when the World’s Fair remnants felt like these mysterious artifacts,” says Maria Gonzalez who has been coming to the park since the ’80s it feels like everything old is either being torn down or repackaged for tourists.” Hillel Feuerman who grew up in the shadow of Flushing Meadows but now lives in Florida “You’d see families from everywhere—South America the Middle East—all barbecuing next to each other kids kicking soccer balls between picnic blankets “It’s more than just a park,” Feuerman adds “it’s the heart of Queens.” For now, on any given weekend, families still gather under the cherry blossoms, rollerbladers carve their way around Meadow Lake, and someone, somewhere, is arguing about the best place to get elotes But like the Unisphere itself—standing still while the world moves around it—Flushing Meadows is at a crossroads And the next chapter is already being written Publisher and Editor in Chief: Frank Parlato © 2025 All rights reserved. The Niagara Reporter By: 8:00 am on September 30 New York Mets owner Steve Cohen recently unveiled new renderings for Metropolitan Park, a 20-acre park on the former site of Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens Designed in collaboration between SHoP Architects and Field Operations $8 billion plan to transform the parking lots on the western side of Citi Field into a mixed-use casino and hotel complex The development is bound by Shea Road to the north and west The main rendering above depicts a street-level perspective looking west and wide outdoor steps that lead to the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino complex Below is another perspective of the green space beside Citi Field Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects and Field Operations Lining the eastern edge of the mixed-use facility are bars and a live music venue facing Metropolitan Park and Citi Field Three parking structures topped with photovoltaic panels would replace the parking capacity of the former stadium lots and two hotel towers surround Hard Rock’s gaming facility and conference spaces A tailgate park is located on the north side of Shea Road and a plaza with a food hall and community space is positioned to the south of the stadium The plan also includes 5 acres of public athletic fields and playgrounds on the southern side of Roosevelt Avenue as well as a bike path that loops around the perimeter of the complex Unlabeled in the diagram are the HOK-designed stadium for the New York City FC soccer team and new mixed-use housing structures that are planned to rise on the eastern side of Seaver Way Master plan courtesy of SHoP Architects and Field Operations The following rendering previews the food hall next to the Mets-Willets Point subway station which the project will also renovate with infrastructure upgrades for direct access to the southern point of Metropolitan Park Approvals have yet to be granted for Metropolitan Park and proposed casino facility The overall development is projected to generate more than 23,000 permanent and construction jobs all this hinges on whether the casino ends up here instead of Hudson Yards There is also the question of whether building it in what is legally the park will be approved Whether a food hall would survive given the offerings inside Citi Field and the lack of a residential population is a question Apartment buildings are planned to the east of this but I suspect residents would more likely go to Flushing The rebuilding of the elevated subway station and the rickety boardwalk to the park proper would be most welcome It would be prudent if space were left to possibly have a LIRR spur arc around to LGA “It would be prudent if space were left to possibly have a LIRR spur arc around to LGA.” Most of that could be accomidated south of the Corona Yard lead and within the r.o.w Whoever the state gives the casino license to should require that all of these promised amenities be fully constructed before the gaming license is granted Promising affordable housing and a school on land you already promised affordable housing and a school to get the zoning variance That needs to be built before your casino can open the state gets paid $500 million at the time the license is granted What makes no sense is that the city keeps pushing back the date they will award the licenses It also delays the revenue to the state from gambling Are you saying that the Gaming Facility Location Board has been delaying its decisions at the behest of the city I am fairly sure that the board was appointed by the state Gaming Commission which itself was appointed by the governor Not yet approved it may change at any time: Thanks to Michael Young The big issue here is that the parking lots are legally park land If they are going to be transformed into anything other than an actual piece of park it should be housing at a similar density as in Willets Point “It would be prudent if space were left to possibly have a LIRR spur arc around to LGA.” If only there was currently a way to get from LGE to the LIRR at Mets/Willets Point Surely our current transit focused governor can find a solution The Interboro express or IBX that will be constructed by MTA will accomodate the arc around LGA Underground parking may not be possible given the very low elevation of the land above water level It is also in the most vulnerable flood zone I feel the housing project east of Citi Field is unwise on this account Building on the higher ground on the Flushing side of the creek would make more sense Remember when every town was building a convention center but what about the problem of runway 13 departures off of LGA It’s probably less than .5 miles from the end of the runway and a Delta departure just went overhead at 900 feet above the ground not to mention the vibration and jet exhaust pollution Remember all the complaints that we used to get from Forest Hills and Shea Stadium—and they were further away I can’t imagine anyone going there to be outside This is literally the land where Shea stadium used to be (To submit an article idea or new product for consideration, click here.) Amid the general merriment, which included a DJ, giveaways, an ice plunge benefiting the Food Bank for New York City and a giant blow-up version of Lidl’s signature 79-cent croissant Kerr – who was one of the ice plunge participants – shared with PG just how the retailer is catering to its Stateside shoppers in Fresh Meadows and elsewhere (Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.) are you recovered [from the ice plunge]?  Frank Kerr: I was just saying to our marketing team out there that all my fingers and toes are still a little bit cold and he told me a lot about how Lidl in the U.S is sort of Americanizing its experience for the U.S products and technologies here in this store that are meant specifically to appeal to American consumers in general and to Fresh Meadow shoppers in particular FK: I’ll start with the first piece of the question, on Americanizing the assortment, or what the customers expect from a really high-performing U.S. retailer. That starts with getting our assortment right. That’s really been our primary focus of this calendar year is to get our assortment right to meet the U.S. consumer’s expectations. A great example of that is some things that we’ve done in the bakery.  There are some fantastic European products like the croissant that is crafted in France and we bake it fresh daily multiple times a day in our store A really exciting one is [our] New York-produced fresh bagel so it’s genuinely an authentic New York bagel The quality of the product is absolutely phenomenal [after being] shipped from a New York supplier to our stores chainwide Then another big thing that we were missing we were completely devoid of muffins as well a blueberry muffin and then a chocolate muffin that we brought in we [now] have a perfect mix where you’ve got U.S.-produced products that the U.S and then you have a great unique blend of some European products that are just unmatched by any of our competitors within the market My personal favorite is the Rosemary Olive bread PG: How do you determine which features to include in stores FK: I’m lucky enough to [work with] the consumer insights team as part of the chief customer officer role staying very connected to the customer understanding what they’re telling us and where we can improve and what we know that we’re doing really well Our customers appreciate our value proposition [but] what we have to work on is some of the layout of the store and some of the adjustments of the adjacency to improve that shopping experience to really get to the ethos of who we are as an organization of simplicity quality and then what you provide to the shopper that’s coming into your store each day We have time studies that we’ve done and some heat-map analysis of our stores A consumer can come to any one of our locations save up to 40% against national brands on prices and – what we think is really important as well – save 17 minutes of their time during that shop in one of our stores We view that complex value proposition as delivering on price but then also the value of giving them time back to their days PG: It sounds like you’re constantly fine-tuning that experience and looking at what your consumers are telling you or what you’ve gleaned from their shopping patterns as testing grounds for particular programs FK: There are definitely some things that we test in individual stores but we do have one store that is kind of our test for our new layout We do have some really exciting stuff coming up in the pipeline that I’m sure we’ll talk to you guys about soon FK: One thing we launched nationwide this week is [an enhancement of] the customer shopping experience both offline and how it relates to online save a couple hundred dollars a month by going through it and so take advantage of even better prices It has now allowed us to make that customer journey much more simple for them on that app to where they see the myLidl deals for all members but then there's also the element of personalized offers that come in on time We have made a lot of improvements on the back end to really enrich our customer data to provide a better personalized offer to the customer.  [RELATED: Consumers Expect More Out of Loyalty Programs] and another enhancement that we have [is] quick signup on our registers where we don’t have a full pool of customers already signed up on the loyalty platform We’ll be able to do a quick register right at the point of sale here type in their phone number to take advantage of all the myLidl rewards and then we’ll have a follow-up journey with them to go through and do the full-profile buildout and sign up to take advantage of more personalized offers going forward That wasn’t something that was there before For the customer to get signed up to the app on site but it still holds up the line and it can be a little bit stressful on the customer seamless [and] painless as possible for the customer to be able to take advantage of all those myLidl rewards and personalized offers.  PG: You mentioned changes to the store layout Are there particular things that an American customer would expect in terms of store layout that might not be the case in Europe or elsewhere that’s definitely one thing that we’ve looked at but we still have the core principles of what we want to [do,] and that’s lead with our fresh products we want to win on fresh,” but when we say that we actually mean that and believe that we can and will win on [fresh] to walking into our phenomenal produce deals that we have running every week we got the 89-cent-per-pound strawberry pack great value and fresh right at the front of the store when the customer walks in and then we’ll throw them right into our protein category We’ve done a major revamp to our entire fresh meat offering wasn’t the cuts [or] the packaging that the U.S It was very much a European program that was taken here to the U.S We’ve completely overhauled that program [and] seen really great customer response from it It is a bit of a change operationally for our stores but it’s allowed us to deliver on a much fresher product a much more valuable product to the customer as well and much more in line with what they expect from us [RELATED: Majority of Consumers Can Be Persuaded to Spend More on Meat] PG: I know that a lot of American stores open with fresh but I think Lidl might be unique in opening with bakery Why was it particularly important for Lidl to fine-tune the shopping experience for the U.S Did you feel like you weren’t giving them the optimal experience previously FK: I wouldn't say we weren’t giving them the optimal experience previously It’s maintaining those loyal customers [we already have in the United States] but also appealing to the mass American consumer we are a grocery store where a customer can come to save 40% on their grocery shop every single week and do a complete full shop with us where items are expected to be within the store – that’s the one biggest thing to navigate We’ve done a consumer poll on bananas to see purchase frequency and things like that [We ensure] that some of those key items are really prominent to the customer They know exactly where to find navigational signage across the store [because we’re] making sure that’s really clear and a seamless shopping experience.  Then also, [we highlight] some of the really cool in-and-out products that we have and the “Middle of Lidl” [general merchandise section] That’s also kind of what sets us apart as a bit of a surprise-and-delight element It’s making sure that those areas of the store stand out to the customers because every single week that they come into our store they’re going to find something new and exciting.  2024Officials say the bike sped into the intersection at 184th Street and 73rd Avenue in Fresh MeadowsFRESH MEADOWS Queens (WABC) -- Police are investigating a deadly crash involving a motorcycle in Queens Officials say the bike sped into the intersection at 184th Street and 73rd Avenue in Fresh Meadows just after 6:30 p.m a 17-year-old man was taken to the hospital in stable condition The 75-year-old man who was driving the car refused medical attention