Dreams for Queens Commercial Real Estate

Queens real estate -- like all of NYC -- is on such a bender that developers and politicians are looking under every old metal heap for new ventures.

Two areas that are continually discussed as targets for redevelopment are Queens Plaza and the Willets Point Iron Triangle, next to Shea. These are great locations with excellent transportation infrastructure, but look awful. Recently, redevelopment plans have been announced for both.

Queens Plaza is suppose to get a $10 million face lift, courtesy of the federal government, to ease congestion and make it safer for pedestrians. That would be nice to see, though they won't break ground until mid-2007. Whatever they do, as long as that crummy Queens Plaza Municipal Garage gets taken down. It earns my vote as worst eyesore in Queens. See Newsday on Queens Plaza plans.

And the Queens Chamber of Commerce has a dream for Willets Point to become a convention center -- even a Tivoli Gardens -- linking Flushing downtown , Corona, and Flushing Meadows Park. See the Daily News on Willets Point plans. It makes perfect sense to bridge booming Flushing and Shea, but Tivoli Gardens? It would be a rebirth of the old beach front Gala Amusement Park that was replaced by LaGuardia Airport.