Proposed School Site (Photo: QueensPost)
Nov. 7, 2010 Staff Report
The New York City School Construction Authority has put forward a proposal to build a 379-seat primary school at 45-46 42nd Street in Sunnyside.
The proposal aims to alleviate school overcrowding at P.S. 199 (39-20 48th Ave.), which has been a sore point for local parents for some time.
Christopher Persheff, SCA’s Queens site selection manager, told attendees at Thursday night’s Community Board 2 meeting that his office was in negotiations with the owner of the 42nd street site.
The property, which runs from 42nd through to 43rd Street (btw. Queens Blvd and 47th Ave), is currently vacant land, and was once the site of the Sunnyside Jewish Center. The dept. may also purchase additional property if it is deemed necessary.
If all goes to plan, Persheff said the school would open in Sept. 2014, with the school’s design taking shape by the end of 2012. At that point, the public will have a better idea as to the grades the new school will cater to.
Many parents at P.S. 199, according to an attendee at the Community Board meeting, are upset that 5th grade children are often forced to go to I.S. 125 (46-02 47th Ave)– and mix with 8th graders– because of overcrowding problems.
Featured Events
12 Comments
And that school is built now.
What a bad idea…
The small building by PS199 should have been the CHOICE.
Parks on both side of that building, buy that building, close the street.
That was bad management, truly.
It’s clear there is a need for classrooms. This is a case of not in my backyard. These children deserved to be in a proper classroom.
I always thought this would be a nice location for a quiet, passive park, esp considering it’s near the playground. Of course, that could never happen. I’m talking trees and benches, not ballfields, which I would think would be much more palatable to residents in the adjacent buildings than a school.
I heart sen thornton!!
As someone who walks past that vacant lot every day, initially I’m really happy to hear that something is going to be built there. But if I were a property owner on one of those blocks, I would definitely have some concerns about it–I agree that living on a block with a school, especially an elementary school would completely change the character of the street. It sounds like it will be a pretty small school, so hopefully it won’t be too disruptive. Those property owners should receive some kind of incentive or property tax discount. I’d certainly rather see a school than (gasp!) a multi-level parking lot.
DO THE RESIDENTS OF 43nd AND 43rd STREETS UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS WILL DO TO YOUR BLOCKS(S)??
This is an AWFUL idea!
Someone mentioned 39th place-the school is paralel to that site with a small apartment complex in the middle. The Board of Ed should take over that site and build out the school from there.
42nd street is a quiet block and the quality of life will GREATLY change if the school is erected. What about the homeowners on 43rd steet?
All neighbors on those blocks should fight this if possible. Talk to our friends on 40th street near PS150 if you want an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to live this close to a school.
The pre-existing site on 39th place and 40th street makes the most sense!!!
The site would make a great multi level parking lot whcih is greatly needed in our neighborhood expecially being one block off queens blvd. Why bring more traffic and cars into our town give us parking spaces.
why not put it beside ps 199,there is only one small building in the way,u could then close of 39th place and use some of the playground area to expand
why not put it beside ps199.there is only one small building in the way,u could then use the street area of 39th place and some of the playground to expand.
What’s the cross street?
Between Queens Blvd and 47th Ave.
I believe that the property is owned by a Queens realty company based in Jackson Heights which purchased and demolished the Jewish center to make way for a condominum apartment building. I wonder how much the BOE has offered to pay for the site, which has a construction obstacle. The ground slants considerably downwards from 42nd to 43rd Street, parallel to so-called “Thomson Hill.”