
THE developer who owns the six-acre ‘Lake Vernon’ site on the waterfront has proposed a “green energy hub to power neighboring businesses” according to The New York Post. This was one of the plots originally slated to be tied into the Amazon proposal and the subsequent ‘Master Plan’ concept that arose out of that dissolution, the latter of which subsequently dissolved too for reasons that are still somewhat of a mystery.
Per the article the latest proposal “could provide eco-friendly juice to others in the area — generated from river water, as well as via solar and geothermal energy” and “would create “thousands of jobs” and help cut carbon emissions” and if those au courant themes are not enough to push it over the line than let’s throw in it “could connect to the Queensbridge Houses to provide energy to the largest public housing complex in the country.” Why not, I never knew it was lacking electricity? (Please note the use of the conditional tense.)
Then, when looking at the accompanying rendering of this power plant, my first reaction was ‘Whoa, what’s that?’ There’s a huge monolith of a multi-tiered tower definitely not in anyway connected to power generation. Yet in no way will there be any power without its existence. In other words this is a major real estate project wrapped in green and tenuously “linked” to BLM.
I don’t begrudge the developer for his creativity, that’s the state of play in 2021. He’s setting himself up for the new administration(s) and rallying all the relevant comrades on both sides of the aisle battle lines, fka apologists and nay-sayers. Supposedly the site already has “as of rights” though the article doesn’t make clear if that’s for the power plant alone or the monoliths too. Based on the rendering I’m guessing those towers are a little larger than zoned, maybe a lot. There also appears to be some subsidies and special financing applicable, maybe a lot. In other words ‘green’ begets “Green,” or as Gordon Gekko might say today “Green is good.”
Putting the sausage making aside, I’m kind of a neutral bystander at this point awaiting further details. More amused than abused. Plus it’s a long way to the finish line. Not mentioned in the article, though very pronounced in the rendering, is the pedestrian bridge to the Technion campus on Roosevelt Island. Bruce Teitelbaum, the developer of Lake Vernon, was the originator of this idea several years, which I’ve heartily championed ever since. Slot in the bridge, lighten up on the eco-friendly juice, guarantee some jobs to Queensbridge, I might not be so neutral anymore, but I’ll always be truthful.
Landowner Wants To Build Green ‘Energy Plant’ On Queens Waterfront – as if an energy plant can no longer not be ‘green’
Permits Filed For 5-22 49th Avenue In LIC – 5-story resi next to Shady Park
LIC Man Indicted For $1.7 Million PPP Fraud – that’s not so creative
The Classic Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Gets A Waffle Inspired Upgrade At This LIC Spot – Little Chef, Little Cafe
yes, this is very amusing. Lots of PR. Energy from “river water” has never worked. Geothermal is limited and can be done in any location. The size of the land isn’t large enough to generate a noticeable amount of solar power.
The opportunity will have to be politically perfect and the stars will have to align for something great to happen in this area overall now.
I’m curious how the #ConsProgs will shape their argument against this going forward. My guess is Gianaris and JVB will come up with some or all of the following rationales to not support it:
1. Not enough space left over for public use;
2. The developer is a jerk;
3. This doesn’t solve the city’s affordable housing shortage;
4. Not enough jobs pledged to the NYCHA residents;
5. We have crappy infrastructure and the trains are too crowded; and
6. The developer’s intentions aren’t pure enough — he would only build it due to incentives in Biden’s infrastructure bill, not because he cares about green energy or providing local jobs and clean power.
If they can successfully shut it down, it will likely have a future life as a vacant boarded up lot for awhile, and eventually will become luxury housing.