Elected officials take sides in Queens church property sale controversy
A small plot of land looms large in Jackson Heights, Queens. When neighbors got word of the imminent sale of a piece of St. Mark's Episcopal Church property, they rallied against new development at the site.
"We need the park space," Brandon Munoz said.
Behind a fence on 81st Street, the lot adjoins the church and is now used for a daycare.
"My concern is if the church is thinking about developing on this land, it's taking what little space there is for our children," Alex Florez said.
Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas has joined the voices pushing St. Mark's to keep the space green.
"Our neighborhood is park-starved," she said. "We don't need a massive development in the middle of a historic district."
City Councilmember and Parks chair Shekar Krishnan is looking to negotiate with the diocese to sell the land, not to a private developer, but to the Parks Department for a pocket park.
"The speaker of the City Council and I have both allocated together $4 million in the budget in June towards the eventual purchase of the St. Mark's play yard," he said. "But we have not even been able to secure a meeting with the church leadership."
Church's side of the story
Krishnan says the church is neglecting the needs of its community by refusing to come to the table. Bishop Lawrence Provenzano sees it differently.
"I think it's a disingenuous representation of what has happened," he said. "We're not being greedy at all. What's actually happening here is St. Mark's actually needs the resources to do ministry."
He says the space could become apartments or an outpatient clinic, but the remainder of the church grounds will remain open.
"The fruits of all of this would be that St. Mark's would be both a good neighbor and an asset in the community," he said.
Though the city may offer market rate for the lot, he says, a deal would take too long.
"It's not resulted in there being a real offer, and clearly, we're having to move in other directions," he said.
But Krishnan says the city is expediting the process.
"It normally takes years. We have brought it down to months," he said.
For those in favor of a park, the stalemate is disheartening.
"It is frustrating because we have this opportunity in this neighborhood that's very rare," Munoz said.
They say they will continue fighting for a neighborhood with green space for all.
"It is just so compelling to think that we can preserve that for generations to come," Melissa Zavala said.
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