Times Newsweekly: Dromm Visits COMET, Talks Present, Future Plans

From Times Newsweekly: By Sam Goldman

The area’s newest lawmaker came to the Monday, Mar. 1 Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together (COMET) meeting at Bethzatha Church of God in Elmhurst to talk about his work so far and his future plans.

City Council Member Daniel Dromm told the crowd that his Jackson Heights office is “off to a good start,” with 30 of 48 constituent cases solved at the time of the meeting.

Among the issues solved are tree plantings, pothole filling and social service requests.

Dromm also told the crowd that he wants to add seats to School District 24, adding that he hopes to persuade the Department of Education to lease the Blessed Sacrament School building in Jackson Heights.

The topic shifted to health care, with Dromm telling residents that Elmhurst Hospital Center is straining to accommodate the increase in clients stemming from the loss of nearby St. John’s Queens Hospital.

As a mitigation measure, he wants to add more primary care facilities to the area, to prevent residents from “using Elmhurst (Hospital) as a doc- tor’s office,” leaving the staff to tackle more urgent cases.

Finally, he shifted to quality-oflife issues. “We have a lot of plans,” said Dromm. “I believe in the broken windows theory.”

One plan involves getting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to lease some of the commercial spaces at the 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue transit hub, which Dromm claims is quickly becoming dilapidated inside.

He then took questions from the crowd, including one from Ellen Kang on how he plans to help small businesses in the area.

Dromm pledged to “cut that red tape” and reduce the amount of paperwork necessary so small businesses get up and running faster.

NYPost "Dromm: 74th St-Roosevelt Hub is Gold"

From NYPost: by Jeremy Walsh

The same day last week that the MTA approved a doomsday budget that eliminated two subway lines in Queens, elected officials in Jackson Heights called the agency’s attention to a potential lost funding source: the 74th Street-Roosevelt Avenue transit hub.

“It is absolutely shameful that the MTA is considering throwing students under the bus before pursuing revenue from these valuable properties,” City Councilman-elect Daniel Dromm said of the new budget, which includes charging students for trips to and from school. “The MTA must focus on all revenue opportunities before they talk about any service cuts or massive fare increases for students.”

State Assemblyman Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority “needs to look deep into their reserve fund and find appropriate sources of funding.”

Assemblyman Michael DenDekker (D-Jackson Heights) also urged alternate methods of increasing revenue.

“Before the MTA starts to implement any service cuts at all, it should check all available financial resources, such as the leasing of MTA property and all other revenue sources they have,” he said.

The $132 million 74th Street station project took five years to finish, Dromm’s office said. It boasts 14 commercial spaces that could be rented out to tenants.

At the time, elected officials said the MTA Real Estate Committee had received a stunning number of applications for the storefronts. But when the new facility opened in November 2006, merchants complained that the MTA charged much higher rents than other landlords in the neighborhood.

MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said 11 of the commercial spaces at the station are either currently occupied or licensed and awaiting the tenant to move in.

The largest of the spaces, a 4,000-square-foot storefront on the street level, is empty right now because the vendor is having problems with his architect, Ortiz said.

“What we said was, ‘As a sign of good faith ... would you increase the amount that you give the MTA up front as a security deposit?’ And he did that,” Ortiz said. “He’s assured us he’s coming.”

Dromm’s office pointed out another transit hub, the Fulton Street station in Manhattan, was recently renovated with 20,000 square feet of commercial space that goes for $150 a square foot annually.

The 74th Street station was the 14th-busiest of all the MTA’s subway stations in 2008, serving 16.4 million passengers that year.

Queens Chronicle: Dromm protest vacant MTA retail spaces at Jackson Hts. station

From Queens Chronicle: by Willow Belden

Since the Metropolitan Transportation Authority renovated the subway station at 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, several retail spaces on the station’s street and mezzanine levels have stood empty, and elected officials say that should change.

Assemblymen Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) and Michael Den Dekker (D-Jackson Heights), along with City Councilman-elect Danny Dromm and several community leaders, gathered outside the station Wednesday morning requesting that the MTA rent out the spaces.

They said the transit authority could bring in much-needed revenue and added that the neighborhood would gain a more welcoming face without boarded-up storefronts.

“Before the MTA starts to implement any service cuts at all, it should check all available financial resources, such as the leasing of MTA property and all other revenue sources they have,” DenDekker said.

Peralta echoed those sentiments. “Suitable funding sources, like the ones at the 74th Street station, are available yet they are not included in the financial equation,” he said.

Dromm added that the community is suffering because of the vacancies.

“People get out of the subway, and the first thing they see are these boarded-up stores, and it’s really a blight on the neighborhood,” he said.

The MTA says it has already rented out six stores and four news stands at the station and added that it is working to have tenants in the rest as soon as possible.

One of the largest empty stores, a 4,000-square-foot facility, is slated to become a bakery and coffee shop, according to spokesman Kevin Ortiz, but is running behind schedule because of problems with the architect. Ortiz said the tenant has paid a security deposit but couldn’t say when the cafe will open.

Dromm to Attend Community Transportation Workshop

Daniel Dromm, Democrat for City Council District 25, will attend the NYC Dept of Transportation Jackson Heights Neighborhood Transportation Community Workshop on July 16th.

NYCDOT is working with the Jackson Heights community to develop
short-term transportation solutions to improve conditions within Jackson Heights.

NYCDOT is going to conduct an interactive community workshop to develop an understanding of the transportation issues in Jackson Heights from the real experts: The Community!

THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2009 6:30 p.m.
WHITE CASTLE HEADQUARTERS
69-01 34th Avenue
Jackson Heights, New York

Directions: 7 Train to 69th St. or R/V Train to 65th Street; Q53 Bus

Daniel Dromm encourages everyone to attend this important meeting. We want YOU to play an active and involved role in this study!

To learn more about Dromm's plan to reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety, visit: Dromm Plan

Dromm On The Issues: Mass Transit Funding

Our community benefits greatly from our various mass transit options. Studies have shown that the fastest and most effective way to reduce air pollution and dependence on foreign oil is to get more people out of cars and onto trains or buses. We need to prioritize mass transit funding.

NYC subways and buses require additional funding to maintain, improve, and expand services. Even with more and more people using public transportation, raising MTA fares will only hurt riders and will not help to sustain the system. We need to purchase additional subway cars, faster trains, and more reliable buses.

As your City Council representative, I will research and investigate all options in the pursuit of new funding for subways and buses. Mass Transit is a critical part of what makes our city great and, in particular, what makes our community an excellent place to live. I know that we can find a fair and reasonable way to find more funding for our buses and subways.