The rise of building developments have redefined the image of several neighborhoods throughout all five boroughs. Recently, Queens has been impacted by the rise in building developments. A trip on the 7 train alone would reveal the number of buildings rising in Long Island City where factories and icons such as 5 Pointz used to stand. According to 6sqft, there are 30 building in development in Long Island City alone. Thus, the image of Queens is undergoing change.
However, this transformation is concerning to residents who wish to preserve their community’s look. Last week, Community Board 2 in Sunnyside voted on building a new middle school at the location of a vacant building built in the 1920s. Many argued that the building had historical significance due to it’s architecture, which fit in with the rest of the community. Overall, the community overwhelmingly voted on preserving the building or building a structure similar to the image of Sunnyside Gardens. The School Construction Authority, which had presented the project, stated many communities often requested the preservation of buildings or incorporating the original design into projects in order to keep the image of the neighborhood.
Therefore, I would like to look into how preservation groups are working to conserve their neighborhood’s architectural image as building developments move towards neighborhoods in Queens. In particular, I plan to interview a member of the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance, the Greater Astoria Historical Alliance, and the Long Island City Cultural Alliance. In addition, I plan to interview community members to learn whether they welcome the image change or prefer maintaining it.