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Read the press release here.

MAP: Check Out Attractions Along the Proposed QueensWay

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | October 15, 2014 12:30pm
 The first renderings of the proposed QueensWay were released earlier this year.
Renderings of the Proposed QueensWay
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QUEENS — The plan for the QueensWay, which would transform 3.5 miles of abandoned railroad tracks into Queens' version of the High Line, calls for a number of attractions including a climbing wall, adventure playground and cafe.

According to a study released Tuesday, the park would also provide locals with sport and recreation centers as well as cultural facilities and bike and pedestrian paths.

It would cost about $120 million to build the greenspace, which stretches from Rego Park to Ozone Park, according to the study.

In the southern portion of the proposed QueensWay, proponents envision a fitness zone and a multi-functional sports space, which would include basketball courts and possibly a skate park, according to Adam Lubinsky of WXY architecture + urban design, one of the two companies that conducted the study for the Trust for Public Land and the Friends of the QueensWay.

In the evenings, Lubinsky said, the space could be used for theater events and screening movies. 

Advocates are also considering renovating the abandoned Atlantic Avenue Long Island Rail Road station, which is near the Queensway. The building, they said, could become a cultural facility.

In Forest Park, near Victory Field, the study envisions a pavilion with a cafe and a potential education space.

There is also a plan to build a large slide and a climbing wall in the area, Lubinsky said.

The portion of the park near Metropolitan Avenue would feature food concessions and a picnic area, as well as outdoor classrooms.

In the sections where the QueensWay would run near people’s homes, the park would mostly consist of only pedestrian and bike paths, the organizers said.

Adrian Benepe, director of city park development for the Trust for Public Land, said that the group is now hoping to get a nod from Mayor Bill de Blasio and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, who have not yet taken a position on the project.

"We look forward to continuing conversations with stakeholders about the future of this asset," Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for de Blasio’s office, said in an email Tuesday.

Raising funds will be another challenge. So far the group has been able to collect approximately $1.5 million.

“If everything goes well, you can see some construction starting maybe even in a couple of years, perhaps in phases,” Benepe said.

QueensWay Plan Brochure

 

Here Are Some of the Attractions Along The Proposed Queensway:

The Clearing (63rd Street and Burns Street to Fleet Street):
► an adventure playground

North Passage (Fleet Street to Metropolitan Avenue)
► a gathering space at Yellowstone Boulevard and a small playground

Metropolitan Hub (Metropolitan Avenue to Union Turnpike)
► outdoor nature classrooms

► food concessions

► a BBQ and picnic area

Forest Park Grove (Union Turnpike to Park Lane South)
► a canopy walk

► a flexible use pavilion and cafe

► a rock climbing zone

South Passage (Park Lane South to Atlantic Avenue)
► at Jamaica Avenue overpass visitors will be able to look out from the bridge and access shopping areas

The Elevated Section (Atlantic Avenue to Rockaway Boulevard)
► a fitness zone

► an activity space for local schools

► a covered recreation and event center

► viewing platforms

► multi-functional space for sports, performances and movie screenings