SUNNYSIDE — A neighborhood street recognizable for the iconic Sunnyside Arch that hangs over it has been renamed for the late civic leader who helped in getting it built.
Sunnyside's 46th Street was christened "Luke Adams Way" on Saturday, honoring the late neighborhood resident and advocate who died in 2014 and was known as the "best promoter in Queens," officials said.
Adams, who passed away at the age of 76, had been an active member of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, the Sunnyside/Woodside Lions Club and SunnysideArtists, and was among those who organized to build the Art Deco-style Sunnyside Arch at 46th Street and Queens Boulevard.
The group, Gateway Restoration, installed the arch in 1983, and Adams was also among those who pushed to have the the sign repaired and renovated in later years, according to a New York Times article at the time.
"His work helped put Sunnyside on the map and has left a lasting impression that will forever be felt in our community," City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who sponsored the street renaming bill, said in a statement. "Luke loved Sunnyside and was a neighborhood treasure for decades."
The street naming is the latest remembrance for Adams, who was honored at a fundraiser event held by the SunnysideArtists earlier this year. A community service award, dubbed the Luke Adams Sunnysider of the Year Award, is also given out each year in his name.
