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Demolition Planned for Strip of Shops in Willets Point, Officials Say

By Katie Honan | April 8, 2016 5:33pm | Updated on April 11, 2016 8:24am
 The fence was erected earlier this week by Tully Construction.
The fence was erected earlier this week by Tully Construction.
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DNAinfo/Katie Honan

WILLETS POINT — The city is preparing to demolish a block of empty shops along 126th Street as part of its remediation project of the Iron Triangle, officials said.

Tully Construction, which is based in the Iron Triangle, was granted a permit to erect a construction fence — which stretches from 38th to Roosevelt avenues — in March, according to city records. It went up earlier this week.

Officials with the Economic Development Corporation confirmed it's to prepare for demolition, although no permits have been filed for it yet. The shops had already cleared out, officials and other businesses said.  

The plan comes as the area prepares for a multi-billion dollar overhaul, which has been in the works for years.

The city's Economic Development Corporation greenlit a massive and controversial redevelopment of Willets Point, which is set to include affordable housing, a rooftop farm and millions in funding for Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

The project will require a major environmental remediation before construction can start and is a project of the Queens Development Group, a joint venture between Sterling Equities and the Related Companies.

In January, sources said Gov. Andrew Cuomo was also eyeing the area for long-term parking during renovation of LaGuardia Airport.

Local businesses and advocates sued to block the proposed Willets West project, which is proposed in a parking lot at Citi Field.

The construction fence was erected earlier this week. (DNAinfo/Katie Honan)