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Public Plaza in Kew Gardens Closes a Week After Reopening

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | August 2, 2017 9:01am
 The plaza, at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike, is currently fenced off again.
The plaza, at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike, is currently fenced off again.
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DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — A public plaza dedicated to women which reopened in Kew Gardens last month with no tribute to women, has been fenced off again, only a week after it became available to the public after a long-lasting remodeling. 

The site, at the intersection of Union Turnpike and Queens Boulevard, opened only for several days, coinciding with Mayor Bill de Blasio moving his office to nearby Queens Borough Hall as part of his "City Hall in Your Borough" initiative.

But last week, an orange barrier was placed at the entrance to the plaza, located where the Triumph of Civic Virtue statue previously was, preventing residents from sitting on newly installed benches.

The space, which seeks to honor women, still contains no plaque dedicated to them, although its stonework has been cleaned and restored.

A spokeswoman for Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said last month that “upon the arrival of the new plantings and ceremonial plaque, we will schedule a public dedication ceremony in honor of the women of Queens."

It was not immediately clear when the plaque will be installed.

“They still have to get the water going,” noted local Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz.

The city opened a bid for the proposed plaza in 2015. Work was expected to start in the fall that same year and take about 12 months to complete.

The Department of Design and Construction, which manages the site, did not return multiple requests seeking comment.