Construction begins on new building for LIC school
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
Construction has started
on the Academy of American
Studies’ new home which will
be right across the street from
its current location at 28-04 41st
Ave. in Long Island City.
The Academy of American
Studies currently shares space
with Newcomers High School, located
across the street. The new
building will be located at 28-04
41st Avenue in what is currently
the parking lot of Newcomers.
The new four-story building
will house 969 students and include
a visual art room, music
room, science labs and a medical
suite, according to the Department
of Education. Currently,
there are about 909 students
enrolled at Newcomers High
School and 1,008 enrolled at the
Academy of American Studies.
“Since we opened the
school we’ve been looking for
a new building,” said Patricia
McLoughlin, a school aid at the
Academy of American Studies.
Overcrowding has been a
chronic problem in New York
City schools with the problem
projected to only worsen in
Long Island City with the arrival
of Amazon in 2019, according
to the Gotham Gazette. Housing
start data posted by the School
Construction Authority estimated
that between 2018-2024,
19,703 residential units would be
built in Queens’ School District
30, where the Academy of American
Studies and Newcomers
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Academy of American Studies’ new home. Courtesy of Nolan’s offi ce
High School are both located.
According to the Department
of Education’s formula
used to determine how much
school enrollment growth this
influx of residents will generate,
there will be a need for 4,000 additional
elementary and middle
school seats. The proposed fiveyear
capital plan for 2020-2024 includes
only 1,012 for the district.
In the proposed five-year
plan there are fewer than 1,000
high school seats for the borough.
The housing start data
alone would generate the need
for about 5,000 additional high
school students.
“One of the greatest needs
in our community is having
enough school seats for our kids
and today’s announcement is
good news on that front,” said
Senator Michael Gianaris,
who attended the new facility’s
ground-breaking ceremony on
Monday Dec. 3.
Others in attendance included
State Senator Jessica
Ramos, Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer, Assemblywoman
Catherine Nolan, School
Construction Authority President
Lorraine Grillo, Queens
Community Board 1 Chair
Marie Torniali, Queens Community
Board 2 Chair Principal
William Bassell and a
handful of students.
Construction is scheduled
to be completed in 2021 with
the new school’s first student’s
set to occupy the building in
September of that year.
All-night liquor license notifi cation bill signed into law
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
State Assemblywoman
Nily Rozic’s legislation to
reform the application process
for liquor permits that
allow businesses to continue
serving alcohol from
4 a.m. to 8 a.m. was signed
into law last week by Gov.
Andrew Cuomo.
The bill, which was sponsored
in the state Senate by
Tony Avella, passed with
overwhelming bipartisan support.
It was signed by Cuomo
on Dec. 7.
Rozic, who authored the
legislation, thanked Cuomo
for signing the bill to help
improve neighborhoods and
giving residents an avenue to
address their concerns.
“This new law ensures
that Community Boards are
given advance notice when
a bar or restaurant applies
for an all-night permit,”
said Rozic. “Requiring the
notice, empowers neighborhood
stakeholders to have a
voice in the process and allows
for a balance between
the quality of life and public
safety of local residents and
business interests.”
Currently, the State Liquor
Authority (SLA) requires
businesses to notify the local
police precinct or county sheriff
when businesses submit
their applications. Approval
of the application means that
the businesses can remain
open on any weekday between
the hours of 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Rozic’s bill includes Community
Boards in the process
by requiring businesses to
notify them as well.
“We are pleased that due
to Assemblywoman Rozic’s
advocacy on behalf of the
community and her tenacity
that the State Liquor Authority
will be required to
inform Community Boards
of all night liquor sale applications,”
said Marie Adam-
Ovide, district manager, of
Community Board 8.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
cnglocal.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4526. Photo via Pixabay
TIMESLEDGER,34 DEC. 14-20, 2018 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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