At Willets Point, resistance and resignation

New York, NY —

Even by Bloomberg Administration standards, rebuilding Willets Point in Queens is a massive development project. This summer, the city proposal to tear down the industrial district near Shea Stadium, known for its auto repair shops, and build housing, retail and a convention center has been steadily clearing hurdles. At the end of July Queens Borough President Helen Marshall gave her approval, echoing the local community board. But on the site, only a handful of the roughly 260 small businesses have agreed to sell so far. With eminent domain in the air, local businesses are somewhere between resistance and resignation. WNYC’s Siddhartha Mitter reports.

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