The Coalition to "Protect Saint Albans"

The Coalition to "Protect Saint Albans"

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Come to Washington with Protect Saint Albans!

Who: The Coalition to "Protect Saint Albans"
What: Washington, DC Visit
When: Tuesday, July 28th - 7:13 am (Bus Departs Manhattan at 8:00 am)
Where: St. Albans Long Island Railroad Station Platform
Why: To visit Kevin Secor, Veterans Service Organizations Liaison, United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Justin Constantine, Counsel to the United States Senate Veterans Affair Committee; and Congressman Bob Filner, Chair of the United States House Veterans Affair Committee.

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On October 19, 2007, the United States Veterans Administration released an RFP (Request for Proposals) that invites real estate developers to submit proposals to redevelop the current 55 acre St. Albans VA Campus. (Click here for a Google map of the campus.)

The RFP encourages bidders to submit proposals that would include: 1) the developer demolishing the present anchor shaped building; and, 2) the developer building several new facilities for the VA on 30 of the 55 acres. The developer would use the remaining 25 acres to build rental housing on land the developer would lease from the VA for 75 years.

The deadline for the submission of responses to the RFP was March 17, 2008. The word on the street is that four developers responded by submitting proposals. One proposal submitted reportedly includes the development of 4,000 plus rental units -- over two thirds the number of units in Rochdale Village.

"Protect Saint Albans" is a coalition of individuals/organizations who have joined forces to stop the development of non-veterans housing on the VA's St. Albans Primary and Extended Care Campus (St. Albans VA Campus).

Recently, much of St. Albans was successfully "downzoned" in a larger St. Albans - Hollis rezoning effort led by New York City's Department of City Planning. (Click here for a link to the rezoning document.)

That downzoning effort was undertaken to discourage population growth in two neighborhoods whose infrastructure -- schools, parks, utilities, transportation, and otherwise -- is already overburdened.

Supporting the development of non-veterans housing on the VA's St. Albans campus would only work against the gains made by the neighborhood's recent downzoning.

Our Mission

The mission of "Protect Saint Albans", is to stop the development of non-veterans housing on the VA's St. Albans campus.

"Protect Saint Albans" would prefer that any acreage deemed not necessary to meet the ongoing needs of veterans, be permanently converted back to park land. Prior to construction of The Naval Hospital in 1950, the grounds were occupied by the St. Albans Golf Club and Community Center.

Sign the "Protect Saint Albans" Online Petition

Click here to sign the "Protect Saint Albans" online petition!

Become a Member

Anyone interested in stopping the development of non-veteran housing on the VA's St. Albans campus is automatically a member of "Protect Saint Albans". If you have an e-mail address, please share it with us so we can keep you posted on developments and upcoming activities.

Join Our Mailing List

Send A Bunch of Important Letters

Click on the link below to download a set of 11 letters that you can send to elected representatives and VA Secretary Peake!

Elected Representative Support Request Letters

Learn More About the Allen Development Corporation's Plans

Click here to view the Allen AME Annual Report Page that references St. Albans Village on the VA Campus.

Visit Links to Important VA Documents/Sites:

VA Saint Albans Site RFP (October 19, 2007)

Saint Albans VA Enhanced Use Public Hearing Power Point Presentation (May 29, 2007)

The above VA Department of Veterans Affairs powerpoint presentation made at the May 29, 2007 Enhanced-Use Lease Public Hearing, supports our assertion that the VA should withdraw its 10/19/07 RFP. Here is why:

Page 7: EUL Goals

Bullet 2: EUL Program goals look to ensure that reuse plans: Are compatible with the fabric of existing neighborhoods.

Coalition Response: A 4,000 unit residential complex, or for that matter any residential high-rise, is hardly compatible with the fabric of the existing neighborhoods.

Page 11: VA Benefits

Bullet 3: Strives to foster "win/win" strategy with veterans and local community.

Coalition Response: Adding non-veterans housing to a neighborhood that: 1) was recently downzoned to slow density growth, and 2) continues to suffer from overtaxed infrastructure, hardly provides a "win" for the local community.

Page 16: EUL Project

Bullet 2: Uses for the site may include senior housing in a retirement community.

Coalition Response: Why would the VA want to put the cost burden of demolishing VA buildings and building new VA buildings -- what is normally a public expenditure -- on seniors?

Saint Albans CARES Stage One Report (June 2006)

One of the most interesting lines that appears in the above report is one that appears on page 35 -- “Based on the initial analysis of attributes and constraints of the St. Albans PECC campus, combined with known private interest in the property, this project is likely to generate enhanced-use lease opportunities.”

VA Saint Albans Fact Sheet

Press

NY1 Print & Video Interview (4/16/2008)

Queens Chronicle "Protect Saint Albans" Rally (4/24/08)

View Photos from the April 18, 2008 Rally!

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