It is hard not to empathize with companies currently in Willets Point. Some of them have been doing business here for decades. It is not their fault that the area was neglected by the city. For reasons that remain unclear, the area has no sewer system and the city-owned roads look like a war zone. They have a right to be angry and no one can fault them for resisting the city's efforts to redevelop the area.
At the same time, we agree with Borough President Helen Marshall and former Borough President Claire Shulman, who led a rally last week to support the redevelopment plan, even though it means forcing the salvage companies and other businesses to relocate. The plan includes the building of more than 5,000 housing units, a 400,000-square-foot convention center and more than a million square feet of retail and office space.
Although we cringe at the use of eminent domain, we believe that the people of Queens will benefit enormously from the proposed redevelopment through employment opportunities and tax revenues. The City Planning Council and Community Board 7 should give the plan its enthusiastic support.
