QUEENS RESIDENTS SAY NO MORE HOTELS LIKE THESE IN THEIR BACKYARD
Photo By: C. Harrison Senator James Sander Jr , Richie Dhillion, & Haman Anand
By: C. Harrison/April 13, 2016
Queens New York,…… A meeting was held recently at the Herbert Birch School, at 145-02 Farmers Blvd, with owners of a newly mint Clarion Hotel, located at the corner of 147th Ave and Guy R. Brewer Blvd and Spring field Gardens, to discuss the opening of the Clarion Hotel at that location and to ensure that if said hotel was to open, there would be jobs for local residents.
The meet was held in conjunction with Senator James Sander Jr., Queens Community Board 13, SpringGar, and the United Neighbors Civic Association (UNCA).
The New Hotel is 1.5 miles away from JFK Airport, it is close to the 105 Precinct and 1.2 miles from the Long Island railroad. There is a deli across the street, a restaurant and a check cash. and conveniently, there is a bus stop right at the corner where one could catch the: # 111, 112, 113 and 114 buses into Jamaica Ave shopping areas and links to the local subway stations. There is also the $1:00 Vans and Taxi cabs running up and down that Ave. And both managers live within proximity to the hotel.
The drawback, a local school right across the street at 146 Street and a car lot right across the street not to mention a truck stop adjacent next to the hotel property and residences complaint of nonsense of drug use in that area theft and the facts of other hotels in the area, using their Hotels to bring in homeless people when their hotels cannot make decent profits. This action by the hotels residents complaints have changed the dynamics of the neighborhood and they don’t want anymore hotels going up in their neighborhoods.
According to the two managers, Richie Dhillion and Haman Anand, the Hotel will be upscale in nature. They said the Hotel is a Choice Hotel Franchise. They maintain that an assessment was done and it was found that there is a demand for hotel rooms in the Queens area. They also claim to be in partnerships with all the other hotels in the Queens area-who calls them daily, due to the fact that, they have 10 other hotels in the area and that the two of them are on call 24 hours a day, in case of interference. Both stated that they have stayed in the neighborhood late late at night and that the neighborhood is safe to them. Both moreover added that they did their own assessments; but, it sounded like apart from them staying late at night and have spoken to their neighbors at the deli and restaurant, no other assessment was done on their part. The stats both men contends is on their side.
The two managers furthermore countered that, “Their will be security personals on hand as well as another manager and 60 to 70 cameras will be posted in and outside the premises. Rates will be daily and confer with other upscale hotels in the area. “They said that employees will have a chance to move up in the service business and pay wage will be fair at market rate.” One draw back here is, the two managers are not the real owners of the Hotel or the 10 other hotels, their parents are.
At the moment the finishing touches are being added to the Hotel and they are looking to interview potential employees. One recent draw back was theft at the hotel; where thieves made of with several main items. The Clarion Hotel at 147 Avenue plans to open June 1, 2016, after franchise big wigs come in and do their assessments.
After viewing the area for myself, this Journalist thinks an opening is possible, if the managers keep their word that they will not bring in homeless people if profits doesn’t come in as planned and keep the rate at market value and hire professionals to run the day to day as well as to make sure superior security is on the premises.
As a Queens resident what is your take on this Hotel going up at this site-location? See hotel below. (photo credit C. Harrison)
