Piles of wood at the Rockaways (source: Slate)

Nearly three weeks after the storm, a question has arisen in the Rockaways over future uses of the lumber, currently in piles, that Sandy tore up from the boardwalk, the New York Times reported. There’s a mix of teak, pine and ipe lumber, which can be valuable.

In the past, a stockpile of lumber taken from Coney Island’s boardwalk in a recycling project was used to make flooring, furniture and decks for homes. The city had discarded the wood and did not gain money from its recycled sales. [more]

From left: Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski and Astoria City Council Member Peter Vallone Jr., who support the plan, and the abandoned pool

Though elected officials, the Parks Department and community groups are backing the restoration of a landmarked abandoned dive pool in Astoria Park, there are fundraising problems, the Wall Street Journal reported. As previously reported, the conversion plan to transform the pool, which hosted the U.S. Olympic diving trials in 1936 and 1964, into an amphitheater seemed to be set in stone. The plan also included the integration of the 32-foot Art Moderne diving platform into the overall design. [more]

The abandoned diving pool in Astoria Park

An abandoned Astoria Park swimming pool in Queens that once hosted trials for the United States Olympic swimming and diving teams is set to become an amphitheater, the New York Times reported.

Once filled with water, the pool will now be filled with concrete. Plans for the modification were announced in December, with Queens City Council member Peter Vallone leading the campaign. However, due to the pool’s landmark status, certain aspects won’t be able to be modified through construction, namely the pool’s tiered diving board right in the center of the downstage area. [more]