Residents riled over hotel project in LIC

Residents of Long Island City are riled over the construction of the SilverCup hotel, a nearly completed nine-story building at 29-11 39th Avenue in Dutch Kills. Developer Steven Bahar is seeking more time from the city to complete the work, but residents are upset over numerous building violations the site has racked up over the years. Despite a stop work order, construction took place during nights, weekends and holidays, Gerald Walsh, president of local advocacy group Dutch Kills Civic Association, told the Wall Street Journal. According to the Department of Buildings, more than 50 complaints about the hotel project have been filed since 2007, and the site currently has three open violations. A $5,000 fine was issued on the property a year ago for violating a stop-work order. There have been nine partial and full stop-work orders issued there since construction began, and there is currently a partial stop-work order on the building. But Bahar said the stop-work orders only caused small delays in the hotel’s construction, noting that opposition to the project stems from critics who don’t want a building of that height in the neighborhood. However, he believes that once complete, the hotel will benefit the local economy. [WSJ]