Photo: Queens Neighborhood United
By Christian Murray
Oct. 8, 2019
Community activists and elected officials have filed a lawsuit against Target and a pair of developers to block the retail giant from opening on 82nd Street.
The lawsuit filed by Queens Neighborhood United Sept. 30 in state supreme court looks to overturn a decision made by the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals in June that gave the developers the green-light to proceed with the project.
A two-story commercial building is currently going up on the 40-31 82 St. site that will contain a small-format Target when it is complete.
The lawsuit, which names Target, the BSA and developers Sun Equity Partners and Heskel Group, is just the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute between activists, Target and the real estate companies.
The developers originally sought to build a 13-story, luxury residential building with a shopping mall on the lower floors, but withdrew their plans after fierce opposition. Instead, the developers filed plans for the two-story building, to be called The Shoppes.
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“We’re asking the court to step in and enforce the law before it’s too late,” said Paula Segal, an attorney with TakeRoot Justice who represents QNU in a statement. QNU is joined in the lawsuit by Council Member Francisco Moya and State Sen. Jessica Ramos, among others…
