KGCA Battles City Agencies to Close the Umbrella Hotel

KGCA organized numerous meetings with City and State elected officials to close the Umbrella Hotel.

Throughout the last few years, the hotel had been the site of COVID parties, alleged prostitution, sexual trafficking, an illegal tattoo parlor, drug sales, shootings, and one homicide. For almost a year there was 24/7 police presence in front of hotel. Despite numerous meetings and demonstrations, it wasn’t until November 2020 that the City named an inter-agency coordinator to focus on this problem. The hotel announced its closing in January 2021.

The KGCA is monitoring the situation for future developments.

 

In January 2022, The Kew Gardens Civic Association organized a meeting with elected officials to discuss the status of the Umbrella Hotel on 82nd Avenue and Queens Boulevard. In attendance were Senator Leroy Comrie, Councilwoman Lynn Schulman, staff of Assemblymen Rosenthal and Hevesi (who were in an Assembly session in Albany), NYPD Deputy Inspector Anthony Fidicaro of the 102nd Precinct, and representatives of the KGCA Board, Kew Gardens Improvement Association, Community Board 9, and members of the boards of four neighboring coop buildings (all of which are considering KGCA membership).

Prior to the meeting, the KGCA distributed a detailed briefing paper documenting the complicated history of the Umbrella Hotel property since 2008. The history of this property shows a pattern of disregard for public safety and city regulations by the property owner and hotel managers which has only been compounded by the lack of responsiveness to community concerns by the City and its elected officials. The only exception to this has been the NYPD 102nd Precinct. In the spirit of briefing a new City administration, we are also including a list of demands and proposed solutions to stabilize this property.