MTA closing in on Main Street property for LIRR station upgrade
“The MTA is close to acquiring the land it needs to install elevators at the Flushing LIRR station, elected officials announced last week.
The project, which will renovate the long-neglected station so that it is wheelchair-accessible, has slowly started to come to fruition after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority employed eminent domain to obtain a property at 40-36 Main St., owned by Ou Jiang City Supermarket.
The MTA approved the use of eminent domain — the process by which the city seizes private property for public works projects — in February. In a recent letter to elected officials, LIRR President Patrick Nowakowski said the MTA expects to acquire the property in January and that the existing tenant will move out by July.
The MTA has already acquired a small food stall that was partially under the LIRR overpass on Main Street that was needed for the project.”
Robinson, Alex. Times Ledger 7 November 2014.