City Billed $500K To Replace Damaged Flagpole, Report Says

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — A Long Island City politician is spending half a million dollars on a flagpole that he says the Department of Transportation refuses to replace, according to a report.

The original, century-old flagpole in question once stood in the middle of the Blissville Veterans Memorial in Long Island City, but was cut down by the city shortly after getting destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, reported the Queens Post.

For nearly ten years since then, City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer said that he and other local organizations — namely the Blissville Civic Association and Community Board 2 — have been trying, unsuccessfully, to get the Department of Transportation (DOT) to replace the flagpole.

“Shamefully they refused at every turn,” Van Bramer told the Queens Post of the DOT.

Patch reached out to the DOT about the flagpole, and a spokesperson said “we will take a look” but didn’t respond further.

Now, Van Bramer has chosen to allocate $500,000 from the city budget to have the flagpole replaced, and upgrade the surrounding memorial and public space.

“Ultimately, I wanted to get this done for the community,” the City Councilmember told the Queens Post, adding “I want this to be a civic space that the people of Blissville can take pride in. It is of great significance to the residents.”

One of the people for whom the memorial has significance is Thomas Mituzas, who has been advocating for a new flagpole alongside the community board since 2013.

According to the Queens Post, Mituzas’ family has lived in the Blissville area since 1907 — including many great uncles who served in the U.S. military.

For Mituzas, having a new flagpole and updated memorial site in the neighborhood — the site is located at the intersection of Greenpoint Avenue, Review Avenue, and Van Dam Street — shows respect for those who have served.