🌱 Breaking Ground On JFK Redevelopment + Queens Apartment Fire

Morning, Queens! Here's everything you need to know to get this day started. Here's everything worth knowing in town today.

First, today's weather:

Variably cloudy; breezy, mild. High: 60 Low: 53.

Here are the top stories in Queens today:

1. On Wednesday, officials broke ground on a $1.5 billion redevelopment of Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The project had previously been put on hold since tourism and airport revenue had plummeted due to the pandemic. However, the project is now in motion to transform Terminal 2 and 4 into a single, amenity-filled terminal with 10 new gates by 2023 — a scaled-back version from the original terminal makeover plan, which was announced several weeks before the city went into lockdown. (Queens Patch)
2. An elderly couple died in a Queens apartment building fire. Flames broke out on the fourth floor of the building on 162nd Street in Flushing before 5 a.m. on Wednesday. The couple's apartment was the only unit affected by the fire and the cause is under investigation. (NBC New York)
3. The MTA is redeveloping the Jamaica Bus Depot to fully support a zero-emissions bus fleet. The depot will have up to 60 electric buses when it’s expected to open in the summer of 2026. The all-electric buses are equipped with a battery on the roof and provide a quieter ride without exhaust emissions. (CBS New York)

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Today in Queens:

• Steps to Successful Interviews Webinar, At (Virtual) Glen Oaks Branch Library (12:00 PM)
• It’s Time for Kind: Love Songs from Europe and United States by Iris Ornig Trio, At (Virtual) Glen Oaks Branch Library (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The New York Panettone Festival Part II is taking place on Dec. 18 and 19 in Long Island City. (Facebook)
• Come learn the 101s of composting on Saturday, Jan. 8 at a free workshop hosted by Queens Botanical Garden. (Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.