Kew Gardens elected officials urge city to address hotel crime spike
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An August shooting left bullet holes in the front door of the Umbrella Hotel. Photo courtesy of Daniel Rosenthal
By David Brand
Two Kew Gardens elected officials say the city is doing little to address a spike in crime at a once-quiet hotel near Borough Hall, the scene of window-piercing gun shots and various other offenses in recent months.
There have been at least two shootings reported at the Umbrella Hotel at 124-18 Queens Boulevard — one July 3 and another Aug. 9, according to police reports. Victims survived both incidents, but the August attack riddled the revolving front door with bullet holes.
Though NYPD officials told the Eagle that they have increased patrols in the area, the problems have persisted, say Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal and Councilmember Karen Koslowitz.
The two local officials said they have received hundreds of messages from “concerned constituents” complaining about the privately-owned hotel.
“The unfolding situation at the Umbrella Hotel threatens not only public safety, but has grave public health repercussions,” Rosenthal and Koslowitz said in a statement. “The lack of response from City Hall points to the sad reality that Mayor de Blasio is not taking these concerns seriously.”
“The utter absence of regard for our community cannot be ignored,” they added.
Unlike other commercial hotels igniting concern among Queens residents, the Umbrella Hotel has not been used to house homeless New Yorkers.
Instead, it seems that people have taken advantage of low rates during the COVID pandemic to purchase blocks of rooms and throw parties. Police have responded to reports of drug sales, fireworks and loud gatherings, according to the NYPD.
The Mayor’s Office directed questions to the NYPD Friday.
Rosenthal suggested the city could issue fines to the hotel operator or to guests who are not practicing social distancing. Department of Health inspectors could visit the site and the Department of Buildings could enforce maximum occupancy rules, he said.
These tactics would drive down crime, but Rosenthal said, “City Hall can’t seem to find the car keys.”
The hotel’s confusing recent history has only complicated the issue. The hotel has changed ownership and names various times in recent years. After a long delay, it opened in 2017 as the Louie, before becoming a Comfort Inn property.
It has since been dubbed the Umbrella Hotel.
When contacted last month, a community affairs officer from the 102nd Precinct said the problems stemmed from homeless people being housed there.
Homeless people are not being housed there, however.
After being informed of this, the officer said he did not know the cause of the recent spike in crime.
The city did rent rooms for people experiencing homelessness at the site in 2017, DNA Info reported at the time.
Hotel officials have not provided a response to emails and phone calls seeking comment.
