Parking Lot Over Burial Ground | New York City News

A parking lot in Elmhurst, Queens, built atop a 19th-century cemetery holding around 290 unmarked graves, is caught in a legal and ethical storm. After hitting an iron coffin containing a freed slave’s remains in 2011, the property’s owner, 90 Queens LLC, struck a deal with the church for a memorial—but more remains were disturbed. Last year, they paved over the site and turned it into a parking lot, even for NYPD impound, leading to violations and a court-ordered shutdown by November 30. Now, with foreclosure looming and a state law protecting unknown burial sites, any sale or development must involve archaeologists and community monitors—or face criminal charges. The fate of these forgotten souls hangs in the balance as developers, banks, and lawmakers scramble to navigate a deeply sensitive historical and legal minefield. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5a7ac9ad37efc9e2