Report: Padavan Scrutinized for Land Deal

Former 38-year State Sen. Frank Padavan is again making political headlines. The New York Post reports that he facilitated the sale of a public facility to a politically connected group based in Floral Park, while tax payers took a beating on the deal. The Post reports:

Former Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Queens) championed the sale of 4.5 acres of the old Creedmoor Hospital to the cash-poor Indian Cultural and Community Center, going so far as to hound state Dormitory Authority officials to OK the deal without the usual attorney general's review, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Queens) claims.

"Why would you want to circumvent the normal contract-review process? Only if you want to hide something," charged Avella, who is pushing the AG's Office to investigate the fishy deal.

Padavan's 2006 legislation authorized the sale of the Queens psych-hospital parcel for $1.8 million, a fraction of its estimated market value of $7.3 million. The measure allows the Floral Park group to build a community center and apartment buildings.

Sale of state land is usually conducted through an auction to the highest bidder, or granted to public entities.

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Padavan said he had no knowledge of the AG being cut out of the process and said the cultural group is aboveboard.

"They are very professional and family-oriented people, and I had no reason to doubt their intentions," Padavan said.

Tax documents show the Indian cultural group ran a $22,000 deficit and had no income in 2009, according to the most recent documents.

But the group is rich in political capital, including ties to the growing concentration of Indian-Americans living in eastern Queens.

The group said in a statement it just wants to build apartments to help vulnerable local seniors.

"We are interested only in providing much needed services to the area," it said.

Padavan in 2010 recently lost his reelection bid to Avella, who has about pointing out the shortcomings of his predecessor.