A project designed to redevelop stretches of Long Island City is still in its preliminary stages, but if passed, officials argue it would provide thousands of housing units and job opportunities for residents.
The “Long Island City Neighborhood Plan,” from the Department of City Planning, aims to rezone land from the riverfront in the west side of the Queens area to Court Square in the east, and from Gantry Plaza State Park in the south to NYCHA’S Queensbridge Houses in the north.
If passed, the project would construct 14,000 new homes, including 4,000 “affordable” apartments. The rezoning could additionally lead to the creation of 16,000 jobs, up to 3 million square feet of commercial space and about 8 acres of public space, along with new schools, infrastructure improvement, and shoreline safeguards, according to the draft zoning framework released by the DCP.
The 4,000 units earmarked as “affordable” would rent for an average of 60% or 80% of the area median income, which is equal to about $1,630 to $2,1,74 a month for a studio apartment or $2,097 to $2,796 for a two-bedroom.
Long Island City is one of the faster-growing neighborhoods in NYC, seeing a 75% increase in population since 2010. The area was previously rezoned in 2001, making way for it to be speedily developed, and the city has admitted this rezoning was inadequate in its affordable housing goals for the community.
The recent proposal from the DCP was first announced in October by local City Councilwoman Julie Won and members of Mayor Adams’ administration.
“We have more than 15,000 people living in shelters in our district alone and more than 300,000 people in the whole city who are homeless, so it’s going to be my utmost priority to make sure we have supportive housing and affordable housing for our neighborhood long-term,” said Councilwoman Won at a town hall meeting Monday night held at the City University of New York (CUNY).
Members of the community were invited to the meeting to discuss recommendations for the neighborhood plan, and some expressed distrust of the proposal’s alleged commitment to creating accessible housing. They argued the units will end up going to affluent people who can afford the living costs, displacing the neighborhood’s residents, many of whom are racial minorities.
However, Won said she was not “in full agreement” with the plan, the Gothamist reported. Rather, she ultimately wants to see “100% affordable housing for public land.”
