Adams Administration Reveals Plan To Add 14,000 Units To Long Island City
A new zoning proposal for Long Island City unveiled this week is set to bring even more development to the already-booming Queens neighborhood.
First presented at a town hall Monday, the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan would bring 14,000 new homes to the area, including at least 4,000 that would be income-restricted. Additionally, it would allow for more than 3M SF of commercial space and expand waterfront access, according to the New York Department of City Planning.
“This is an opportunity to take a comprehensive look at LIC’s strengths and needs, and plan for a more affordable, resilient neighborhood,” DCP Director Dan Garodnick said in a statement.
Under the current proposal, the Waterfront Access Plan would be updated to ensure public open space while adding high- and medium-density zoning throughout the neighborhood. It would also map Mandatory Inclusionary Housing in the neighborhood for the first time.
The plan was first announced in October and has undergone three rounds of “focus area meetings” and two previous town halls. It now advances towards environmental and public review.
Long Island City’s growth has been surrounded by controversy ever since Amazon’s HQ2 was proposed for the area, after boisterous opposition caused the e-commerce behemoth to pull out of plans to build an 8M SF office campus in the neighborhood.
Even at Monday’s meeting, the plan to allow high-density multifamily and commercial development received boos from some community members.
“As it currently stands, it's another plan to build more luxury housing," Christina Chaise told Gothamist at the town hall.
But cranes tower over the neighborhood regardless.
Currently there are 4,000 residential units under construction with another 8,000 proposed, adding to the 30,000 already completed in the area in recent, according to data by the Long Island City Partnership. Additionally, more than 400K SF of retail and 4M SF of commercial and industrial construction is set to be built. Another 24 hotels are planned to be added to the existing 58.
Between 2010 and 2020, Long Island City’s population grew by 40% — five times faster than the rate of growth for the rest of the city, New York Business Journal previously reported.
That is likely to only increase if the rezoning is successful. Other parts of the city also have new neighborhood plans advancing toward the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process.
Two weeks ago, DCP released the draft scope of work for the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, which covers more than 300 blocks in the area. In Brooklyn, the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan is undergoing environmental review. In Manhattan, DCP is gathering community input on the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan.
The Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan, which calls for an additional 7,500 residential units, was approved by the City Planning Commission Wednesday.
