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ALSO COVERING AUBURNDALE, COLLEGE POINT, DOUGLASTON, GLEN OAKS, FLORAL PARK
• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
Dec. 18-Dec. 24, 2020
PROJECT APPROVED!
City Council votes in favor of Special Flushing Waterfront District proposal
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The City Council on Thursday,
Dec. 10, voted to approve
the Special Flushing Waterfront
District’s (SFWD) proposal
with a final tally of 39
members in favor and five
against, with one abstention.
The council’s vote for the
SFWD proposal follows approvals
earlier this week by
the City Council’s Subcommittee
on Zoning and Franchises
and its Committee on Land Use
reaching an agreement with
labor unions to ensure good
jobs, community benefits and
more for the Special Flushing
Waterfront District.
Councilman Peter Koo,
whose district includes Flushing,
said the SFWD proposal
will help to revitalize the
downtown Flushing economy,
as the city begins to recover
from COVID-19.
“We have all struggled in
this pandemic, and we simply
cannot afford to continue our
demands for the perfect win
over the good,” Koo said. “This
is a good compromise that addresses
many of the issues we
heard at many public hearings,
provide good union paying
jobs, affordable housing
and community benefits.”
Rendering by Hill West Architects
The three developers behind
the Special Flushing Waterfront
Development include
F&T Group, United Construction
& Development Group and
Young Nian Group, known collectively
as FWRA, LLC.
The SFWD proposal seeks
to revitalize 29 acres of inactive
and underutilized land
that the developers say will
provide substantial public
benefits such as a privately
funded and maintained road
network and a 160,000-squarefoot
waterfront promenade
along Flushing Creek that
will both be publicly accessible.
The plan also includes
1,725 residential units, including
affordable housing, 879
hotel keys, office and community
facility, retail space and
parking spaces to help alleviate
traffic along College Point
Boulevard.
The developers said the
council’s vote in favor of the
project provides a better future
for Flushing when needed most.
“After decades of false
starts and stops to activate the
waterfront, we could not be
more honored to be part of the
solution. Today and together,
we move Flushing forward,”
the team said in a statement.
The developers expressed
gratitude to Council members
Peter Koo, Francisco Moya,
Rafael Salamanca, Speaker
Corey Johnson and the Department
of City Planning for
their support leading up to the
final vote.
“Council member Koo has
been an incredible advocate
for the future of Flushing and
the immigrant communities
he serves. With his support,
Queens and New York City
will move forward with this
next exciting chapter,” the
team said.
The late Claire Shulman,
former Queens borough president,
received recognition
from the group for her “support,
vision and wavering passion”
for the progression of
Queens by driving the project
forward.
“Bringing this project to
fruition is a testament to her
work and legacy,” the team
said.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–4526.
Vol. 86 No. 51 32 total pages
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