Sunnyside Yard
www.qns.com I LIC COURIER I JUNE 2018 11
Deputy Mayor for Housing and
Economic Development Alicia
Glen and Amtrak Chairman Anthony
Cosica announced today,
May 3, that they will begin the master
planning process for Sunnyside Yard. The
City of New York and Amtrak signed a
letter of intent to formalize their agreement,
and the 18-month process is slated
to begin this summer.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity
for civic groups, public officials
and residents to create a vision for their
borough, one that delivers on the central
challenges Queens faces like affordable
housing, open space, more school seats
and better public transit. We are ready to
listen and to work with all our partners
to develop a plan that Queens can be
proud of,” Glen said.
The yards are majority owned by
Amtrak. The other parts of the property
are owned by New York City and the
Metropolitan Transit Authority, who the
New York City Economic Development
Corporation (EDC) said will also be part
of the master planning process later on.
EDC Vice President Cali Williams
was named as the director of Sunnyside
Yard. Williams has been with the
EDC for nearly 10 years, and has had
extensive experience in implementing
neighborhood planning, economic
development and rezoning. Her most
recent experience involved overseeing
comprehensive action plans for Jamaica
and Far Rockaway.
Prior to beginning the project, the
EDC conducted a feasibility study in
2015 to determine the possibility of the
overbuild project. The study found that
80 to 85 percent of the 180-acre yard
could be built over, creating the potential
for building 24,000 homes, 19 schools,
52 acres of public parks and other community
amenities.
The Sunnyside Yard steering committee
will be lead by both Elizabeth Lusskin, president
of the Long Island City Partnership,
and Sharon Greenberger, president and
CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York.
In addition to these women, the steering
committee will be made up of 35 diverse
individuals including elected officials, local
community leaders and planning experts.
According to the EDC, the steering
committee will meet quarterly over the
18-month planning process. During that
time, they will be getting community
feedback through public meetings and
workshops, attending civic meetings and
canvassing. Williams and members of
the EDC highlighted the importance of
community engagement and input during
the master planning process.
“The steering committee is one way of
community engagement, but in addition
we’re going to be doing robust community
engagement. Whether it’s through
open houses, continuation of one-on-one
meetings, or any other tools. There will
be plenty of opportunities for all voices
to be part of this effort,” Williams said.
One of the key reasons that the EDC
gave for building in Sunnyside Yard is the
exponential population growth in Queens
and New York City as a whole over the
next 20 years. The population is expected
to grow by half a million people, 80,000
of which will be in Queens alone.
This large-scale growth will put a strain
on the city’s current resources, including
schools, parks, mass transit and housing.
The EDC said that the project presents “an
opportunity to address these challenges
head-on and do so in a way that integrates
new development into the established
fabric of surrounding communities.”
Following the announcement, Assemblywoman
Catherine Nolan voiced her
disapproval on the steering committee’s
failure to reach out to her and the lack
of diversity on the panel.
“I am incredibly disappointed that Deputy
Mayor Glen did not reach out to get my
input as the elected representative of this
district for over 30 years. I have worked
closely with the mayor on many issues
and it is shocking to see community voices
denied in this process at the very beginning.
I commend the many talented leaders on
this group but it must be more diverse and
reflective of our western Queens community.
I must insist that locally elected officials
be able to recommend community leaders
to this panel, that it be expanded to include
more voices and that more local residents
and businesses, not just nonprofit groups,
be included.”
Nolan added that she would introduce
legislation to “give the governor and the
Legislature more input into this process.”
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Photo courtesy of NYCEDC
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