Community News
Mayor Pumps $180 Million
into Fast Growing Neighborhood
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Long Island City will receive $180 million from the city
for development projects, the de Blasio administration
announced Oct. 30.
The funds are a part of the Long Island City Investment
Strategy, a new effort to bring improvements to a variety
of areas in the quickly growing neighborhood. The city
has identified seven areas of focus as part of the plan:
housing, transportation, infrastructure, education, jobs,
open space and arts and culture.
“We are investing $180 million in Long Island City to
address the needs of today while preparing for a more
sustainable future,” de Blasio said.
According to press release from the mayor’s office, the
strategy comes after three years of city agency work led
by the New York City Economic Development Corporation
and a community outreach process that began in 2015
under the Long Island City Core Neighborhood Plan effort,
a zoning study that researched potential areas of need
and development sites in the neighborhood.
In June of this year, the de Blasio administration,
joined by Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, took part in a
series of listening sessions with local civic leaders, who
pointed out community areas of concerns and related
community needs. These sessions influenced in the
outline of the strategy.
A document outlining the strategy — including fund
allocations — can be found online on the LIC Investment
Strategy website, which went live on Tuesday and
details goals and future plans for each of the the seven
areas of focus. The website hosts a suggestions page
in order for community members to provide feedback
on the proposed plans.
Although there has been community pushback against
more development in the fastest growing neighborhood
in the nation, a lot more development is set to come.
Long Island City has 6.6 million square feet of commercial
22 NOVEMBER 2018 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
space, 5 million square feet designated for
future commercial use and 1.6 million square feet set
to be added.
Part of the new city money will be used to increase
space and support for current and future businesses by
“exploring relocation of city uses to create opportunities
for new commercial and industrial space,” supporting
industrial business growth through International Development
Association (IDA) funding, working with Amtrak and
MTA to create new space and jobs around Sunnyside
Yard, a major railway yard that was the topic of a recent
public meeting hosted by the EDC.
The strategy will also work to connect LIC residents
with job opportunities by expanding access to work
training in fields such as the life sciences, manufacturing
and tech.
The city and the EDC plan on creating more affordable
housing in the LIC area and to “encouraging developers to
incorporate deeply affordable housing in private developments.”
Both entities state that they will identify pipeline
sites and make repairs and improve infrastructure to two
established affordable housing units, Queensbridge House
and Ravenswood Houses and support l0w and moderateincome
homeowners with home repairs through HomeFix,
a city program that fund home repairs.
The city references its plan to complete Hunters Point
South in the investment outline. Out of the total number
of apartments in Hunters Point South, 60 percent will be
affordable units for low and moderate-income families.
The city and EDC plan on using $10 million of the
fund to improve transportation, something that has been
a complaint among LIC and neighboring residents as
development continues to increase. Funds will be allocated
toward the Department of Transportation’s LIC/Hunters
Point Area-wide Street Infrastructure Project, upgrading
signal systems on the E, F and 7 lines, a pilot B32 electric
bus and upgrades to the Queensboro Plaza station.
A total of $95 million will be used for a first phase of
sewer upgrades and a complete LIC-amended drainage
plan (ADP), developing green infrastructure to protect
Newtown Creek, reconstruct bulkheads and 44th Drive
pier, resiliency improvements for FDNY Engine Company
260, updating building codes, new flood resilient zoning
rules and increasing outreach for Business PREP
emergency preparedness grants for small businesses.
As for parks and open space, $15 million will be spent
on improving Baby Queensbridge Park, Old Hickory
Playground, Bridge & Tunnel Park and Court Square.
Queensbridge Houses play areas and basketball courts at
Ravenswood Houses are also set to receive improvements.
The city plans on creating new public open space
under the ramps at Dutch Kills Street and encourage
private investment in the creation of new open space. In
the investment plan the city states that they will continue
explore for new locations of public open space and
improve existing spaces.
Long Island City should expect to see several new
schools pop up in the neighborhood, since $60 million of
the $180 million is going to be used for the construction
of new schools in the LIC Innovation Center, Anable Basin
and Court Square neighborhood within School District
30. The city will also use funds to continue to work with
parents and stakeholders at CEC 30 and SCA to check
on school use and need. The city will also keep working
on identifying potential new school sites.
Finally, the city plans on improve the neighborhoods’ art
and culture scene by creating at least 35 new workspace
units for artists and strengthening youth and community
development programs through increased marketing.
The city stated they want to explore ways to increase
public art and programming in order to develop a unique
Long Island City identity.
Photo via Long Island City Investment Strategy
/www.qns.com
