'The direction of justice': Richards lays out vision for the future in annual State of the Borough address

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards delivered his annual State of the Borough speech on Friday.  Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

Justice was at the center of Borough President Donovan Richards' State of the Borough Address on Friday, where the BP laid out plans to make the technology industry, housing and the environment more equitable for the people of the World’s Borough.

At his speech from the Queens Theater, as the BP detailed efforts from his office in the past year, as well as new plans and investments he hopes benefits the people of Queens in the near future.

“We are bending our future, our collective fate, in the direction of justice for all 2.4 million of us who call Queens home,” Richards said.

Throughout Friday’s address, Richards was focused on major projects and investments in Queens from the last year, including in housing, infrastructure and the environment.

Both Richards’ speech and the promotional video that preceded it highlighted both phases of Willets Point’s development, which represents the largest affordable housing project the city has pursued in nearly half a century. The second phase of the development, which includes the creation of a 25,000-seat soccer stadium, was approved by the City Council the day before Richards’ speech.

“It took a lot of negotiating to get here,” Richards said, recognizing Councilmember Francisco Moya and Mayor Eric Adams, both of whom were in attendance Friday.

Richards also spoke about massive housing and zoning projects at Creedmoor and in Jamaica and the Rockaways, and the 5,000 housing units he signed off on in 2023.

“If you're from Senegal or Springfield Gardens, Honduras or Howard Beach, you deserve a roof over your head,” Richards said.

Though Richards has long been an advocate of development in general, he said on Friday that any development in the borough should have an eye toward the community it's coming into.

“But where is the justice in new housing, a new school, new retail space and more if Corona, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst or Flushing families aren’t reaping the benefits?” Richards said. “If the community benefits aren’t there, then neither is my support.”

Recently, Richards threatened to withhold his support of the Willets Point project if the city didn't agree to help bring food vendors back into Corona Plaza not long after they had been kicked out.

After going through accomplishments of the last year, Richards turned toward what is to come.

He called for “shovels in the dirt” at Creedmoor, which the state is attempting to turn into a major housing and mixed-use development project after decades of disinvestment in the state-owned land in Eastern Queens. He also called for movement on the Gotham Health Clinic in Rockaway and other projects in the pipeline.

Technology and his push to promote Queens as a new hub for tech and entrepreneurship also took center stage on Friday.

Last year, Richards and Deputy Borough President Ebony Young took a trip to Lagos, Nigeria to learn from entrepreneurs in the African city about how they helped grow it into a major tech hub.

In that vein, Richards announced the creation of a new diversity tech and innovation center in Long Island City, which should open next year and will be the home for 50 new startups.

“[This is] Queens’ way of bringing economic and technological justice to those who have been long denied it,” Richards said, adding that his office will allocate $5 million in funding for the center.

In further investment for the future, Richards spoke about the Renewable Ravenswood plan, which will bring clean energy to the Western Queens power station that will promote a healthier environment for NYCHA Ravenswood Houses residents and the surrounding communities.

The Champlain Hudson Power Express, also announced last year, is expected to bring more clean and renewable energy to Western Queens from Canada. The conversion station in Astoria, which will receive the energy, is expected to open in 2026.

“Millions of families across Western Queens will live healthier lives,” Richards said. “That is what environmental justice looks like.”

As reported in the Eagle on Friday prior to the speech, Richards also announced $2.3 million for nine new hydroponic labs in Queens schools, adding to the 13 he has already funded.

The BP called on Adams and the Department of Education to take less than one percent of the school system’s budget to put a lab in every city school.

“Let's give our 1.1 million students a well-rounded education,” Richards said. “One that will help put food on the family's table too.”

Much of Richards’ hour-long address highlighted accomplishments from the last year, including the funding of new community centers and park space – but also looking to projects that should come to fruition in 2024.

One such project is the new 116th Precinct, which should be finished sometime in the fall after brief delays.

“They say that justice delayed is justice denied,” he said. “But we won’t be denied any more in Southeast Queens…those days are done.”

In transportation, Richards spoke about the Queens Bus Network Redesign which is currently undergoing community input, and the hopes for new train lines like the Interborough Express and the QNS, which would connect Jamaica and Long Island City.

Richards, who last year said Queens was filled with “limitless in its potential,” said he was proud of the progress made in the borough over the last 12 months.

“The World’s Borough is the world’s blueprint to follow,” he said. “No matter our background, we all strive for the same things: Unity, peace and prosperity.”

“The state of our borough is stronger than ever because I have faith in our shared mission,” Richards concluded.