Innovation QNS begins city’s review process
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The developers behind Innovation QNS, a massive, multi-block development planned in Astoria, have begun the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure on the project. Rendering via Innovation QNS
By Jacob Kaye
The developers behind Innovation QNS, a massive, multi-block development planned in Astoria, moved to officially subject the project to the city’s review process this week.
The move to begin the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure comes despite the objection of City Councilmember Julie Won, who represents the district the development is planned for, and following a town hall listening session the developers held in the neighborhood last week.
The $2 billion project, which has been in the works for around four years, would require the rezoning of five city blocks from 37th Street to Northern Boulevard, between 35th and 36th Avenues, which is currently occupied by a number of warehouses, residential buildings, retail space and a movie theater.
The plan, from developers Silverstein Properties, BedRock and Kaufman Astoria Studios, includes a dozen new buildings, including a little over 2,800 apartments, office space, retail space, health and wellness facilities and, potentially, a school. Seven-hundred of the apartments planned for the development will be designated as affordable units.
“After four years of speaking with, listening to, and refining the plan based on conversations with our neighbors, we’re excited that Innovation QNS is as reflective and inclusive of the community as any economic development initiative in recent memory,” Tracy Capune, the vice president of Kaufman Astoria Studios. “We look forward to continuing to work with our neighbors and elected officials toward a plan that best meets the needs of Astoria and New York City.”
The development team has touted the project’s potential to bring needed housing and jobs, with 3,700 in construction and 1,700 permanent jobs.
“I hope that when all is said and done, the project will be approved as a very important way to bring New York back from the brink,” Queens Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Grech told the Eagle last week.
Innovation QNS has recently been the subject of criticism from Community Board 1 members, a number of activists and lawmakers.
Opponents say that the group of developers haven’t done their due diligence in informing nearby residents about the massive changes they plan to bring to the southeastern portion of Astoria.
Last month, Won penned a public letter to Silverstein Properties, BedRock and Kaufman Astoria Studios requesting that they do more outreach, which prompted the developers to host a town hall on April 20.
The town hall, which included an information session and public comment period, brought out mixed opinions on Innovation QNS. While a number of attendees spoke in support of the development, a group of a couple of dozen protestors rallied against the project outside of the Museum of the Moving Image, where the meeting was held.
“We know that this is going to raise the price of rents across the neighborhood,” Farihah Akhtar, 26, a lead organizer of the group, told the Eagle last week.
“This is a front line for gentrification for the rest of Queens,” Akhtar added. “We will not allow what happened in Long Island City and Williamsburg to happen here. These luxury apartments have high levels of vacancy. The reality is we need deeply affordable housing and not luxury market rate apartments.”
Following the town hall, Won said that because she felt the developers had not met the requests she had made in her original letter, they should not certify the project and begin the ULURP process.
A spokesperson for Won declined to comment on the developer’s move to certify this week and instead directed the Eagle to an op-ed written by Won and published in the Queens Post last week.
“Last night was the first time that many of our neighbors were able to engage with the development team and their message was loud and clear: this project does not meet the community’s needs and they have been excluded from the over 2 years of outreach that the Innovation Queens team claims to have done,” Won wrote.
“I was clear that this project should not certify before aligning with the needs of the community and I stand by that today,” she added.
With the project certified, the plan will formally come before the land use committee of Queens Community Board 1 – a hearing date has yet to be announced.
Following its committee hearing, it will head to the full board for an advisory vote. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards will hear from the developers during a Land Use Public Hearing, where members of the public will be allowed to submit testimony. He’ll then issue an advisory vote.
The project will then head to the City Council, where Won may have outsized influence on the vote. Councilmember deference, a longstanding tradition that gave the local councilmember the final say on land use projects that came before the City Council, was challenged last year in Manhattan when former Councilmember Ben Kallos opposed a rezoning to build a blood center on the Upper East Side. The rezoning was approved 43-5.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the project will come before the Queens borough president during a Queens Borough Board meeting as part of the ULURP process. This is incorrect. The borough president will issue an advisory vote on the project following a Land Use Public Hearing.
