City begins review of Long Island City redevelopment plan

The city officially kicked off its review of OneLIC, a plan to rezone a large swath of Long Island City. Rendering via DCP

By Jacob Kaye

The Adams administration’s plan to redevelop a large swath of Long Island City officially entered the city’s land use review process this week.

OneLIC, the name given to the plan to rezone around 54 blocks in the more industrial areas of the neighborhood that has seen seismic growth over the past decade, will soon be reviewed and voted on by the local community boards, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, the City Planning Commission and the City Council, which has the final say in whether or not the plan is approved.

Officials say the Long Island City neighborhood plan will bring in over 10,000 new units of housing, over 3 million square feet of commercial space and a level of development that will essentially amount to the creation of a new neighborhood.

Much like the city’s ongoing plan to redevelop a large swath of Downtown Jamaica, the city aims to achieve its housing and development goals in LIC through zoning changes that they claim will encourage builders to come to the neighborhood.

Officials with the Department of City Planning on Monday presented the contours of the redevelopment plan to the City Planning Commission, which voted unanimously to certify the project and allow it to move through the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.

“With its central location, access to multiple subway and bus lines, strong local economy and great amenities, Long Island City is exactly the kind of place where the city should be adding more housing and jobs,” Dan Garodnick, who leads the DCP and chairs the CPC, said on Monday. “That is what this holistic plan allows us to do.”

Though some details may change over the next several months as it is put through the city’s review, much of the plan will remain in place as it makes its way to the City Council, where it will likely enjoy the support of local City Councilmember Julie Won.

“After 18 months of extensive public engagement, which shaped our community priorities, I am energized to enter certification and negotiations for OneLIC,” said Won, who worked alongside the Department of City Planning to develop the rezoning plan.

“I will fight to ensure the final OneLIC Neighborhood Plan delivers resiliency, sustainability, and longevity, through commitments on deeply affordable housing, pathways to affordable home ownership, thousands of additional school seats, a connected waterfront, new green spaces, and more,” Won added.

Housing is at the center of the rezoning.

Though parts of Long Island City have effectively seen non-stop construction of housing over the past decade, the 54-block area targeted by OneLIC has largely been excluded from the growth.

Zoned for industrial or commercial uses, the OneLIC project area has left a swath of a crowded neighborhood untapped, officials said.

Through the rezoning, the city estimates nearly 14,700 housing units will be built, 4,300 of which would be affordable. The city also estimates the rezoning would create 14,400 jobs and 3.5 million square feet of new commercial space.

The project area is generally bound north by the Queensboro Bridge – though a section of the project runs north of the bridge into Dutch Kills. Its southernmost point hits 47th Avenue, near Gantry State Park. The area is bound to the west by the East River and to the east by 24th Street.

The project area includes the Anable Basin, an area once eyed by Amazon for its second headquarters. The basin, which once was the center of industrial life in the neighborhood, is expected to be transformed into a large green space that provides New Yorkers with access to the water.

In addition to the Anable Basin, OneLIC includes a proposal to redevelop an approximately 10-block stretch of waterfront property in Long Island City just south of the Queensboro Bridge. City officials say the area’s current zoning has prevented the waterfront from being opened up to the public, something they hope OneLIC will correct.

“With these changes, more New Yorkers of all income levels will be able to call this neighborhood home, enjoy a morning coffee next to the East River at a waterfront green space, and then walk a few blocks to their job,” Garodnick said on Monday. “That's the vision that we have for Long Island City – a more active, equitable, vibrant and welcoming community.”

Queens Community Board 1 and 2 will hold a joint hearing on the plan as part of the ULURP process on May 21 at LaGuardia Community College’s mainstage theater.

The City Council is expected to issue its final vote on the plan in the fall.