State to begin redevelopment of massive Aqueduct Racetrack site

The State will soon begin planning its redevelopment of Aqueduct Racetrack. File photo by TDorante10/Wikimedia Commons

By Jacob Kaye

The state this month will begin planning its redevelopment of Queens’ Aqueduct Racetrack, which is set to be one of the largest empty plots of state-owned land when the horse racing complex closes its tracks for good in June.

Planning for the massive redevelopment of the approximately 100-acre site in South Ozone Park will begin next week with a series of public workshops, the governor’s office told the Eagle exclusively.

The workshops, which will take place in-person on Tuesday, May 12, and online on Thursday, May 14, will mark the beginning of a year-long planning process for the future of the site, a coveted plot of land that sits next to the city’s first full-fledged casino, Resorts World New York City.

The racetrack’s long-planned closure has invited a series of proposals for the site, including a plan to build housing in the neighborhood from Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the City Council whom Governor Kathy Hochul tapped to serve as her running mate earlier this year.

It’s likely that whatever plan takes shape will include housing, according to the governor, who passed an executive order in 2023 directing agencies to find underutilized state-owned sites that could be used for new homes.

“As we work to address New York’s housing crisis and create more vibrant, inclusive communities, it is critical that we fully utilize state-owned land to meet local needs,” Hochul said in a statement. “The Aqueduct site represents a significant opportunity, and through this community-driven process, we will ensure its future reflects the priorities of Queens residents while expanding housing, economic opportunity, and public amenities.”

The first workshop on May 12 will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at John Adams High School on Rockaway Boulevard. The second workshop, which will be held on May 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., will be virtual.

The sessions will include an opening presentation about the site and an interactive open house where residents can use mapping tools to give their input about what they’d like to see built at Aqueduct, including housing, open space, retail, schools, community facilities, or arts and culture facilities, according to ESD.

More workshops will be held in the coming year. The state says it plans to unveil a master plan for the site in early 2027.

“The Aqueduct Racetrack site represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine 100 acres of state-owned land in Queens,” said Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight, who previously led an economic development organization in Southeast Queens. “ESD is committed to working with the community through a robust and inclusive engagement process to develop a vision for this site that reflects their input and guides future development.”

Aqueduct has been used to host horse races in one capacity or another for the past 132 years, making it one of the oldest horse racing venues in the country.

But dwindling attendance and a crumbling facility led the state to announce in 2022 that it planned to close the longtime track and consolidate it with the tracks at Belmont Park just over the Queens border in Elmont, Long Island. Belmont’s redevelopment is expected to be completed in September.

The track’s impending closure sparked new proposals for the site.

In 2024, Adams, who represented the racetrack in the Council, said during her State of the City speech that the state should turn the plot into a new neighborhood with ample housing at its core. The former speaker has since been chosen by Hochul to run as her lieutenant governor.

“This presents a generational opportunity to transform this site into housing and homeownership, open space, and new community amenities,” the speaker said during her speech.

The site was also eyed by Resorts World, which told the Gaming Commission when it was vying for one of the state’s three downstate casino licenses that Aqueduct could be used to build employee housing. Resorts World went on to win one of the licenses and opened the first phase of its new casino in April.

Even before Aqueduct’s closure was solidified, the site sparked the imaginations of state leaders.

Former Governor Eliot Spitzer considered selling the site off in 2007 but didn’t after local officials pushed back on the plan – the New York Racing Association, which leases the land, ended up agreeing to allow the state to auction off around 7 acres of vacant land near the track to raise money for the struggling venue.

Several years later, former Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed building the country’s largest convention center at Aqueduct. But he later scrapped the plan in favor of a deal to bring Resorts World’s electronic casino to the area.