The City Council has moved forward with a rezoning plan for Long Island City, aiming to create nearly 15,000 new homes over the next ten years. The decision came after the Committee on Land Use and the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted in favor of the proposal, following a commitment from the Adams administration to invest $1.5 billion in the neighborhood.
This rezoning initiative is expected to result in 4,300 affordable apartments and add 3.5 million square feet of commercial space. The proposal will now return to City Planning for review before it is presented to the full Council for a final vote.
Several modifications were made by the Council prior to approval. These include stricter affordability requirements and restrictions on building heights in certain locations. In Queens Plaza West, developers are required to allocate 20 percent of units for households earning an average of 40 percent of area median income (AMI), with income limits capped at 130 percent AMI. This approach follows the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program and was enabled under the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative.
Council member Julie Won had previously withheld her support pending commitments from City Hall regarding affordable housing and local infrastructure improvements. She sought assurances about “maximizing affordable housing on public and private sites,” creating a continuous waterfront park connecting Gantry Park with Queensbridge Park, investments in sewer and stormwater management systems, as well as new schools and green space beneath the Queensboro Bridge.
The city’s financial pledge will be used to develop a connected waterfront, convert five acres under the bridge into green space, upgrade sewers, provide more than 1,300 additional school seats, and fund repairs at Queensbridge Houses public housing.
Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is nearing completion of five neighborhood rezonings as his term comes to an end. The Council is also anticipated to approve another major rezoning in Jamaica that could allow for almost 12,000 new apartments in that area.
These approvals occur amid increased debate over three ballot measures that could reduce the Council’s influence over land use decisions. According to Council members, these measures represent an attempt by City Hall to limit their ability to negotiate affordability requirements or secure capital investments during such projects.
Julie Won stated during a subcommittee meeting that if these ballot measures pass they would “make it impossible” for negotiations like those seen with Long Island City’s rezoning process. One measure proposes establishing a three-person appeals board capable of overriding Council decisions—potentially diminishing its leverage when seeking investment commitments from developers or city agencies.
In past cases such as Innovation QNS in October 2022, Won’s opposition led some colleagues toward voting against development plans unless deeper affordability was secured—a stance which resulted in changes but ultimately saw developer partnerships dissolve afterward.
The current rezoning targets a previously excluded 54-block area zoned mainly for low- and medium-density manufacturing; it would now permit more residential construction along with retail and light-industrial uses. Several city-owned parcels—44-36 Vernon Boulevard, 44-59 45th Avenue, and 4-99 44th Drive—will be transferred for development purposes.
Long Island City has been considered for various large-scale developments over recent decades—including YourLIC by MAG Partners, Plaxall, Simon Baron Development, and TF Cornerstone—which once included sites eyed by Amazon before its withdrawal from plans there in 2019.
Efforts are ongoing between the city and Con Edison regarding transfer of property needed for continuous waterfront access between Gantry Plaza State Park and Queensbridge Park; while council member Won recently criticized delays she also expressed gratitude toward Con Edison this week for cooperating with municipal officials.
