Willets Pt: ‘valley of ashes’ no more

Soccer stadium, affordable housing promise economic growth in Queens

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

Willets Point and Flushing Meadows were memorialized by author F. Scott Fitzgerald in “The Great Gatsby” as the “valley of ashes” — a desolate, waterfront area that people going between Long Island and Manhattan pass through. In a novel packed with symbolism and metaphor, Fitzgerald is heavy handed in his implication that the valley of ashes is meant to represent poverty, moral decay and the death of the American Dream.

For years, New York City politicians and Queens leaders have often returned to Fitzgerald’s dubbing of the area to make the argument that Willets Point ought to be developed.

In that pursuit, what the future has in store for Willets Point has been a question left unanswered for years as proposals came and went. But things are looking more certain as the Willets Point Redevelopment Project has progressed further.

Back in 2018, the city announced plans to build 1,100 units of affordable housing and a 650-seat elementary school in Willets Point. Environmental remediation of the Phase 1 site — the southernmost portion of Willets Point’s 61 acres east of Citi Field, 23 of which are owned by the city — began in 2021.

Fast forward to last November: After months of speculation and rumors that Mets owner Steve Cohen had intentions to put a casino across the street from Citi Field, mixed in with reports that the New York City Football Club was aiming to build a stadium at the same spot, the latter panned out. Mayor Adams announced that, in addition to a 25,000-seat stadium, the city would partner with Queens Development Group — a joint venture between former Mets owners Sterling Equities and Related Companies LLC — to build 1,400 more units of affordable housing, along with a 250-key hotel. According to PJ Berg, the New York City Economic Development Corp.’s senior vice president of real estate transactions, those buildings will be lined with plenty of outdoor, public space as well, making for one acre in total. Collectively, those elements represent Phase 2 of the project. (Though a casino is not part of the Willets Point Redevelopment Project, Cohen’s hopes are far from dead; visit qchron.com for coverage on that.)

Borough President Donovan Richards is excited, to say the least.

“Queens is The World’s Borough, and with the World Cup coming to the area in 2026, it only makes sense that Queens plays The World’s Game on a professional level. That’s what we’ll be doing once New York City Football Club’s new stadium opens in 2027, creating thousands of new jobs in the process,” he said in a statement.

“But ultimately, the most important stat on the scoreboard is 2,500 — the number of affordable housing units being built at Willets Point, making it the city’s largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years.”

The project’s completion is still several years out. Even as work began almost three years ago, to the average onlooker, little beyond bulldozers and piles of dirt can be seen beyond the construction wall lining Roosevelt Avenue and Seav- er Way. But that is a massive oversimplification, says Berg. structure to a long-neglected area, the project has been touted as a chance to spark the Queens economy.

“What’s happening is that a long neglected area of the city is finally getting the attention and investment that it deserves, through the remediation ... which is 23 acres of environmental cleanup of long, long, polluted land,” he told the Chronicle. With the remediation work on Phase 1 now complete, he added, more visible work on city infrastructure, including sidewalks and streets, will begin soon.

According to the EDC, developers are expected to break ground on the first new building slated for Willets Point by the end of 2023.

Future Ambition

That will include 880 units of affordable housing, as well as retail space at the ground level and parking below. Due to flooding concerns, the entire site will be elevated with landfill, Berg said.

Transportation improvements for the area have been a big question in light of the redevelopment work. An EDC spokesperson said possible transit work will be looked at during the environmental review process; Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said the No. 7 train could get some capacity and modernization upgrades.

In addition to being the city’s largest affordable housing project in 40 years and bringing infra-

“This is a project that truly brings our neighborhood to the forefront with 1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 unionized construction jobs, access to reliable transit, and a 650-seat elementary school that will help alleviate the burden of neighboring schools that are over-capacity,” reads a statement from Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Corona), who has worked to move the project along, as his district overlaps with the site. “In addition to open space for residents and visitors to enjoy, ground floor retail space for local small businesses and a privately financed stadium — the first in the city built specifically for soccer— will be the economic engine making the entire vision possible. The entire project will generate $6.1 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years.”

A portion of that $6.1 million figure is expected to come from tourism — that’s where the hotel comes in. “Think about how many people would like to go to a soccer game, or frankly, go to a Mets game or a tennis match and make a night of it and stay nearby, rather than have to trek into Manhattan,” Berg said.

“The goal has always been to make Queens a true live-work-play destination,” Richards said. “And with additional investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure, union jobs, and local retail, it’s impossible to overstate the influence of Willets Point’s transformation and the project’s furtherance of that ultimate mission. Communities like Corona and Flushing — which have suffered from decades of disinvestment — must benefit the most from this plan, however, and I look forward to ensuring that happens as it moves through the ULURP process.”

EDC CEO and President Andrew Kimball previously told the Chronicle that Phase 2 of the project is expected to go before Community Board 7 as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure sometime in the first quarter of 2024.

But jobs will not be limited to concessions, hotel services and the like — Berg noted that NYCFC plans to move its headquarters to the stadium, which could produce jobs.

Grech is optimistic. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to transform a neighborhood and an area that’s been blighted for 50 years, 60 years with nothing,” he told the Chronicle.

“What more can be done to a corner that has been left to languish?” Moya said. “Without a doubt, the Willets Point redevelopment project has it all.” Q

As a lifelong resident of Queens, I take pride in the Borough and our communities. If you should need assistance in any matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, JR.

New York State Senator - District 15

DISTRICT OFFICES:

84-16 Jamaica Avenue Woodhaven, NY 11421 (718) 738-1111 addabbo@nysenate.gov

Established 1852

One of the greatest gifts you can give to those you love is a sense of security – the knowledge that you have taken care of everything. St. Michael’s is a religious Cemetery open to people of all faiths. For more information including a free Resource Guide call 718-278-3240 or visit us at www.stmichaelscemetery.com.

Community Mausoleum II

66-85 73rd Place Middle Village, NY 11379 (718) 497-1630

PROUD SUPPORTER OF OUR LOCAL INSTITUTIONS

CULTURE LAB LIC

HOUR CHILDREN

HUNTERS POINT PARKS CONSERVANCY

JACOB RIIS SETTLEMENT HOUSE

KIDS RIDE CLUB

LIC ARTISTS

LIC COMMUNITY BOAT HOUSE

LIC CULTURAL ALLIANCE

LIC YMCA

MOMA PSI

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE

NYC KIDS RISE

PURSUIT

QUEENS MUSEUM

QUEENS PUBLIC LIBRARY

URBAN UPBOUND

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY! PLAXALL.COM