01LU 0372-2025C 250187 MMQCity MapLaid over
Station Plaza Jamaica City Map Changes
Land-use review
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises · Wednesday, September 17, 2025
The one where Long Island City's 14,700-unit rezoning ran a gauntlet of Queensbridge tenants demanding the city lease, n
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land-use items
5
affordable
36,800
avg AMI
50%
CEQR: Other
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On Zoning heard the One LIC rezoning (C 250176 ZMQ): roughly 14,700 units, about 4,000 permanently affordable, anchored on Queensbridge and city-owned waterfront parcels. Council Member Julie Won grilled agencies for binding commitments on sewers, parks, schools and a $9 million-plus public-funding floor, while resident after resident, Queensbridge seniors, MoMA PS1 culture workers, parks advocates, demanded community oversight and that public land be leased, not sold. Opponents alleged 'collusion' and broken mitigation promises from past upzonings; supporters pleaded for stability and housing
From the room
“ongoing noise complaints often until 6 a.m., frequent street fighting and altercations, a shooting occurring just as children were arriving from school”
— Rita C. Joseph
“both community board one and two passing the one law on the city plan, and both community boards included a thorough set of recommendations and stipulations”
— Julie Won
“I want to make sure that I state on the record that community board two has slammed the relocation of Green Thumb Services Yard that moved operations there in 2003”
— Julie Won
“Since your restaurant is located on the main road of Starling Avenue, which is one block from Cacerda Playground, PS 106, and St. Raymond High School”
— Kevin C. Riley
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The decisions
502LU 0373-2025C 250176 ZMQZoning MapLaid over
Long Island City Neighborhood Plan
with 5 related matters · LU 0374-2025 · LU 0375-2025 · LU 0376-2025 · LU 0377-2025 · LU 0378-2025
The zoning map change for the Long Island City waterfront rezoning drew sustained public testimony, with Queensbridge Houses residents conditioning any support on real, written, enforceable capital commitments to repair their homes and renovate the Jacob A. Riis senior settlement. Audrey Hillard, a 30-year Queensbridge tenant, said her apartment tested positive for lead in 2023 and the wall was left unpainted after removal.
Mandatory inclusionary housing
4,700 affordable
4,000 affordable
Option 14,300 affordableavg 50% AMI
Option 1avg 50% AMI
4,000 affordable
4,000 affordable
4,000 affordable
3,500 affordable
4,000 affordable
Opposition & support
As it stands, the plan lacks tangible commitments to address community needs and fund capital investments for critical infrastructure; the city must translate community needs into concrete commitments to gain her final support
Without commitments to address every one of these priorities, the plan will not have her support; she will vote no later this session but can try again next year with a new administration
Lists conditions that must be in the plan or it is a no vote
Conditions
- Maximize deeply affordable and family-sized housing units on both private and public land
- Create publicly accessible waterfront open space connecting Gantry Park to Queensbridge Park; calls on Con Ed and NYPA
- Relocate city agency operations (Parks, DOT) from under the Queensboro Bridge and ramps and restore sites to publicly accessible open space connecting waterfront to Queensbridge Baby Park
- Secure investments in critical sewer and stormwater management infrastructure to address flooding and resiliency
- Build new schools to address existing school seat shortage; city failed to open schools it promised when it increased density
- Bring vacant units online at Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Woodside Houses and make critical capital investments to improve public housing physical conditions
+27 more conditions
Land-use review
CEQR: Other
CB Queens Community Board 2 Approve With Conditions
CB Queens CB2 Other
CB Queens Community Board 2 Approve
CB Queens CB1, CB2, Borough President Richa Approve
CB Community Board 2
CB Queens Community Board 2 Approve With Conditions
CB Queens Community Board 1 Approve
CB Queens Community Board 2 Approve With Conditions
CB CB2 Other
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El Caldero Restaurant and Sport Bar
Opposition & support
Concerns: process disconnect: applicant told they could set up sidewalk cafe before application approved · auto shops across street safety hazard
Concerns: two auto shops directly across the street · safety hazard from people eating near cars being worked on / fumes
Concerns: elevated train on Jerome Avenue · 44th precinct fleet yard · cars double and triple parked · congestion
Concerns: equity / pedestrian movement · congestion plus auto mechanics make sidewalk cafe inequitable
04LU 0380-2025Laid over
Lava Rock Kitchen
Opposition & support
Concerns: proximity to playground · PS 106 exit/entrance on same block on Odell Street · hundreds of students and families daily
Concerns: tutoring center entrance directly next to proposed sidewalk cafe
Concerns: safe walking space / sidewalk narrowing on Starling Ave and Odell Street
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Green Pavilion Restaurant & Sports Lounge
Opposition & support
Concerns: shootings · stabbings · assault · community complaints
Concerns: NYPD information re shooting not available at CB hearing · escalating violence
Also in the record
Records not linked to a specific agenda item
Mandatory inclusionary housing
4,300 affordable
Opposition & support
Requests adjustments to ensure space for arts organizations, gallery space, and affordable artist studios.
Wants a connected waterfront from Queensbridge Park to Gantry State across public and private sites; city-owned sites under Queensbridge returned to community and parkland.
Plan should include extensive investment in sewage, plumbing, and resilience; neighborhood has flooding and sewer issues.
For full support, plan must address infrastructure needs ranging from sewers to transportation to school capacity and affordable housing.
JetBlue supports plan priorities: accessible open spaces under Queensborough Bridge, affordable family-sized housing, improved sewer/drainage infrastructure to reduce flooding, public waterfront access with resilient design, increased school capacity, transforming the publicly owned DOE building next door.
Urges block 392 be modified to mixed use to allow some housing; surrounded by mixed use for decades; never used IBZ incentives; area transit-rich; industrial use poses high risk (fire by homeless damaged buildings during pandemic).
Asks Council to establish a clear published process for individual blocks within IBZ to apply for zoning variants including residential components, based on character and justification, without excessive burdens.
Conditions
- union labor
Land-use review
CB Community Board (Brooklyn) Other
CB Community Board 14
CB Community Board 14
Questions & answers
Shaun Abreu: Are you aware of any pedestrian safety issues at the site?
Rita C. Joseph: Requests a plan of action for the safety of communities; incidents reported by 70th Precinct who posted someone outside; many complaints received
Julie Won: How dire is the need for green space, considering testimony of a goal of 2.5 acres of park space per 1,000 residents and current level of 0.9% of that.
Julie Won: In summer, how many people on average do you see within the oval?
Julie Won: Do you foresee public support if a public parcel (barren over a decade) in Hunters Point South were converted to temporary active sports use?
+7 more exchanges
Citations & precedent
New York City Administrative Code section 19-160.2 · Rita C. Joseph
Rule 22-625 and 626 · Paul Ling Xia
485X · Julie Won
Intro 1138 · Jackson
Procedure
- Rachel Brown to be called next after Jenny Dubnow's request — Kevin C. Riley
Where it standsCB Community Board (Brooklyn) ✓→Committee→Full Council
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The people
Practitioners & applicants
Austin Celestine · Laura Wolf-Powers · Seth Bazakis · Olivia Munshir Sath · Daniel Taylor · Kenny Greenberg · Anatole Ashroff · Christina Chase · Rosamond Gianutsos · Christina Torado · +29 more
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The intelligence
Every parcel, owner, and applicant in this meeting, cross-referenced against Zonable’s NYC ownership, enforcement & legislative graph — the record behind the record.
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Owner portfolios, open OATH/ECB violations, 311 & DOB permits across every parcel discussed, developer track records, and an “ask this meeting” chat.
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