Long Island City poised for Major Rezoning, Thousands of New Homes Expected.
A major land-use overhaul is set to be approved by the city council on Wednesday, transforming Long Island City into a hub for new developments and potentially shifting the neighborhood's demographics.
The rezoning plan, known as OneLIC, aims to create nearly 15,000 new homes and 8,000 affordable units, joining another recent Queens rezoning in Jamaica that has also brought forth significant changes.
At its core, the OneLIC plan is meant to revitalize Long Island City with a vision of an "integrated" community, according to Council member Julie Won. However, critics argue that it falls short in ensuring adequate affordable housing options.
Residents have expressed concerns about gentrification and displacement of long-standing tenants and businesses as new high-rises are built. One resident warned that the influx of new residents would lead to a shift towards a "richer, whiter neighborhood."
The plan has garnered significant funding commitments, with over $900 million in community benefits slated for infrastructure improvements and public housing upgrades. However, some argue these measures do not go far enough.
As part of Mayor Eric Adams' housing agenda, Long Island City is one of several neighborhoods targeted for transformation, along with the East Bronx, Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue, and Midtown Manhattan. Together, these areas are set to see the construction of 50,000 new homes by year-end.
However, some have expressed concerns about how this development will impact existing residents, particularly in regards to social cohesion. The plan includes a long-awaited connection between Queensbridge Park and Gantry Park, but some worry it may exacerbate tensions between different income groups and cultural communities.
A major land-use overhaul is set to be approved by the city council on Wednesday, transforming Long Island City into a hub for new developments and potentially shifting the neighborhood's demographics.
The rezoning plan, known as OneLIC, aims to create nearly 15,000 new homes and 8,000 affordable units, joining another recent Queens rezoning in Jamaica that has also brought forth significant changes.
At its core, the OneLIC plan is meant to revitalize Long Island City with a vision of an "integrated" community, according to Council member Julie Won. However, critics argue that it falls short in ensuring adequate affordable housing options.
Residents have expressed concerns about gentrification and displacement of long-standing tenants and businesses as new high-rises are built. One resident warned that the influx of new residents would lead to a shift towards a "richer, whiter neighborhood."
The plan has garnered significant funding commitments, with over $900 million in community benefits slated for infrastructure improvements and public housing upgrades. However, some argue these measures do not go far enough.
As part of Mayor Eric Adams' housing agenda, Long Island City is one of several neighborhoods targeted for transformation, along with the East Bronx, Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue, and Midtown Manhattan. Together, these areas are set to see the construction of 50,000 new homes by year-end.
However, some have expressed concerns about how this development will impact existing residents, particularly in regards to social cohesion. The plan includes a long-awaited connection between Queensbridge Park and Gantry Park, but some worry it may exacerbate tensions between different income groups and cultural communities.
. on one hand, more affordable housing options can't hurt, but at what cost? we're already seeing gentrification push out long-time residents and small businesses, it's like they're getting priced outta their own neighborhoods 
. i get that the mayor's trying to address the city's housing shortage, but $900 million in community benefits doesn't seem like nearly enough considering how much change is coming our way 
. what really worries me is that we're gonna end up with a neighborhood that looks and feels more like manhattan than queens 
.
! I mean, I'm all for progress and new homes, but gotta be careful not to push out the old-timers 
. The affordable housing part of the plan sounds super promising 
, but gotta see how it plays out in real life. And omg, the funding is insane 
. Can't wait to see what Long Island City looks like in 5 years 
.
.
.
. But at the same time, I gotta be real, 15k new units and 8k affordable ones sounds like a pretty big ask 
. But at what cost to the people who've lived there for decades?
. We gotta make sure that Long Island City stays true to its roots, but also gets a facelift to match the rest of the city 
.
. Let's hope it all works out for everyone involved! 
but on the other hand, 15k new homes is like, a lot! 
the fact that ppl are worried about it turning into a "richer, whiter neighborhood" is probs gonna happen if they don't do something to address that. still hoping this thing works out for the best 
️
its just ppl bein dramatic bout gentrification... its just the nature of urban development. and btw, $900m for infrastructure upgrades sounds pretty good to me 
gentrification is no joke, I've seen it happen in other neighborhoods... doesn't want Long Island City to become like that 
. gentrification is real and we can't ignore it.
$900m for infrastructure? sounds good on paper but we'll have to wait & see if it really makes a difference 
I mean, have they considered community land trusts or something to help keep the area from being totally gentrified? 
Long Island City is already getting super pricey & now they wanna build more houses? like I get that we need affordable housing, but can't we make sure those new homes are actually affordable for ppl who need it most? 
We gotta make sure that everyone in this community has a say in how our neighborhood changes.
. I mean, who needs affordable housing when you can have a bunch of soulless high-rises and a bunch of people from elsewhere moving in? It's like they're just going to come in here, buy up all the apartments, and kick out the long-time residents... which is exactly what's going to happen 
. I'm not buying it when they say "integrated community" - that's just code for "more rich people and less diversity". And don't even get me started on the connection between Queensbridge Park and Gantry Park... like that's going to magically fix all the problems or what?
. I mean, don't get me wrong, affordable housing is super important, but it's gotta be done in a way that doesn't just price out the people who've been living there for years 
. The $900 million investment is nice, I guess, but it's not like it's gonna make a huge difference in terms of addressing the real issues here 
But seriously though, affordable housing is key here. Can't just build up and expect everything to magically get better for the people who've been living there for years. It's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out, especially with the gentrification concerns