HPD Launches Latest Plans to Build Over 800 Homes on Public Land in Long Island City, Furthering Ada | City of New York

Housing Preservation & Development


Press Release


HPD Launches Latest Plans to Build Over 800 Homes on Public Land in Long Island City Furthering Adams Administration’s 24 in 24 Plan

February 8, 2024

Public Land in the Growing Hunter’s Point South Community Is Now Slated to Become Hundreds of Affordable Homes for New Yorkers

This Marks the Fourth Public Site in Four Boroughs Where HPD Has Announced Milestones in the Last Two Weeks on the Path to Advancing 24 Affordable Housing Projects in 2024

HPD Calls for Community Residents to Share Their Ideas for the Future of Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Resources in Hunter's Point South as Start of Process Begins

NEW YORK – The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) today launched the start of the process to develop a major piece of Long Island City’s Hunter’s Point South neighborhood into approximately 850 to 900 homes, calling on nearby residents to get involved in the planning process. Today’s announcement comes as the latest advancement in HPD’s month-long push to advance affordable housing projects on publicly owned land across the city, putting into motion New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ 24 in 24 plan. Through the 24 in 24 plan, the Adams administration aims to advance the creation or preservation of over 12,000 homes through partnerships across HPD, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Last week, HPD launched the community engagement process to build approximately 570 homes along the Harlem River waterfront in Inwood, Manhattan, and selected plans to build approximately 116 homes for low-income families in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Earlier this week, HPD opened the proposal submission process to build over 100 homes along Stebbins Avenue in The Bronx. Today’s announcement in Queens marks the fourth project the city has moved forward in the last two weeks, and the fourth borough where the city is advancing affordable housing projects this year.

"We are excited to launch community engagement in Long Island City to plan for over 800 new homes at Hunter’s Point South ,” said Deputy Mayor of Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. "We look forward to imagining what’s possible together and incorporating the neighborhood’s vision into future plans. As part of this administration’s 24 in 24 initiative to create and preserve over 12,000 units of affordable housing on public land, this site in Hunter’s Point South will add new homes and community spaces that will serve thousands of New Yorkers.”

“Hunters Point South gives us a great opportunity to make up lots of ground in our fight to create the housing our city desperately needs. To win this fight, it’s going to take every area of the city to do its part,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “This is the fourth project in just the last two weeks where our planning team has moved the ball down the field to advance Mayor Adams’ 24 in 24 Plan – putting us well on our way to planning affordable housing projects on 24 public sites in 2024. We look forward to working with community residents to craft a vision for this site and see that vision come to fruition.”

“This is an exciting step forward for Western Queens. By advancing affordable housing at Hunter’s Point South alongside our Long Island City Neighborhood Plan, we’re showing how holistic, thoughtful planning can deliver significant new affordable housing near a world-class park and infrastructure,” said Dan Garodnick, Director of the Department of City Planning. “I commend our partners on taking action to deliver hundreds of needed homes for New Yorkers as part of the Adams administration’s work to create a more affordable, resilient, and vibrant Long Island City.”

HPD is now launching the community visioning process for a site referred to as “Parcel E” of the Hunter’s Point South neighborhood in Queens. Parcel E is one of several city-owned sites on a 30-acre development area along the East River waterfront that was once considered for the 2012 Olympic Games. After New York City was not selected to host the Olympics, the city reevaluated plans for the area and began its development as a mixed-use, mixed-income community. Parcel E is now the sixth affordable housing development site in Hunter’s Point South to undergo the planning process and is expected to create approximately 850 to 900 homes, with at least 60 percent of units to be affordable. The development will also include commercial retail and community-facing services on the ground floor, and 1,800 square feet of open space.

Five of the seven parcels have already been developed into over 3,000 homes, commercial retail space, community facilities, and two schools. The 11-acre Hunter's Point South Park was built along the East River and Newtown Creek waterfront as part of the development plans, which includes a central green space, playgrounds, sports and recreation facilities, a dog run, and a pavilion with comfort stations and concessions. Once complete, Hunter’s Point South will include approximately 5,000 new homes, about 3,000 of which will be income-restricted to low- and moderate-income households.

Through the community visioning process, HPD will seek public input on the project through an in-person workshop, community board meetings, outreach to community-based organizations, tabling events, and a project questionnaire. The community visioning phase will culminate with the release of a community visioning report, which will encompass local priorities for the site. HPD will then issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Hunter’s Point South Parcel E site, asking affordable housing developers to respond to a set of goals and guidelines that reflect community priorities in the report.

New Yorkers will be able to learn about the process and help envision the site's future in the weeks ahead as the process gets underway. Through tabling events in the neighborhood and a public workshop, residents will work with their neighbors to create recommendations and aspirations for the site.

The start of this visioning process comes as the Adams administration, Council Member Julie Won, and WXY Studio conduct a collaborative engagement process on the Long Island City (LIC) Neighborhood Plan, a holistic plan for neighboring areas. The LIC Neighborhood Plan is currently holding focus area meetings to gather community input, including one on economic development, arts and culture, and community resources tonight at 6:30 PM. It will examine ways to create new housing, economic growth, transit connectivity, and open space in LIC, and conclude with proposed land use changes.

“With more than 8,000 newly arrived neighbors in my council district alone, it is essential that we continue to focus on building affordable, supportive housing to build a stronger community. This announcement of our City’s investment in Hunters Point South as one of the five initial public sites to receive affordable housing is critical to ensuring all of our neighbors have a long-term future in our city,” said Council Member Julie Won. “In the past, we have seen multiple projects in Long Island City fail due to a lack of community engagement and buy-in. The city must prioritize community input throughout this process to ensure that our neighbors’ feedback is incorporated in any plans to build housing. In addition to housing, we must also ensure that the city is delivering on their outstanding commitments to build an elementary school and outdoor sports field that the community was promised in Hunters Point South.”

To learn more and get involved in the community visioning process for the Hunter's Point South Parcel E site, visit the HPD website.

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city's neighborhoods - because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love. We maintain building and resident safety and health, create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability, and engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity. HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness, Mayor Adams' comprehensive housing framework. To learn more about what we do, visit nyc.gov/hpd and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.