Queens West to provide middle-class apartments

Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced plans to buy 24 acres of property in the Queens West development from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to provide up to 5,000 apartments for middle-class families. In addition, the City is trying to get a hold of adjacent properties, which would provide an additional 1,500 apartments.
After the PANYNJ signed the papers on Friday, October 20, the City has 90 days to finalize the $146 million deal - the City will pay $100 million for the land and take on the Port Authority's financial obligations to the site, which total $46 million - by completing due diligence and documentation, which could be completed sooner.
Dan Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding, said during a press conference announcing the project that the City hopes to begin planning for the site, which will include the affordable housing, retail space, and parks. Once the sale of the property is completed early next year, the City hopes to complete the land-review process by the end of the year.
Once plans are completed, the City will begin the process of finding a developer to construct the project, which will be made up of several apartment towers, said Neill Coleman, a spokesperson for the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The City has not yet decided the height, nor number of towers to be constructed within the 24-acre property, Coleman said.
&#8220We probably expect to have shovels in the ground and construction started in two years time,” Coleman said.
&#8220The development of Queens West into a major affordable housing development with world-class open space and vibrant retail amenities will serve as an extraordinary component of our pursuit to create affordable housing throughout New York City and revitalize the waterfront in all five boroughs,” Bloomberg said in a statement about the project.
Bloomberg said that the Queens West middle-class housing, geared at families making between $60,000 and $145,000 per year, will be part of his $7.5 billion initiative, New Housing Marketplace Plan, to build and preserve up to 165,000 affordable housing units over the next 10 years. Affordable apartments in the Queens West, complete with views of the Manhattan skyline, will rent for between $1,200 and $2,500 per month.
Housing units within the 11 residential buildings already planned for the Queens West development have so far been and will be dedicated mainly to market rate and luxury apartments.
&#8220This development will build on New York's grand tradition of major middle-income communities, but updated for the 21st century,” Bloomberg said. &#8220We will work quickly to turn this into homes for thousands of teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses and other moderate- and middle-income New Yorkers. I want to thank the Port Authority for its continued collaboration and support.”
By selling the Queens West property, the PANYNJ can concentrate on promoting public transportation by building a new tunnel underneath the Hudson River, connecting Manhattan and New Jersey, said PANYNJ Chairperson Anthony Coscia.
Although several local politicians hailed the housing initiative as providing much needed relief to the housing situation in the borough, others called for improvements in neighborhood services for the additional residents.
&#8220As our neighborhood grows, it's very important that we grow smart,” said Councilmember Eric Gioia, calling for the expansion of local schools and improvements to the subway system in Long Island City. &#8220We just want the trains to be able to run consistently on weekends and throughout the week.”