The Willets Point redevelopment project, which calls for the remediation of a roughly 62-acre site adjacent to Citi Field, may have hit a roadblock, at least this is the hope of attorney Michael B. Gerrard, a senior counsel at Arnold & Porter, who has mounted a legal challenge against the project on behalf of a group of small landowners in the area who joined forces and pooled their money to fight City Hall.
The ramps, which would connect Willets Point to the Van Wyck Expressway, seemed like a minor detail. But, as it turns out, they are critical to the project’s survival.
The $3 billion project could generate 80,000 vehicle trips a day, and the ramps are meant to help move cars in and out of the area. The city cannot use eminent domain unless the ramps are approved by the federal Highway Administration and the state’s Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).
Willets Point will be the "Crown Jewel" of Queens and destination point for visitors and tourists alike. We call on the federal Highway Administration and the state NYSDOT to approve all the ramps necessary and allow the project to move forward.
