By Ivan Pereira
The City Council approved the Flushing Commons development plan and the adjacent Macedonia Plaza affordable housing project Thursday afternoon and gave new concessions to nearby small business owners who have contended the construction of the mixed-use building would hinder their shops.
The measure passed with a 44-2 vote, with Councilmembers Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) and Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn) rejecting the plan. The approval came one day after the Zoning and Franchises Subcommittee approved a measure to help out entrepreneurs who worried that parking problems created by the construction at the municipal parking lot on Union Street would detract customers from their businesses.
In a statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the development would benefit everyone in Flushing by providing new amenities and economic benefits.
“The $850 million private investment will result in new and affordable housing, a state-of-the-art YMCA, one and a half acres of landscaped open space, new retail options and other commercial uses and more parking for residents and visitors than exists there today,” he said.
“All told, it will bring 2,600 construction jobs, 1,900 permanent jobs, and more than $700 million in economic activity annually to the heart of Queens at a time when it’s needed most.”
When completed, the new building will have 1.2 million square feet of commercial and residential condo space. Developers had been pushing for the construction for years because they wanted it to add something new to the bustling downtown Flushing commercial area, according to City Speaker Christine Quinn.
“Years from now, Flushing Commons will be proof that even in the toughest of times, when we work together and focus on shared priorities, we put our city on a path to responsible and visionary economic growth,” she said in a statement.
Not everyone in Flushing was enthusiastic about the development.
Several business owners located around the site feared that they would suffer with the years of construction and the loss of the muni lot would increase congestion in the area. Developers have promised to build 1,600 private parking spaces for the building, which is 500 more spaces than the current lot.
On Wednesday, the city said it would set aside $6 million for the Flushing business owners. The money would be used for advertising and signage, according to a spokesman for City Councilman Peter Koo (R-Flushing), who worked with the council’s committees on the deal.
In addition, parking rates near the site would remain capped up until three years after construction is complete.
“As a result of everyone working together, we made the Flushing Commons/Macedonia Project a reality and we have ensured that the future of downtown Flushing is bright, energetic and vibrant,” Koo said in a statement.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
