Former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman is applauding city officials for the completion of One Flushing, a 10-year project she spearheaded to bring affordable housing to residents in the community.
Officials from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) joined project managers and community leaders on Feb. 21 to celebrate the completion of One Flushing, located in the heart of Downtown Flushing at 133-45 41st Ave.
Shulman, president and CEO of the Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corporation, originally developed the housing project which was part of the LDC’s Transit Oriented Development Project (TOD) that includes the recently unveiled $24.6 million renovation of the LIRR Main Street Station.
The construction of the TOD affordable housing project was in the works for a very long time, according to Shulman.
“In 2009, the LDC developed a preliminary proposal to enhance access to the Flushing LIRR station and to address the area’s acute shortage of affordable and senior housing by using the adjacent municipal parking lot,” Shulman said.
She added, “In 2012, Tri-State Transportation Campaign Grant provided funds to the LDC to enable us to conduct a market analysis that identified the type of affordable housing appropriate for Downtown Flushing, and to incorporate plans for much needed improvements to the Flushing LIRR station. AKRF completed the study, which became the foundation of the TOD project.”
The TOD project proceeded with the transfer of the land from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, said Shulman.
“With the support of Council member Koo, Congresswoman Grace Meng, state Senator Toby Stavisky, and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, a Request for Proposals was issued for the construction of the housing while the MTA worked to install elevators, a new ticket office, and new pedestrian plazas at the LIRR Main Street Station,” said Shulman.
In 2015, the city of New York awarded a contract to the developers (AAFE, HANAC and Monadnock) to transform the municipal parking lot into a vibrant, new community resource. One Flushing is the first project to incorporate the city’s pioneering Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program (MIH), which was enacted in 2016 and creates permanently affordable housing in designated areas that are rezoned for increased density, according to HPD Commissioner, Maria Torres-Springer.
The 285,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art complex was completed by Monadnock on time and on budget.
The 10-story project includes apartments ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms and serves very low-, low-, and moderate-income individuals and families, and includes 66 units reserved for very low-income senior residents (age 62 or older). A total of 117 units will be permanently affordable, in part due to the development’s participation in the city’s MIH Program.
“I thank the MTA, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development who worked with us on the planning for the project and congratulate AAFE, HANAC and Monadnock for constructing the 231 units of affordable and senior housing that includes ground floor retail space and support services for its new tenants,” said Shulman. “I congratulate our colleagues for bringing the TOD project to completion.”
