The affordable housing neighborhood currently being constructed in Willets Point that will include 2,500 affordable housing units and a 25,000-seat football stadium, is nearing completion of its Phase 1 construction plans, which includes 880 affordable housing units spanning two buildings toward the southwest corner of the property, next to Seaver Way and Roosevelt Avenue.
The project is spearheaded by the Queens Development Group, a joint venture of real estate developers Related Companies and Sterling Equities, in partnership with the New York City Football Club.
Project officials anticipate applicants will be able to enter a lottery through the Housing Connect website, which mandates preferences and eligibility requirements, to secure a unit starting in December. Officials said they are currently working to extend the application period from 60 days to 75 days. More information about how to apply is available here.
Willets Point Commons
Crews began constructing the first two affordable housing buildings, dubbed Willets Point Commons, at the end of 2023. They are both scheduled to open around April 2026.
Of the 880 units at Willets Point Commons, 18 are designated for visual and hearing preference, 45 are designated for mobility preference, 38 are set aside for NYC municipal employees, and 150 are set aside for Queens Community Board 7 residents. Project officials said 100 percent of the units across the entire project, including those not yet built, will be affordable.
According to reports from Related Companies officials during a Community Board 7 meeting on Nov. 12, the first phase of construction includes not only the affordable housing units, but an on-site parking garage, bike storage, a 24/7 attended lobby and free high-speed Wi-Fi. The buildings will be pet-friendly and have direct transit access to the 7-train, LIRR, and the Q19, Q48 and Q66 bus routes. Officials say residents will be 18 minutes from Penn Station.
The building will be LEED Gold certified, meaning it will be an all-electric design, and have rooftop solar panels and environmentally friendly, bird-safe glass.
Community-serving retail will include a neighborhood market where residents can buy groceries and other everyday goods in a convenient location directly on the property. According to Frank Monterisi, executive vice president of Related Companies, the real estate developer has already signed with a market operator that will provide “a little bit of everything” for residents.
Amenities, which residents can access after paying a nominal fee according to apartment size, would include a fitness center, yoga room, co-working space, party lounge, a playground for kids and storage lockers, as well as rooftop amenities. Each unit would include energy-efficient appliances including washers, dryers and dishwashers. In the center of each building, there will be an interior landscape courtyard to add green space.
Monterisi said the buildings are intentionally designed with the same level of quality regardless of income requirements for each unit.
“When we design our affordable buildings, our goal is that, from an amenity standpoint, you can’t tell the difference between walking into a market building, a mixed-income building or an affordable building,” he said. “We don’t have any difference in finishes between the various affordability levels.”
Pricing for studio apartments starts at $486 per month for single applicants making between $20,469 and $34,020. Units will also include 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments, capped at $4,244 for 7-member households with income totaling anywhere between $152,778 and $301,350. More information about pricing can be found here.
Applicants must be over 18-years-old and enter the lottery through the Housing Connect portal, where they must fill out a profile. They will be asked to provide information such as recent pay stubs, W-2 wage statements, last year’s federal and state tax returns, benefit award letters, child support or alimony payments, verification of assets or more.
According to Aaron Lipman, a senior development associate at Related Companies, the developer and its partners are focused on family-friendly housing that attracts not only existing residents in need of affordable housing, but new residents as well. There will be significant open space, he continued, and other spaces that will be publicly accessible.
“We design our buildings to build a sense of community,” Lipman said. “We want people to be excited about where they live. A lot of our projects, we see outstanding retention numbers. People move in and live there for generations.”
Lipman said a third building is fully designed and is scheduled to begin construction in 2026. It will include 220 units designated for low-income seniors, he continued.
In order to accommodate the growing population of families with children, a school will be built on the property during a future phase of construction, still to be determined, as well.
“We’re just so excited to finally be welcoming first residents into this new neighborhood and community,” Lipman said. “It’s something that we worked tirelessly on with all the city agencies and our partners. It’s great to see all these years of work bringing new, 100 percent affordable housing.”
Etihad Park
On the other hand, the stadium project, dubbed Etihad Park, broke ground last year after completing the Uniform Land Use Review Process. In June, crews began installing the steel framework, as well as concrete metal decking, exterior precast panel installation and other interior work.
According to Jennifer O’Sullivan, chief operating officer of the New York City Football Club, which is privately financing the stadium at Willets Point, it is on track to open in 2027.
NYCFC is majority owned by City Football Group, which operates a total of 13 clubs around the world including Manchester City, and partially owned by the Yankees and businessman Marcelo Claure. The club has been operating as a Major League Soccer team for the past 10 years in New York, and it is the only professional MLS team to play in the five boroughs.
After the steel frame is complete, the 500-worker construction team, 170 of which are Queens-based, will begin installing concrete, interior components and HVAC system, and drywall enclosures. The NYCFC also plans on moving its headquarters to the location after its completion.
O’Sullivan said the team estimates the stadium will generate $6.1 billion over the next 30 years, as well as create 14,000 union construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs.
She said the club plans for the stadium to be very busy, adding that it would host national and international soccer matches. The club has an agreement with the Mets to utilize 4,000 parking spaces next to Citi Field during events.
Etihad Park will also be able to accommodate other sports such as lacrosse or rugby, or non-sporting events such as concerts, weddings, galas or conferences in its built-in suites and premium hospitality spaces.
O’Sullivan said there would be a five borough food hall, which the team calls “City Square,” that would feature food vendors and mom-and-pop restaurants that represent the diversity of cuisines across the city. The stadium is being built with garage-style doors on one side that could be opened to welcome guests from outside the venue for food events, as well.
In Europe, O’Sullivan noted, many soccer stadiums are born out of communities and urban areas as a work-live-play model. “It becomes this living, breathing part of the community,” she said.
Inspired by this model, she said the team planned the stadium to be open even on days there are no games. The team plans on implementing community programming, providing kids with free soccer programs, and ensuring safe places for kids and other community members to play.
Because residents will be living on the property starting next year, O’Sullivan said the NYCFC takes its role as a community partner seriously. “We want to be good neighbors,” she explained. “There’s so many synergies and so many ways that we can be a real role model for how a sports venue can be utilized.”
The venue will also serve as an economic driver in the community, O’Sullivan continued, providing meaningful jobs and opportunities for locals while closely aligning itself with the city grid.
O’Sullivan said the location was perfect for several reasons — Citi Field is right across the street, and it is in close proximity to the United States Tennis Association at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. There are several transportation options including the LIRR and 7-train, and it is close to LaGuardia Airport and major highways — the Long Island Expressway, Van Wyck Expressway and Grand Central Parkway.
She also noted that Queens is the most diverse borough in the city, which makes it an optimal location for a soccer stadium. “Soccer is the world’s game, and to bring the world’s game to the world’s borough is a perfect match in our minds.”
The NYCFC team is excited to complete the project, O’Sullivan said, adding that it’s the first project of its kind in the city.
“To be part of a project that’s so transformational for the city and that area of Queens,” O’Sullivan said, “you know, to be building the first soccer specific stadium in the five boroughs and be part of bringing 2,500 units of affordable housing, a new school and retail opportunities — it’s really unique and special for us.”
For more updates on the Willets Point project, visit WilletsPointQueens.com.
