Long Island City is where I live—it’s my home. That’s why for the past few years, I’ve taken part in public meetings, provided testimony and joined community conversations around the OneLIC rezoning. From the beginning, I’ve insisted that building housing is necessary amid our city and state’s housing crisis; however, to support working New Yorkers, new development should be affordable and intentionally benefit our communities.
Now, the final public hearing is taking place before the City Council votes on this plan. I want to be very clear: without binding commitments from developers and city agencies, this plan could exacerbate the infrastructure gaps that many of us already live with. Between 2010 and 2020, LIC added over 20,000 housing units, growing our population by nearly 78%, but our schools didn’t keep pace; our sewers continue to struggle during storms; green space has stretched thin; subway capacity has not significantly expanded. These are clear examples of what happens when development is limited to housing without addressing the surrounding infrastructure.
This rezoning plan proposes almost 15,000 new housing units over the next decade—bringing as many as 30,000 new neighbors to LIC. We must ensure that with that growth comes infrastructure we all rely on, more schools, upgraded sewage and stormwater systems, safer streets, a transit system that increases subway and bus capacity and reduces travel time, open and accessible green space—not just luxury apartments, but everyday essentials. We need to be sure the next Hurricane Sandy doesn’t cause the kind of devastating damage that still hasn’t been fully mitigated in this community.
Housing is also a core concern of this project. This plan includes 4,300 “affordable” units. But in LIC, affordability must mean something real. We need those units to be deeply and permanently affordable, across all income levels. That’s why I support Community Board 2’s recommendation that Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) Options 1 and 3 be required throughout the rezoning area to protect housing for folks making 40%–60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Family-sized units must also be prioritized.
In addition to these affordable housing options, the more than 10,000 residents of NYCHA deserve as much investment in them as much as new affordable housing. We have heard from residents who are deeply concerned about density across from Queensbridge Houses.
Rezonings can mean billions of dollars in benefits for corporate developers, but they must also extend those benefits to our neighbors by investing in our community. We deserve arts spaces so LIC can continue to be the cultural hub it already is. We deserve investments in our community-based organizations that serve our neighbors in need and we deserve spaces that help our small businesses grow and thrive.
In order to meet these needs, we will first need strong oversight of this project to ensure we have accountability and a way to track the progress of these critical investments.
I’m encouraged that this process has shown that when our neighbors speak up, we can change what feels like the inevitable. I thank everyone who has shared feedback, organized and testified. I am grateful for Council Member Julie Won’s work to lead the community engagement process around the LIC Neighborhood Plan, and that she has made it clear that her support is tied to securing affordable housing, waterfront access, new open spaces, infrastructure upgrades and community control of public land.
In their June 20, 2025, letter to Chair Garodnick, Community Board 2 noted: “public growth must yield public good.” That’s not just a slogan, it’s a demand and a necessity. It means that public land must serve the public and result in open space and community uses. It means that the working families and immigrant families that call LIC home aren’t pushed to the margins with this project.
Long Island City has an incredible opportunity in this project. We can let this plan pass with empty promises or we can insist it becomes something transformative that can address the needs and dignity of every LIC resident. Let’s choose transformation.
Kristen Gonzalez is the State Senator for the 59th Senate District, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Astoria and Long Island City in Queens County.
