Borough President Melinda Katz gave the green light this week to a zoning change that clears the way for the new 116th Precinct to be built in southeast Queens.
On Tuesday, Katz recommended approval of the proposed rezoning and site selection for the new two-story command that will rise out of the parking lot of the 105th Precinct‘s satellite office at 242-20 North Conduit Ave. in Rosedale.
It’s the latest milestone in a decades-long effort among southeast Queens residents for a new police precinct covering Laurelton, Rosedale, Brookville and Springfield Gardens. These neighborhoods are presently within the confines of the Queens Village-based 105th Precinct, which is one of the geographically largest commands within the NYPD.
“The need for this new 116th Precinct was first identified generations ago,” Katz said in a Feb. 6 statement. “The plans are moving forward expeditiously toward fruition. Once built, the creation of the new NYPD 116th Precinct stationhouse will help fulfill that need by improving response times and having a more proactive presence closer to the neighborhoods it protects and serves.”
More than a decade ago, the NYPD established the 105th Precinct’s Rosedale satellite in part to better serve communities in the southern end of the large precinct. At the start, however, the satellite was only staffed on a part-time basis; the NYPD established 24-hour staffing at the satellite in March 2016.
Two months later, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced full funding for the creation of the 116th Precinct, including $70 million in capital funds for a stationhouse. Last July, de Blasio announced that the command would be based out of the Rosedale satellite.
According to the plans submitted to Katz’s office, the new, two-story 116th Precinct stationhouse will be 45,000 square feet in area, accommodating 400 staff members working in three, eight-hour shifts. After the new precinct opens, the satellite will remain in place for NYPD borough command units. The building itself will be built according to LEED silver standings for eco-friendliness and energy efficiency.
Additionally, the NYPD will provide 90 off-street parking spots at the new precinct, and use 73 additional parking spaces at nearby lots owned by the Department of Transportation, including part of the Rosedale Municipal Parking Field.
The 116th Precinct plan now moves to the City Planning Commission and City Council for further review.
