History of Willets Point
During much of the early 20th century, the approximately 60-acre peninsula on the Flushing River in Northern Queens known as Willets Point was used as an ash dump, receiving up to the equivalent of 100 railroad cars of ash per day.

While the surrounding areas have experienced remarkable transformations, including the development of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in preparation for the 1939 World’s Fair, Willets Point has become further environmentally-compromised.

Existing Environmental Conditions

• Willets Point suffers from widespread petroleum contamination, with additional potential contamination from paints, cleaning solvents, and automotive fluids.
• Environmental hazards are exacerbated by a high water table that spreads pollution throughout the site, endangering adjacent water bodies.
• Most of Willets Point lies within the 100-year flood plain, necessitating a significant increase in grade across the site before modern infrastructure can be installed.

Well-Positioned For Growth
There are many opportunities in the Willets Point area that make it uniquely positioned for substantial growth:

• Superior regional access via #7 train, LIRR, and highway system.
• Minutes from LaGuardia and JFK airports.
• Adjacent to some of Queens’ most dynamic and popular destinations—Downtown Flushing, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Shea Stadium and Citi Field (currently under construction), and the USTA National Tennis Center.
• Each year, nearly 4 million people visit the immediate area.
• Downtown Flushing has emerged as a successful commercial and retail destination, but Willets Point has failed to benefit from that growth and vibrancy—in part because of the area’s widespread environmental contamination.

A Plan for Flushing
In 2002, the Bloomberg Administration identified Flushing as an area with tremendous growth potential. That year, the City formed the Downtown Flushing Task Force, comprised of local and state elected officials, community members, advocacy groups, local business leaders, and community board representatives.

After a yearlong community-based planning effort, the Task Force drafted a three-pronged plan to reconnect Downtown Flushing, revitalize the Flushing-area waterfront, and redevelop Willets Point.

A Plan for Willets Point
In 2004, based on the work of the Downtown Flushing Task Force, the City created the Willets Point Advisory Committee (WPAC), chaired by Borough President Helen Marshall, to help advise the City's planning efforts for redevelopment in Willets Point. This collaborative planning process established goals and guidelines to create a vibrant, mixed-use community at Willets Point.

The redevelopment plan will include:

• Thousands of housing units serving a mix of incomes and demographics
• Exciting new retail and entertainment amenities
• A new, high-quality hotel
• New York City’s first non-Manhattan convention center
• Office space
• Open space, parks, and playgrounds
• A new public school to meet the needs of the growing community
• LEED-certified green buildings and infrastructure

Area-Wide Economic Benefits
The redevelopment plan will create economic opportunity throughout Willets Point and neighboring communities. The project will create the equivalent of more than 25,000 person-years of construction employment, about 5,000 permanent jobs in a diverse array of sectors including retail, office, entertainment, restaurant, education and hospitality, among others, as well as nearly 1,000 indirect jobs associated with the convention center. The total 30-year fiscal impact of the Willets Point redevelopment is estimated to exceed $4.2 billion.

Area-Wide Environmental Benefits
The Willets Point redevelopment constitutes a unique opportunity for the City to incorporate sustainability goals from the ground up. The approach will encompass site cleanup, planning and design, infrastructure construction, and building construction. NYCEDC is currently exploring the potential for the integration of several specific sustainable features and technologies at Willets Point:

• Sustainable site planning, including solar-oriented blocks and building massing in order to decrease energy consumption (through day light, solar heating, and natural ventilation) and increase occupant comfort.
• Graywater and wastewater analysis for individual building sites, as well as a comprehensive, district-wide strategy for stormwater management in order to reduce the need for new traditional stormwater and wastewater infrastructure and improve the environmental quality of surrounding water bodies. This may include the integration of vegetated swales, green roofs, on-site storage and treatment facilities, graywater recycling, and other low-impact, effective measures.
• Sustainable energy infrastructure, in order to reduce Willets Point’s overall energy consumption and carbon footprint. This analysis may include district energy generation and sustainable energy technologies (including renewables).

The United States Green Building Council designated Willets Point as a LEED-ND pilot project, demonstrating the City's commitment to an environmentally-friendly future for Willets Point and for the neighborhoods and waterways that surround it.

M/WBE Program
A Minority/Women Business Enterprise and Local Hiring Task Force, chaired by Borough President Marshall, was convened in October 2007 to create and implement goals that encourage meaningful participation of minority and women owned businesses (M/WBEs) and local residents in construction and permanent jobs in the Willets Point Redevelopment Plan. The Task Force will monitor the M/WBE and Local Labor Participation progress throughout the development of Willets Point.

• The Task Force members include Queens elected officials, representatives from organized labor and trades, Minority/Women business and advocacy organizations, and businesses.
• The Task Force’s two subcommittees, Minority/Women Contracting and Local Labor Force Participation will develop participation targets and goals, outreach methods, and capacity building programs for the Willets Point Redevelopment Plan.
• The Task Force will work with and assist all prospective respondents on development and implementation of M/WBEs and local labor participation plans for Willets Point
• The developer will be mandated to set aside $2.5 million over the first five years of the Willets Point Redevelopment Plan to implement capacity building programs designed to strengthen the ability of M/WBEs and local businesses to compete successfully for contracting opportunities in the project.

Workforce Assistance Plan
A critical part of the redevelopment plan for Willets Point is assisting the existing businesses and workers. NYCEDC, in conjunction with the Department of Small Business Services, has retained LaGuardia Community College to develop and manage the Workforce Training and Assistance Program for all impacted employees of Willets Point. This program will include services such as:

• Job training and placement
• English as a Second Language (ESL) and General Education Development (GED) test preparation
• Immigration services
• Subsidies and other financial incentives to encourage participation
• Other social services

The Workforce Training and Assistance Program will be made available to all Willets Point employees after the successful completion of the ULURP process. LaGuardia Community College will begin its outreach in Willets Point on Wednesday, October 1, 2008.  If you are a Willets Point worker interested in participating in this program, please contact Linda Barlow at 718-482-5337.

Owner Occupant Business Relocation
There are several owner occupant businesses operating within the Willets Point District. These companies and their employees are important to New York City, and NYCEDC is committed to working with each of the Willets Point owner occupant businesses to attempt to find a suitable relocation site. NYCEDC, along with our Business Relocation consultants from Cushman and Wakefield, have been meeting with the owner occupant businesses.

If you are an Owner Occupant and we have not had the chance to discuss the project and the relocation process, please contact us at (212) 618-5789 or Willets_Point@nycedc.com.

Tenant Business Communication & Outreach
There are approximately 250 businesses that operate in Willets Point on leased property. NYCEDC has retained Howard/Stein Hudson Associates (“HSH”) to serve as our Tenant Communication and Outreach Program consultant. The goal of this Program is to increase the level of dialogue between the City and businesses that will be affected by the Willets Point Redevelopment Plan. The Program will communicate the following:

• Project overview and project timelines
• Assistance that will be available if and when the project is approved through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process

If you are a Willets Point tenant business and are interested in finding out more about this program, please contact:
Christie Marcella
Howard/Stein Hudson Associates
517 West 35th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10001
(917) 339-0488
cmarcella@hshassoc.com

DOWNTOWN FLUSHING DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
To view the Downtown Flushing Development Framework, please visit www.downtownflushing.com.

PRESENTATIONS