Willets Point will become New York’s next great neighborhood, with retail and entertainment amenities, a hotel and convention center, mixed-income housing, public open space, and community uses.
Overview
The Willets Point Redevelopment Plan has been designed to include exciting retail and entertainment offerings, a hotel and convention center, thousands of mixed-income residential units and new public open spaces and other community amenities.
The mixed-use program will create thousands of permanent and construction jobs, transforming Willets Point into a dynamic regional destination.
The Willets Point Redevelopment will become a major engine for economic growth for New York City, will generate local employment and business opportunities, and improve the overall quality of life for local residents.
Willets Point Phase 1 Addendum 1
Willets Point Phase 1 Addendum 2
Willets Point Phase 1 RFP Q & A
Willets Point Phase 1 RFP Q & A 2
Willets Point Phase 1 RFP Q & A 3
Willets Point Design Guidelines Part 1
Willets Point Design Guidelines Part 2
Willets Point Design Guidelines Part 3
Willets Point Affordable Housing Forms (ZIP, 160KB)
Background
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 transformation, 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 paint, 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.
- The district has limited storm water and no sanitary infrastructure.
Opportunities
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, 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.
Development Plan
A Plan for Willets Point
In 2004, 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.
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) 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. The project has already received LEED-ND pre-certification approval (Stage 1) from USGBC.
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.
Worker Assistance Program
A critical part of the redevelopment plan for Willets Point is assisting the current workers. NYCEDC, in conjunction with the Department of Small Business Services, retained LaGuardia Community College to develop and manage the Worker Assistance Program for impacted employees of Willets Point.
Since its inception in 2008, this program has provided a variety of critical services at no cost to interested Willets Point Workers:
- Educational classes including Vocational English for Speakers of Other Languages (VESOL) and General Education Development (GED) test preparation
- Job training and placement
- Referrals to immigration services
- Other job preparation services
Over 500 workers have already registered for the program. If you are a Willets Point worker interested in participating in this program, please contact Linda Barlow at (718) 482-5337.
Status
Presently, design work was recently completed and construction work bid out for several off-site infrastructure improvements which will be necessary to support the redevelopment of the Willets Point neighborhood, including improved storm and sanitary sewers to accommodate flows from the redevelopment site. In May 2011, a Request for Proposals from Developers for Phase 1 redevelopment was released and responses were received in September 2011. Proposal review is underway.
Additional Information
Willets Point City Planning Commission Resolutions
Willets Point Off-Site Infrastructure Improvements - NYS Dept. Of Environmental Conservation State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit Documents
Public Participation Plan - Certification Document
Sewer Improvements Project Fact Sheet
DEC Draft SPDES Discharge Permit
DEC Stormwater Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit Application
Response to November 9, 2011 Public Information Meeting Comments
Environmental Justice Analysis
Public Participation Plan Enhancement Letter
Other Documents
Damage and Acquisition Map 2011
Determination and Findings to EDPL
Environmental Review
VanWyck Ramps NEPA Assessment
Notification of Finding of No Significant Impact
Notificacion de le Existencia de Ningun Impacto Significativo
Van Wyck Ramps Access Modification Report
Van Wyck Ramps FONSI FHWA Cover Letter
Van Wyck Ramps EA Report (Part 1)
Van Wyck Ramps EA Report (Part 2)
Van Wyck Ramps EA Response To Comments
Van Wyck Ramps FONSI Recommendation Letter
CEQR Review
Environmental Assessment Statement
Willets Point DGEIS Draft Scope of Work
Willets Point DGEIS Final Scope of Work
Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement
Chapter 1: Project Description
Chapter 2: Procedural and Analytical Framework
Chapter 4: Socioeconomic Conditions
Chapter 5: Community Facilities
Chapter 10: Neighborhood Character
Chapter 12: Hazardous Materials
Chapter 13: Waterfront Revitalization
Chapter 15: Solid Waste and Sanitation
Chapter 17: Traffic and Parking
Chapter 18: Transit and Pedestrians
Chapter 25: Unavoidable Significant Adverse Impacts
Chapter 26: Growth Inducing Aspects
Chapter 27: Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources
Chapter 28: Potential Effects of Acquisition and Relocation
Chapter 29: Response to Comments on the DGEIS
Appendix A: Urban Renewal Plan
Appendix B: Special District Text
Appendix C: Historic Resources
Appendix D: WRP Consistency Form
Appendix E: Traffic Volume Networks
Appendix F: Transit and Pedestrians
Appendix H: Construction Traffic
Appendix I: Municipal Services Alternative Report
Appendix J: LEED ND Project Checklist
