The City Council voted Tuesday to approve the Innovation QNS development in Astoria. (Rendering via Innovation QNS)
Nov. 22, 2022 By Christian Murray
The City Council voted to approve Innovation QNS today, clearing the final hurdle for the developers in their quest to rezone a 5-block section of Astoria in order to build a 3,190-unit project.
The vote came as no surprise, coming just a day after the council’s Land Use Committee unanimously approved the plan and Councilmember Julie Won said she would back the project following lengthy negotiations that lead to an increase in the number of affordable units.
Won had been an outspoken critic of the project and was adamantly opposed to it even before it entered the public review process in April. The initial plan called for 2,800 units, with 711 (or 25 percent) being affordable– a number that she said was inadequate.
The final plan makes way for the construction of 3,190 units, with 1,436 (or 45 percent) of those units deemed affordable. Nearly half of the affordable units, or 658 units, will be set aside for people who earn up to 30 percent Area Median Income, or $36,030 for a family of three. Of the 658 units, 157 will be for the formerly homeless.
The development will bring 12 buildings that will be spread across 5 blocks in the vicinity of Steinway Street and 35th Avenue. Five of the buildings will be more than 20 stories tall, with the tallest being 27 stories.
Concept rendering of Innovation QNS
The plan also includes about two acres of public open space, a community center, supermarket and a new movie theater that will replace the existing Regal UA Kaufman Astoria theater on 38th Street.
The project will take 10 years to complete, although a construction start date is not yet known.
The developers—Silverstein Properties, BedRock and Kaufman Astoria Studios—praised the council for approving the rezoning.
“Today’s approval of Innovation QNS is a truly historic moment for New York City’s efforts to ensure its long-term economic sustainability,” said Marty Burger, CEO of Silverstein Properties.
“This shows that when the real estate community works with our elected leaders, neighborhood groups, unions, housing advocates, and community members, we can find ways to address the city’s toughest issues, including affordable housing, infrastructure, and jobs.”
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17 Comments
What about building non luxury housing. No doormen or gyms or roof decks or lounges. Housing that provides a clean well built home that’s affordable for hard working middle class folks.
By all means, please go ahead with your master construction plan. I suppose you’ll have it built on real estate that you don’t currently own, that is 10 minutes from midtown. Awesome. How are you going to acquire this land? Will you pay fair market value for it, or will you get the state to steal it through eminent domain? Can’t wait to hear about this business model that you propose.
The rich eat, drink and are merry. The poor eat, drink and are merry. The middle class get the bill.
These “affordable” apartments are not truly affordable as long as AMIs are used to determine financial eligibility. The AMIs should be restructured or done away with.
Maybe the developers have to wait a couple of years for all leases to expire on the property and that is why this development will take so long. Its always the homeless and poor working class that have to wait months to years for the right to shelter.
Criminal background checks should be mandatory. Absolutely no convicted felons or parents of convicted felons including minors.
How many units are set aside for Lower Middle Class and Middle Class in LIC, Sunnyside, Astoria, Woodside Julie Won? We have no chance for any of the 3,000 apartments. We pay the taxes, without benefits or tax breaks and have kept this area of Queens and NYC going with our hard work and we do not have an income category for us! Once again, Julie Won, Richard Donovan, and Mayor Adams do not represent the working middle class not even think about us. Just pay your tax money middle class for the progressive politicians to spend on anyone but the middle class.
Queens just died.
Well power is just shifting. And the working class, people of color and queers are taking control.
10 years to complete??! By then we might be already living on the moon or Mars ?
Who got the kickbacks
The neighborhood will become more overcrowded than before more people, more traffic, doubt highly the homeless will qualify for an apartment, credit ratingS look at the credit ratings they won’t qualify, and if they do will a family paying market rate want to subsidize lower paying rental tenants into perpetuity? Who are they going to rent to? It’s a scam, a sham I tell you. This will fail, this city is unaffordable to the majority, even with subsidized housing, still unaffordable, stop lying. We are producing pot smoking, bunch of tik tocking narcissists who can’t hold a steady job and satisfied with the latest I-phone and star bucks brew with terrible credit ratings who can’t get near an apartment like these.
Not for nothing, but as a family man I find it my duty
And first priority to protect and provide for my family.
Why would I pay market rent for a building that houses units with 157 homeless in them. I understand they need help and believe we should provide assistance, but that does not change the fact that many of the homeless are homeless because of drug and alcohol abuse, severe mental health problems or have a long and violent criminal record. What insurance will the building offer people paying market rent that don’t recieve or qualify for government assistance or rent stabilized units that these homeless are harmless. I’m sure many of the hard working people who qualify for a stabilized units would be just as concerned.
Will I have to live next CHANGE!?!?!
This location is technically Long Island City and not Astoria!!!
Technically Astoria is LIC
Helping the homeless and lower working class find housing in Astoria is a good thing. Keep it all in Astoria and LIC.
Just one of the many things to be thankful for this thanksgiving. Thank you Julie Won.