Council Member Julie Won takes Council Member Rafael Salamanca on a tour of some of the large development sites in the 26th District. In this photo they are walking along 35th Avenue by 38th Street, where a development team plans to build Innovation QNS (Photo: Courtesy of CM Won)
Feb. 9, 2022 By Christian Murray
Several large sites in western Queens are slated for redevelopment and Council Member Julie Won wants the chair of the City Council’s Land Use Committee to become familiar with these properties.
Won took Council Member Rafael Salamanca, the chair of the Land Use Committee, on a tour of two areas within the 26th Council District that are likely to be developed and go through the lengthy rezoning process.
The first sites were by Anable Basin in Long Island City, where the Amazon headquarters was proposed to go. The greater Anable Basin area includes approximately 28-acres of land that is owned by Plaxall, Simon Baron Development, MAG Partners and New York City.
Several underutilized sites by the Anable Basin slated for development (Rendering Your LIC)
She then took Salamanca to the 5-block area in Long Island City dubbed Innovation QNS, where a 2,700-unit mega development is proposed to go up by Northern Boulevard to the east, 35th Ave to the north, 37th street to the west, and 36th avenue to the south.
There has been no movement in terms of the development of the sites by Anable Basin. However, the Innovation QNS development is likely to undergo the public review process later this year.
Rendering: Innovation QNS
Won wants Salamanca, who represents the 17th District in the South Bronx, to be aware of the sites, since he presides over the committee that hears all rezoning applications as they go through the public review process known as the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP).
She noted that the 26th Council District is being developed at a rapid pace and said that she wants to protect residents from being priced out when it came to rezonings.
“I am working toward a future that does not price out my neighbors and replace them but works with them to create equitable housing opportunities and high-quality public spaces for everyone. We need to ensure that future development in District 26 involves everyone in our community and is inclusive of long-term working-class residents” Won said.
Won said that major development comes with steep costs and impacts. She said that she is committed to development that reflects the needs of the district and provides more equitable housing that is deeply affordable.
She said that rents have jumped in the past year and that large-scale luxury developments are pricing out many long-term residents and working-class immigrant families.
The average one bedroom apartment in Long Island City, for instance, fetched $3,657 in January 2022, up from $2,799 in January 2021, according to a report released by M.N.S. Real Estate.
The average one-bedroom apartment in Long Island City rented for $3,657 in January 2022, up from $2,799 in January 2021, according to a report released by M.N.S. Real Estate.
“I’m grateful that Chair Salamanca took the time to walk the streets of our neighborhoods. He witnessed firsthand the needs of our district and the richness of each corner that makes Astoria and Anable Basin what it is today. We look forward to a strong partnership that will create equity and dignified, affordable housing in our communities.”
Salamanca, who said that he has approved 7,000 units of affordable housing in his district, stated that he believes in “responsible, pro-community development.”
‘As Chair of the Committee on Land Use, I value my role in helping my colleagues negotiate projects in their districts that truly speaks to the needs of their communities. To understand the needs of a community is to experience the local vibrancy and culture firsthand. I thank Council Member Won for inviting me to her district,and look forward to working with her in the immediate future.”
Council Member Julie Won takes Council Member Rafael Salamanca on a tour of some of the large development sites in the 26th District. In this photo they are by Anable Basin in Long Island City (Photo: Courtesy of CM Won)
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11 Comments
Julie Wons twitter profile used to say “PHIMBY”… meaning Public Housing in My Backyard”.
I hope that’s NOT what she’s planning.
Fix the god damn welcome to woodside sign it’s embarrassing
No way! Month on a job, and already a fantastic photo op! Take a look at the second completely-not-staged picture, it’s titled “busy public servant stares at the bright equitable future while great city buzzes with energy on the background” 🙂
Julie Won is the best.
I wish the photographer would have taken the picture with the decrepit buildings within the Anable Basin area in the background, not the Manhattan skyline. I happened to be in that area just today, and couldn’t help thinking what if the Amazon HQ2 had been approved.
“There has been no movement in terms of the development of the sites by Anable Basin.” That’s a real shame. What a lost opportunity. No new jobs, same old blight.
What’s Plan B, Julie Won? Donovan Richards? Mayor Adams? Gov. Hochul? Anybody?
You can thank Jimmy Van Bramer and Michael Gianaris they are responsible for the Amazon fiasco and Amazonnot making their home in Western Qns. Yes Julie take the walk see what JVB and Lisa Deller left you. An investigation should be launched for any impropriety. Deller was connected, friends with Brokers, RE attorneys,developers and JVB. Jimmy Van Bramer is now gone and Lisa Deller the RE back room wheeler/dealer resigned in October, her job done, pushing through RE Estate projects in this district as land use committee chair. All this has helped must have helped her career as she’s VP for a RE Equity fund, a conflict of interest for sure when she sat on the community board under the auspices of Jimmy Van Bramer. Next move is JVB running for Kathy Nolan’s seat.
Amazon was a bad deal. And they showed how uncommitted they were when they ran away with their tails between their legs after getting just the tiniest whiff of the slightest pushback. Good riddance, queens is doing just fine.
amazon quit: blame amazon for running away from its own crappy deal
Don’t believe a word of her PR. Not a word. Let’s just watch what she does.
Good for Council Member Won. Let’s hope she votes in favor of her constituents and not developers when the time comes
A council member that is working with other members to find the best solution to issues in our community. How refreshing. After 12 years of jvb photo ops and grandstanding this is good to see. Great job Julie, keep up the good work!