Particle.news
Download on the App Store

City Council Approves OneLIC Rezoning, Opening Door to 15,000 Homes in Long Island City

The vote secures nearly $2 billion in neighborhood investments with affordability requirements enforced under planned community oversight.

Overview

  • Lawmakers voted 45-0 to rezone roughly 54 blocks, enabling about 14,700 new apartments with approximately 4,300 permanently affordable units and millions of square feet of commercial and industrial space.
  • All private projects in the area will follow Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Options 1 or 3, requiring 20–25% of units to be income-restricted at defined Area Median Income targets.
  • Councilmember Julie Won negotiated about $1.97 billion in city commitments that include 1,300 new school seats, sewer and flood upgrades, a continuous waterfront, and targeted NYCHA improvements.
  • Specific allocations include nearly $100 million to replace or repair 80 elevators at Queensbridge Houses, $95 million for new open space under the Queensboro Bridge, $30 million for Queensbridge Park, and more than $300 million for two elementary schools.
  • Officials announced roughly $100 million in additional private contributions and said a community oversight committee will track delivery as supporters tout jobs and housing gains and critics warn of displacement risks.