New York Construction Report staff writer
The New York City Council approved the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan on Thursday, a major rezoning initiative in Long Island City that will create approximately 14,700 new homes, including 4,350 permanently affordable units, city officials said.
The plan, the largest neighborhood-specific rezoning in at least 25 years, is expected to generate around 14,400 new jobs and nearly $80 billion in economic activity over the next four decades. The administration also committed more than $650 million in community investments, including new public open spaces along the waterfront and beneath the Queensboro Bridge.
One LIC covers the area from the East River waterfront to Crescent Street and Queens Plaza North to 47th Avenue, with a segment extending to 39th Avenue between 21st and 23rd Streets. It is designed to update outdated zoning, expand access to the waterfront, and unify public spaces from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park.
In addition to new housing, the plan dedicates more than $200 million to repairs and upgrades at Queensbridge Houses, including plumbing and kitchen renovations, elevator replacements, playground improvements, and interior lighting upgrades. Three new schools are planned, adding more than 1,600 seats, and nearly five acres of open space will be created under the Queensboro Bridge. The plan also includes streetscape and transportation improvements, support for small businesses, and funding for local arts and cultural institutions.
“This plan is not only the largest neighborhood rezoning in at least a quarter of a century, but a plan that will deliver the housing, jobs, and public space this vibrant neighborhood needs, while creating a more affordable city for working-class New Yorkers,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
The OneLIC plan is the fifth neighborhood rezoning approved under the Adams administration. Combined with other initiatives, including the “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” program, the city has created, preserved, or planned more than 433,000 homes since Adams took office.
