New York City Council has approved a major development project in Queens.
The NY Daily News reports that councillors voted 38 to 5, with one abstention on Dec. 11 to approve plans to build more than 1,700 units of housing, three hotels, and office and retail space over 29 acres on the Flushing waterfront.
The project will provide “an economic shot in the arm for Flushing and the city at a time when we need it most,” said Coun. Peter Koo (D-Queens), representing the project’s neighbourhood.
An agreement between 32BJ SEIU and the Hotels Trade Council, the F&T Group, United Construction and Development Group and Young Nian Group calls for creating “hundreds of residential, building service and hotel jobs throughout the entirety of the project.” The developers also promised to “seek to provide” physical access to the waterfront for the public, and to build playgrounds and pedestrian pathways, the published report says.
An earlier published report in the Commercial Observer says the proposed Special Flushing Waterfront District calls for 1,725 apartments, 879 hotel rooms, 400,000 sq. ft. of community facility and office space, 286,930 sq. ft. of retail and 1,735 parking spaces.
