Request for Proposal / Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program
The Flushing Willets Point Corona LDC, through the New York State Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program, is issuing an RFP (Request for Proposal) for development along the Flushing Riverfront.
Flushing is a vibrant community
that is always "on the move." Along with being home to many, it is a
center of commerce and of transportation, and plays a vital role
within the Queens and greater New York communities.
The Flushing-Willets Point-Corona LDC is
dedicated to the facilitation of development projects that will help
Flushing to become an even more
exciting commercial and residential center. It is particularly
important that initiatives pursued here be synergistic with others undertaken
in the neighboring communities of Willets
Point and Corona. Two plans
that meet these criteria and hold particular promise are those
for redevelopment along the Flushing riverfront
and modernization of the area between the #7 Subway station (at Roosevelt
Ave.), and the Long Island Railroad station, (at Main Street). Associated
changes to the street system and infrastructure will also be integral
to the overall revitalization and will insure that changes in Flushing are
accessible to its neighbors.
Although not an LDC project, another exciting and related project under the direction of the NYC Economic Development Corporation is the creation of a new, "Flushing Commons." This
will rise on city-owned property and provide both residential and commercial
space, (see below).
The Flushing Riverfront Project will create a Special District between Northern Blvd and Roosevelt Ave., and between College Point Blvd. and the Flushing River. This area will be developed in accordance with the goals of the Flushing Framework and Waterfront Access Plans that are contained in current zoning. Other modifications to the zoning will allow an increase in the density of both residential and commercial uses while creating smaller, finely grained urban blocks appropriate to the scale of downtown Flushing.
The Special District will also be home to outstanding public space that includes extended pedestrian access to the Flushing River. A waterfront esplanade and riverside parks will be wonderful outdoor resources for the community, and access will be provided to future residents of Willets Point and Corona via a new pedestrian bridge joining Flushing with the peninsula of Willets Point.
(Roll over image and use the controls to see Riverfront area.)
A series of renderings allows us to see how the new riverfront might look following development.
Click on the first thumbnail image to begin and then use the controls at the top.
- Drawings courtesy of Studio V -
The LDC is seeking opportunities to advance the integration of Flushing's various transportation resources, and hopes to create links between infrastructure nodes for the IRT (Subway #7), the Long Island Railroad and the existing bus network. In order to better understand issues and potential opportunities in this arena, the LDC is studying the relationship between existing parking facilities and mass transit hubs, and is exploring ideas for "Transit Oriented Developments" (TODs) adjacent to those hubs. Also of importance are plans devoted specifically to improvements in accessibility.
An extraordinary opportunity exists for both accessibility improvements
and a major Transit Oriented Development project at the Main
Street, Long Island Railroad station. The existing station is
substandard, and the DOT lot,
Immediately adjacent to the rail right of way is under utilized
for its size,
location, and proximity to rapid transit. Modernization of the
LIRR station has been envisioned as part of a Public Private
Partnership intended to also produce a mixed-use Transit Oriented
Development (T.O.D.) over the DOT parking lot.
The proposed T.O.D. would incorporate all MTA properties and
right of ways,
as well as the DOT lot . Private
developers would be invited to upgrade the LIRR facility in exchange
for development rights over the DOT lot. The LIRR station would
be upgraded to provide handicap access, ease transfer between
inbound and outbound trains, and enhance connections to the #7
Subway. Additionally, the DOT Lot would be developed for commercial,
residential, and community facility uses, and a parking
facility created to serve the commercial development and the
LIRR station.
(Roll over image and use the controls to see the future LIRR station and complex.)
This redevelopment plan supports
sustainable land use principles by encouraging commercial development
in locations well served by public transit. It also ties the
public infrastructure costs to private development incentives.
Projects such as this will encourage public transit use and position
the Main Street station as a park and ride transit node.
A very important process related to all efforts Flushing will
be the rejuvenation of the existing street network and infrastructure.
Studies are under way to determine where opportunities
exist for the upgrading and improvement of the public streetscape,
and to generate plans that will help to connect Flushing projects
to the surrounding communities. The Roosevelt Avenue Bridge and
College Point Boulevard are the two infrastructural lines that
have the greatest effect on the integration and success of all
FWCLDC efforts.
Click a thumbnail.
- Drawings courtesy of Studio V -
As the front door to the future
Flushing River waterfront, College Point Boulevard is a critical
thoroughfare. Working with DOT and the DCP, the LDC will labor
to transform the pedestrian streetscape of the Boulevard,
improving aesthetics as well as public safety. Streetscape
changes such as street trees, center medians, paved crosswalks,
etc., will be explored.
(Roll over image and use the controls to see view from future Roosevelt Ave. bridge.)
The rehabilitation of the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge is the single
most important step to be taken in the linkage of Flushing and
Corona with the Willets Point redevelopment, and
is crucial to the integration of the three communities. With
plans to encourage more vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian
crossings, the FWCLDC will also strive to "reinvent"
the bridge as a public space along its span overlooking
a revitalized Flushing River. The integration of the Roosevelt
Avenue Bridge with the planned waterfront esplanades and open
spaces along the Flushing River is envisioned, as is
the continuation of the esplanade beneath the bridge and into
Flushing Meadows Corona Park. (See Plans)
((Roll over image and use the controls to see Flushing Commons.)
The $500 million Flushing Commons project will be carried out on a five and one half acre, city-owned parcel of land. It will feature
a one acre open space
below market rate parking for 2000 cars
a recreational center with pool, basketball courts and exercise room
a business-class hotel
500 residential units (with 20% for seniors)
350,000 square feet of retail and a multi-screen theater
The project is a joint venture of Flushing developer, TDC Development and Construction and The Rockefeller Development Corporation of Manhattan. It is expected to generate 2,000 construction jobs and another 2,000 permanent jobs following its completion.
The bustling neighborhood of Flushing sits at the far end of the 7 train, and has earned a justified reputation for terrific noodle shops, some of the city’s oldest historic sites and a diverse, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Muss Development sees the area as the perfect location for six-tower luxury condo project, that is currently the largest development in New York City.
((Roll over image and use the controls to see Sky View Parc.)
Sky View Parc is tucked between the Van Wyck Expressway and College Point Boulevard, and will provide 1,100 residential units and some 800,000 square feet of retail space. Along with ready access to the #7 IRT line and the Long Island Railroad, the complex will include an incredible, 4-acre, roof-top park. This unique area will contain tennis and basketball courts, children's play areas, a putting green and outdoor running track, as well as a large swimming pool.
The complex is also just a short walk from Citi Field and the Flushing Meadows Corona Park. LDC-supported projects in Flushing, Willets Point and Corona will dove-tail beautifully with Sky View Parc, and will provide complex residents with access to numerous wonderful retail outlets as well as superb dining and recreational opportunities. The LDC's Riverfront development and plans for improved transportation infrastructure across Flushing Creek promise to give birth to an exciting new cultural and economic hub for north-central Queens, with Sky View Parc near its center.
A series of renderings allows us to see how the new Sky View Parc will look following development.
Click on the first thumbnail image to begin and then use the controls at the top.
Flushing
Town Hall
News shorts...
Doorway to the Flushing Riverfront
College Point Boulevard’s streetscape will experience many future improvements, including center medians, repaved sidewalks, and tree plantings along both sides of the Boulevard.
City Council Approves Transfer of Willets Point Businesses May 12, 2009
By a 46-3 vote, the City Council approved a new special district for the College Point Corporate Park along with further facilitating the transfer of five Willets Point businesses to the Corporate Park.