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Long Island City has had more makeovers than Madonna, but its latest transformation might be the boldest yet. The city’s Planning Commission just greenlit the OneLIC rezoning plan, a sweeping proposal that could bring nearly 15,000 new apartments to the Queens waterfront—more than 4,000 of them labeled “affordable.”
The rezoning encompasses 54 blocks and promises not only housing but also 3.5 million square feet of new commercial and industrial space, along with approximately 14,400 jobs. And because this is LIC, there’s also a waterfront component: The plan would stitch together Gantry Plaza State Park and Queensbridge Park into one continuous stretch of public green space. Picture joggers, strollers and Instagrammers rejoicing.
Mayor Eric Adams is hyping OneLIC as a cornerstone of his housing push, which also targets rezonings in Midtown, Jamaica, Atlantic Avenue and the East Bronx. “Our ‘OneLIC Plan’ will help Long Island City write the next great chapter in its history,” Adams said, adding that it will keep homes affordable, businesses thriving and the waterfront accessible.
But here’s the catch: Affordable to whom? The plan locks in about 4,300 permanently income-restricted units, but critics argue many will still be out of reach for the working-class New Yorkers who need them most. Local Council Member Julie Won has said she won’t support the rezoning without stronger guarantees: family-sized units, public open space under the Queensboro Bridge and upgrades to aging infrastructure like schools and sewers.
Community groups are even sharper in their skepticism. “The overall effect will be more market-rate housing most of us can’t afford,” warned Memo Salazar of the Western Queens Community Land Trust, who fears further displacement of long-term residents, per Gothamist.
Even within the Planning Commission, the vote wasn’t unanimous. Juan Camilo Osorio, an urban planner and Pratt professor, voted no, citing environmental impacts and a lack of commitments to 100-percent affordable housing on public land.
The plan now heads to the City Council, with a public hearing slated for September 17. Expect fireworks: The councilmember’s support is make-or-break and negotiations over schools, parks and exactly how low rents will go are still on the table.
Is Long Island City about to become a model for equitable urban growth—or just another cautionary tale of gleaming towers and empty promises? Stay tuned.