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Executive Summary
The
Plan for Long Island City: A Framework for
Development sets forth a vision for Long Island
City--to be implemented through zoning changes
and capital investments in mass transit, streets
and parks--to guide new industrial, residential
and commercial development in the area well into
the 21st century. This vision includes:
- A
vibrant, 24-hour pedestrian-oriented Central
Business District with development capacity
for 20 million square of new housing, offices,
shops and community facilities--the city's fourth
CBD.
- New,
moderate-density housing and retail businesses
in the Hunter's Point mixed-use community.
- A
busy industrial center--the city's largest industrial
neighborhood outside of the Manhattan CBD.
- New
public parks and economically integrated housing
along three miles of the East River waterfront.
Long
Island City, located within a five-minute subway
ride of Manhattan's Grand Central Station, has
a superior combination of locational, economic
and cultural resources which provide the base
on which this vision can be achieved:
- The
Sunnyside Yard--150 acres of below-grade
railroad tracks and vacant land--used by all
of the region's commuter railroads except Metro-North.
The yard offers an opportunity for New York
City to move to the forefront of transportation
planning through the creation of a new intermodal
station for AMTRAK, the Long Island Rail Road,
New Jersey Transit and Metro North commuter
railroad service, connected to two nearby subway
stations and the Queens Plaza station for the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's
proposed automated light rail airport service.
Originally proposed in the Regional Plan Association's
1929 Regional Plan of New York and Its Environs
as a means to relieve overcrowding in Manhattan,
the new intermodal station would add capacity
to the region's transportation network, thereby
strengthening New York City's national and international
competitive advantage.
- A
Diverse Industrial Base, of approximately
50,000 industrial jobs and 1,800 industrial
businesses. Several factors contribute to Long
Island City's attractiveness as an industrial
center: a large stock of well-maintained 20,000-
to 50,000-square foot one- and two-story industrial
buildings; excellent access to the regional
and national highway and rail freight networks;
and proximity to the Manhattan CBD.
- The
Hunter's Point Mixed-Use Community, a traditional
neighborhood for some 4,000 residents and 400
businesses. Hunter's Point also features a small,
but thriving artist community and the only historic
district in Queens. The community is served
by four subway lines and a variety of community-oriented
services, including three churches, an art institute,
a public library, police and fire stations,
three small parks and a community garden.
- An
Underused Waterfront of approximately 100
acres, extending three miles up the east bank
of the East River, from Newtown Creek to Queensbridge
Park. Two New York City landmarks are located
near the north end: the Queensboro Bridge and
the New York Architectural Terra Cotta Works
Building. The Hunter's Point Waterfront Project
and the East River Tennis Club project, two
redevelopment projects with a combined capacity
for over 7,000 apartments and 18 acres of public
park land, were recently approved but are not
yet under construction.
- An
Emerging Commercial Center, the most visible
example of which is the 1.25 million square
foot 49-story green metal and glass Citibank
tower at Court Square. There is also capacity
for an additional 1.8 million square feet of
office space on two adjacent blocks.
Although
Long Island City is best known as an active industrial
center, it has also been a focus for commercial
and residential development proposals dating back
to 1929, when the Regional PlanAssociation proposed
a new rail terminal for the Sunnyside Yard with
a single, high-rise office tower over the terminal.
The recommendation was never pursued. The city's
commitment to redeveloping portions of Long Island
City was formed in the early 1980's, when a new
economic development strategy was adopted to retain
the "back office" jobs of the financial
and other service sector industries. These industries
were beginning to move their back office functions
out of Manhattan to lower-cost locations in New
Jersey, Connecticut or upstate New York. The city's
strategy focused on attracting back office jobs
to the boroughs other than Manhattan, where there
was a greater variety of less expensive, large
development sites that could accommodate the large
floor plate requirements of back office users.
A number of economic development incentives were
created for the boroughs other than Manhattan
(and the portion of Manhattan north of 96th Street)--chiefly
tax incentives and energy rate reductions--to
make the other boroughs more competitive with
the region. Long Island City and Downtown Brooklyn,
each within five minutes by subway of Midtown
and Lower Manhattan respectively, were recognized
as two areas appropriate for new development.
Since then, a number of publicly- and privately-sponsored
redevelopment projects have been approved for
Long Island City.
The
Framework study area includes 665 acres
of land located generally between the East River,
Queens Plaza, 39th Street and Newtown Creek. The
analyses and recommendations are organized around
the four planning goals for Long Island City:
- Redevelopment
of the Court Square and Queens Plaza areas for
new Central Business District uses, including
offices, shops, housing and parks.
- Improved
infrastructure and economic development initiatives
for increased industrial activity.
- An
enriched mix of residential, commercial and industrial
activity in the Hunter's Point mixed-use community.
- Redevelopment
of the waterfront for housing, retail, parks and
other uses that would attract people to the waterfront.
A
summary of the plan's principal recommendations
follows.
Central
Business District
The Central Business District is envisioned as
a well-defined, pedestrian-oriented, high-density,
24-hour urban center, consisting of a 36-block
triangular area along the Sunnyside Yard from
Court Square to Queens Plaza. Subway stations
are located at each point of the triangle, and
pedestrians can walk from one end of the CBD to
the other within 10 or 15 minutes. The Citibank
building, located at the southwestern point of
the CBD, establishes a focus for new development;
the 60- to 95-foot tall loft buildings that surround
it provide a context for the design of new office
and residential buildings.
A
multi-phase plan for zoning map and text amendments
is proposed to allow for 20 million square feet
of office, retail, residential and community facility
uses in the CBD. Phase I would rezone eight blocks
from Court Square to Queens Plaza, creating development
capacity for up to 7.0 million square feet of
new commercial and residential space, in addition
to the 1.25 million square foot Citibank building
and the 1.8 million square feet of development
capacity on two blocks adjacent to Citibank. Subsequent
phases of the proposed CBD rezoning would include
the blocks along the Sunnyside Yard between Orchard
and Davis streets and the blocks on or near Queens
Plaza between 23rd Street, 41st and 43rd avenues
and Northern Boulevard.
The
Phase I development would reinforce the burgeoning
activity at Court Square, create a strong presence
at the Queens Plaza/Jackson Avenue intersection--a
principal entry point to the CBD--and strengthen
Jackson Avenue between the Court Square and Queens
Plaza subway nodes. The Court Square Sub-district
would be extended to the Phase I blocks. Mandatory
lot improvementsin the form of new open spaces
and subway improvements would be required of all
new development, similar to the requirements for
the Citibank development. Other elements of the
special district would include mandatory ground
floor retail uses and building articulation.
The
proposed CBD is recommended in part because of
its excellent subway access and the potential
for additional regional commuter rail service.
High-density CBDs must rely on mass transit instead
of private vehicles for commutation. Therefore,
parking regulations similar to those in effect
in Manhattan Community Boards 1-8 are recommended
for the entire Framework study area. Off-street
parking would no longer be required for any new
development. Accessory parking facilities for
commercial and industrial businesses would be
restricted to a small number of spaces. To accommodate
residents, accessory parking for housing would
be permitted for up to 100 percent of the units.
Public parking facilities would be allowed in
the CBD by authorization of the City Planning
Commission.
Increased
mass transit capacity and an improved street system
will be required to accommodate new workers and
residents. The Department of City Planning, the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the
Queens Borough President's office are working
together to identify short- and long-term recommendations
for new mass transit and roadway investments,
including the possibility of a Sunnyside Yard
intermodal station.
Hunter's
Point Mixed-Use Community
The Hunter's Point Mixed-Use Community is home
for approximately 4,500 residents and 400 businesses,
located in the southwestern corner of Long Island
City. Residents have lived side-by-side with industrial
and commercial businesses since the 1860's, when
the area developed around several railroad and
ferry terminals used by Manhattan-bound commuters.
The historical mixed-use pattern of development
continues today. In the early 1980's, the area's
zoning was changed from a heavy manufacturing
zoning district to a special mixed-use zoning
district that allowed the existing mix of uses
to continue. Since the district was adopted, however,
the limited housing stock has begun to erode.
Over the past five years, several homes and apartments
have been converted from residential to office
or retail use. The special district regulations
also restrict the location of new residential
development and allow for building forms that
are out of scale with the existing community.
Changes
are proposed to the special district to better
reflect the scale and character of the community
and to insure an appropriate balance between residential
and other uses. Moderate-density residential contextual
zoning districts would replace the current low-density
infill residential regulations. The restrictions
on new residential development would be eliminated
for zoning lots along the community's four "Main
Streets": Vernon Boulevard, Jackson Avenue,
21st Street and 44th Drive. Capacity would be
created for up to 460 units of housing on these
four streets, and ground floor commercial or community
facility uses would be mandatory for all new development.
Vernon Boulevard, Jackson Avenue and 21st Street
already function as retail strips in the community.
New mixed-use development, which is currently
not allowed, would strengthen the character of
these streets. New mixed-use development would
also improve the pedestrian character of 44th
Drive, the primary link between the proposed CBD
and the waterfront.
The
remaining portion of the mixed-use community is
occupied largely with light industrial businesses,
small homes and tenement buildings. Here, restrictions
on the enlargements of houses would be eliminated,
allowing for increased investments in housing.
Industrial
Areas
Long Island City is a unique industrial area because
it is the only industrial area outside of Manhattan
that meets the locational criteria of many industrial
(and non-industrial) businesses andalso has development
sites that are approved or recommended for up
to 35 million square feet of new residential and
commercial development. Over three million square
feet of commercial space already exists, 11.9
million square feet of commercial and residential
space is approved and 20 million square feet is
recommended in this report. While new commercial
and residential development is not inherently
incompatible with industrial activity, new initiatives
are necessary to insure that development does
not adversely affect industrial activity in Long
Island City in the form of increased property
tax assessments, increased traffic congestion
and complaints about trucks and other nuisances.
The
three most consistently industrial areas of the
Framework study area are the Hunter's Point
Industrial Core, a 29-block area between the waterfront
and the proposed CBD; Newtown Creek, a 15-block
area between the Hunter's Point Mixed Use Community
and Newtown Creek; and Sunnyside Yard East, a
49-block area between the Sunnyside Yard and 39th
Street, the eastern boundary of the study area.
These areas account for 56 percent of the total
number of industrial jobs in the Framework
study area. One percent of the land in these areas
is vacant, and between five and six percent of
the land is occupied with completely vacant industrial
buildings.
A
two-part strategy is proposed to reinforce Long
Island City's role as an industrial center. The
Hunter's Point Industrial Core, Newtown Creek
and Sunnyside Yard East will remain zoned for
manufacturing use, although a light manufacturing
zoning district is proposed to replace the heavy
manufacturing zoning district mapped over the
majority of these areas. The proposed low-density
M1-4 district would better reflect the changing
character of the area's industrial businesses
from noxious uses with open storage to enclosed,
"cleaner" uses. Retaining low-density
manufacturing zoning districts in the industrial
areas is essential to reinforcing the land use
plan for Long Island City, which seeks to preserve
the majority of Long Island City for continued
industrial activity, while directing non-industrial
development to the waterfront and the proposed
CBD. When combined with the Hunter's Point mixed-use
community, 71 percent of the Framework study area
will remain zoned for manufacturing use. The low-density
manufacturing zoning districts in these areas
would reduce the potential for higher-density
non-industrial development, thereby protecting
the area's supply of industrial buildings. A series
of recommendations were also developed in consultation
with the Long Island City Business Development
Corporation ("LICBDC") and Community
Board 2 to begin to improve the area's infrastructure
and to provide better outreach and marketing of
the city's economic development programs.
- Better
cooperation between the LICBDC and Community
Board 2. Community Board 2 holds monthly district
cabinet meetings with appropriate city officials
to resolve sanitation, traffic, zoning code
enforcement and other issues. The Long Island
City Business Development Corporation should
participate with Community Board in these meetings
or establish an equivalent, regularly scheduled
forum with appropriate officials to improve
conditions in Long Island City. The Department
will continue to work with Community Board 2
and the LICBDC to identify problem areas for
graffiti, litter and traffic.
- Better
cooperation between the LICBDC and Industrial
Technology Assistance Corporation ("ITAC"),
which assists businesses in developing alternative
production and inventory solutions to improve
productivity. The Industrial Technology Assistance
Corporation also works with businesses to help
them comply with pollution control requirements.
A number of Long Island City businesses have
already worked with ITAC, including Eagle Electric
and Standard Motor Products, two of Long Island
City's largest employers.
- Additional
capital budget funding for street reconstruction
and other roadway improvements. The Department
has initiated a study of truck traffic in Long
Island City to identify potential solutions
to congestion and loading issues resulting from
narrow streets, unsignalized intersections and
poorly maintained streets. The Long Island City
Business Development Corporation will be a member
of the Steering Committee to insure input from
the local business community. The study will
address short- and long-term solutions to resolvepotential
circulation problems resulting from increased
non-industrial development at the waterfront
and the CBD.
- Relaxed
parking and loading restrictions for industrial
businesses. Business in the Garment Center and
the city's Department of Transportation worked
together to change the loading restrictions
on certain streets in the Garment Center in
Manhattan. Similar changes may be appropriate
in Long Island City.
Waterfront
The Framework's recommendations focus on
the Northern Hunter's Point Waterfront--a 33-acre
area between the East River, Queensbridge Park,
Vernon Boulevard and the Anable Basin. A six-acre
site at the northern waterfront was rezoned in
1991 to allow for 960 new housing units and a
half-acre public waterfront esplanade. Long-term
zoning changes for new housing, institutional
and low-density retail uses are recommended for
the remaining portion of the waterfront, with
the potential for up to 3,000 new housing units.
A
Waterfront Access Plan is recommended to insure
a continuous waterfront esplanade from Newtown
Creek on the south to Queensbridge Park in the
north. Two three-acre public parks are also recommended.
One park would be located on a city-owned site
at the end of 44th Drive, next to a restaurant
and city-owned public pier. On a direct axis with
Citibank, the park would be the only waterfront
park within walking distance of the proposed CBD.
The second park is recommended for a privately-owned
site adjacent to Queensbridge Park to allow for
the expansion of the park, which is used by many
Queens residents for softball and football games,
and to provide a wide buffer between the Queensboro
Bridge and new development.
Eventual
redevelopment of the Northern Hunter's Point Waterfront
holds the promise of creating a new residential
community along this important waterfront. As
a matter of sound planning policy, the City Planning
Commission has required that other recently approved
new communities be economically integrated through
the provision of affordable housing units. In
Shaping the City's Future, the Commission
called upon the Department to develop a comprehensive
inclusionary housing program to promote economic
integration. The recommended new community along
the Northern Hunter's Point Waterfront will be
a part of any such program.
Implementation
The proposed zoning map and text amendments and
public investment strategies recommended for Long
Island City will strengthen the community and
New York City's competitive edge. The collaborative
process that helped to evolve the Framework
recommendations will continue this fall when the
Department of City Planning begins to implement
the zoning map and text changes outlined for the
industrial areas, the mixed-use community and
the parking regulations proposed for much of Long
Island City. The Department will also continue
working closely with property owners at the waterfront
and the proposed CBD to implement the zoning map
and text changes recommended for these areas.
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