Adams Administration has Cleaned Land for 12,000 Affordable Housing Units, 16 Schools, 2.9 Million Square Feet of Community Space

December 10, 2024

Since January 2022, Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation Has  
Remediated 165 Acres of Polluted Land, Focusing on Environmental Justice Communities 

In 16-Year Existence, OER Has Completed More Than 1,000 Cleanups 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that since the start of his administration, and through the efforts of the Office of Environmental Remediation (OER), the city has successfully cleaned 165 acres of contaminated land. The remediated land has been redeveloped into new uses, including 28,000 units of housing — 12,000 of which are affordable — as well as 16 new schools, 2.9 million square feet of community space, and 6.1 million square feet of commercial space. 

“New York City’s most valuable resource is our land — and our Office of Environmental Remediation does incredible work to make sure we can use every square foot safely and in a healthy manner,” said Mayor Adams. “The 165 acres we’ve cleaned up have allowed us to house tens of thousands of our neighbors, put thousands of students in school seats, and build new plazas, parks, and open spaces across the city. I’m grateful to the tireless public servants and hardworking New Yorkers who have turned these spaces into the gems they are today.”   

“The milestone of 1,000 cleanups is a fantastic achievement – the most of any municipal program in the country,” said Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation Acting Director Shaminder Chawla. “New York City is working to address centuries of land pollution, one property at a time. We make sites ready for redevelopment, which brings housing, jobs, and millions in tax revenue for our city. I’m especially proud of OER’s hard work in environmental justice communities where the impacts of pollution and land vacancy hit hardest.” 

Established in 2008 as part of New York City’s PlaNYC sustainability plan, OER designs and operates municipal programs to promote cleanup and redevelopment of vacant contaminated land. Nearly 70 percent of OER’s projects are in environmental justice areas. After the cleanups are completed, projects are eligible for a Green Property Plaque, indicating that the site’s successful cleanup protects public health and the environment, and the building is safe to work and/or live in.   

Projects recently completed include: 

Mt. Hope Walton Apartments 

Mt. Hope Walton Apartments at 1761 Walton Avenue in the Bronx completed cleanup earlier this year. The vacant property was redeveloped into a new 14-story building with 103 affordable units, 15 percent of which were set aside for formerly homeless households. The new building also includes a 9,900 square-foot community gymnasium with a regulation-size basketball court and fitness center. To make the building safe for occupants, the development team implemented an OER-approved remedy that included excavation and removal of contaminated soil. 

Rheingold Affordable Senior Residences 

Rheingold Affordable Senior Residences at 11–23 Montieth Street in Williamsburg worked with OER to address soil contamination before constructing a new eight-story, 93-unit supportive housing development for seniors. The new building includes supportive services, food pantry, and a rooftop garden. Given the property’s history of manufacturing and automotive uses, the developer worked with OER to excavate and remove contaminated soil and install a vapor barrier and engineered system to ensure the site remains protected. 

Tommie L. Agee Educational Campus 

111-10 Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst was developed into the Tommy L. Agee Educational Campus, a 646-seat school that serves students from grades six through eight. The development team worked with OER to remove contaminated soil and install a depressurization system to protect students, teachers, and staff from any residual contaminants. 

River Avenue 

1169 River Avenue in the Bronx is one of the city’s largest supportive housing developments, with 245 affordable units for formerly homeless individuals and families. The project includes 148 total supportive units, and the rest are set aside for low-income families. The building also hosts a specialized District 75 school. OER oversaw the developer’s excavation and removal of contaminated soil, as well as community air monitoring. 

Other completed projects include The Eliza in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, which includes 174 units of affordable housing, a fully redeveloped public library, an extensive community learning center, and more. OER also remediated land under the 14-story, 145-affordable-unit Halletts Point Building 7 in Queens, a new building within the New York City Housing Authority Astoria Housing Campus that provides housing for low-income families and the formerly homeless. 

“Remediating our polluted land is critical for a sustainable future and opens a wealth of opportunities for developing vital housing and infrastructure,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “Today, we celebrate a historic milestone of over 1,000 cleanups remediating 165 acres — the equivalent of over 120 football fields. This has freed up space for us to build 12,000 much-needed affordable housing units, 16 schools for our children, and 2.9 million square feet for community space. I am proud of my work with Mayor Adams to produce this infrastructure faster, passing legislation to expedite the contracting process and co-sponsoring the bill authorizing progressive design build. Together, we will utilize every square inch of land and implement every policy to produce the infrastructure we need in a New York Minute.” 

“I'm thrilled with the progress the Office of Environmental Remediation has made in cleaning up contaminated land,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “The OER has helped make the city a better place by removing dangerous contaminants and enabling the redevelopment of formerly contaminated land for important and beneficial uses. Let's continue this important work to create a cleaner, healthier, and more vibrant city.” 

“This project is not only paving the way for a greener New York City, it is also enhancing our neighborhoods with valuable resources,” said New York City Councilmember James F. Gennaro, chair, Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency, and Waterfronts. “Transforming 165 acres of contaminated land into 28,000 units of housing, 16 new schools, and 2.9 million square feet of community space is a true testament to what we can accomplish when we prioritize smart and sustainable development in our communities.” 

“Kudos to the Office of Environmental Remediation on the monumental achievement of completing their 1000th cleanup project,” said Ezgi Karayel, president, NYC Brownfield Partnership. “As a steadfast partner to the NYC Brownfield Partnership, the OER team has been instrumental in advocating for the cleanup and revitalization of our city. The Clean Soil Bank, as the only municipally operated program of its kind, is a testament to OER’s innovative approach to supporting sustainable development. On behalf of the NYC Brownfield Partnership, we thank you for your dedication to building a more resilient New York City.” 

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