The plan to build the city’s first-ever soccer stadium for the NYCFC took a key step forward Wednesday with Queens Borough President Donovan Richards approving the second phase of the Willets Point redevelopment plan.
The first half of the plan has already passed the city’s land use review process, with construction underway near Citi Field. It includes the construction of a new public school and 1,100 affordable apartments, most of which will be completed by the end of 2026.
Phase 2 involves building a 25,000-seat soccer stadium for the New York City Football Club, 1,400 additional affordable units, a 250-room hotel, plus 80,000 square feet of retail space and nearly 3 acres of public open space.
“I am proud to see the former ‘Valley of Ashes’ transform into better housing, schooling and open space, but I must see material and serious commitments to the surrounding communities of Corona, Flushing and East Elmhurst,” Richards said in his recommendation.
“This project’s approval is also coming at a time when the city is experiencing a dire crisis to house and take care of asylum seekers from all over the globe. It is clear to me that all Queens residents – including asylum seekers – need to be accounted for in the Willets Point vision.”
Richards’ thumbs up was conditional, with a long list of stipulations attached.
They include a commitment from the developer to match housing affordability levels with those in Phase 1, specifically having over half of the 1,400 units be at or below 80% of Area Median Income; a local hiring pledge; community partnerships; youth programming; improvements to nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park; and making sure soccer matches do not conflict with events at Citi Field or the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The Willets Point revamp is being spearheaded by the city, its Economic Development Corp., NYCFC and private real estate giants Related Companies and Sterling Equities.
According to the beep’s recommendation, his office has already received a signed letter of commitments from the applicants “to establish good-faith partnerships within the stadium and throughout the Proposed Development.”
“The goal is to make sure that we’re also scoring a goal not just at the stadium but for the community,” Richards said at a land use public hearing on the matter last month. “That’s our intention here.”
Phase 2 already cleared the first major hurdle in the land use process — known as ULURP — early last month when Queens Community Board 7 voted overwhelmingly in favor.
The next step is a review and vote by the City Planning Commission within the next 60 days. After that it goes to the City Council.
Local Councilman Francisco Moya is a longtime supporter of the stadium plan, a good sign for the project. The Council has a longstanding policy of deferring to local members on land use issues.
The final step is a review from the mayor.
