Contaminated Land to Become Mixed-Use Treasure for NYC

An historic plan that has been approved by the New York City Council will transform an industrial neighborhood in the borough of Queens into a vibrant mixed-use community and destination spot. The redevelopment of Willets Point has come to life after a $3 billion investment by Queens Development Group, a joint venture between Sterling Equities Inc. and Related Companies. It will entail remediating 23 acres of contaminated land to construct the new neighborhood.

The council’s approval marked the culmination of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and followed similar approvals by Queens Community Board 7, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, and the City Planning Commission.

After the Willets Point redevelopment goes through the environmental and land use review process, full cleanup of the land will begin. The development of 126th Street within the neighborhood will add lively retail, restaurants, and a 200-room hotel to the east of Citi Field, home of the Mets baseball team—a one million square foot entertainment and retail center to serve the borough. The developers intend to use the development to seamlessly link the communities of Corona and Flushing and turn the area into a vibrant destination capable of drawing visitors to the area.

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