Flushing West Neighborhood Planning Study

Flushing West Study Area

Update:

On September 8, 2017, the final draft report of the Flushing Waterfront Revitalization BOA Nomination report was completed and submitted to the NYS Department of State (DOS) by the Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corporation (FWCLDC) along with a request for official designation as a NYS Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA). 

The final version of the report can be found here: https://www.queensalive.org/flushing-waterfront-boa/.  A hard copy of the report can also be found in the Flushing Main St. Library. 

What is the Flushing West Neighborhood Study?
Flushing West Locator map

The Flushing West Neighborhood Planning Study aims to examine key land use and zoning issues in the neighborhood, but also take a broader, more comprehensive look at current and future community needs to identify a wide range of strategies and investments for Flushing West’s growth and vitality.

PDF Document View the study area and context area boundaries

The Flushing West Neighborhood Planning Study is a part of Housing New York, the Mayor’s housing plan to build and preserve affordable housing through community development initiatives and to foster a more equitable and livable New York City. Housing is considered “affordable” if a household spends no more than a third of its total income on housing costs.

The Flushing West Neighborhood Plan aims to include strategies for:

This study builds upon a draft land use, zoning and master planning effort initiated in 2011 by the Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corporation (FWPCLDC)—a community-based nonprofit organization working closely with State and City agencies and the community. FWPCLDC received a $1.5 million Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grant in 2010 and, with a consultant team, led by AKRF, SHoP Architects and Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, studied the area between downtown Flushing and the Flushing Creek.

The Flushing West Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) is roughly bounded by Northern Boulevard to the north, Roosevelt Avenue to the south, Prince Street to the east and the Van Wyck Expressway and Flushing Creek to the west.  BOAs are neighborhoods or areas affected by brownfields – vacant or underutilized property where contamination or perceived contamination has impeded investment and redevelopment.  Through the BOA Program, funded by the State, brownfields are transformed from liabilities to community assets that generate businesses, jobs and revenue for local economies and provide new housing and public amenities.  Included in the BOA and the Study’s goal to provide a well-defined waterfront access and public space amenity plan, clean- up of the Flushing Creek is a high priority.  The section of Flushing Creek just to the north of the Study Area is lined on both sides by industrial uses, including concrete plants and asphalt manufacturers.  Construction along the eastern side of the creek within the Study Area has been limited and the shoreline is not accessible to the public. Wetlands lie along the western side of the creek. 

In 2011, FWPCLDC started working on a rezoning proposal that would allow for new housing to be built, ensure that future housing developments include units affordable to low, moderate and middle- income households, and guide the creation of a public esplanade along Flushing Creek. 

In the fall of 2014, the FWPCLDC transferred the remainder of the work for the BOA report and master plan to the Department of City Planning (DCP) to use its planning expertise to  help bring the land use and zoning changes proposal  through the City Planning Commission’s Uniform Land Use Review process (ULURP), and bring other City agencies, the community and relevant stakeholders together to refine other key elements of the plan not subject to the ULURP process, such as affordable housing preservation and economic development programs. The Flushing West study will also complement plans and projects underway in the surrounding area, such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s LIRR Flushing-Main Street station improvements, the Department of Design and Construction’s College Point Boulevard Reconstruction Project, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Flushing Muni Lot 3 project, and the Department of Environmental Protection’s Long-term Control Plan for Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek.  

PDF Document Learn more about Flushing's history and context.

PDF Document View a summary of public outreach feedback.

For more information, please contact:
Email: flushingwest@planning.nyc.gov
Mailing Address:
Queens Office, Department of City Planning
120-55 Queens Boulevard, Room 201
Kew Gardens, NY 11424
Telephone: 718-520-2100