From study results to city proposals, there are helpful municipal documents that sometimes get lost in the labyrinth of agency websites. We collect them here for easy retrieval because of their importance in shaping our community.
District 26 City Council Candidate INterview - 2021
As a local civic, CSCA interviewed District 26 City Council Candidates. We hope local residents and businesses will find this educational and participate in the upcoming June 22nd Election. On the candidate’s background questions, the answers are from QNS March interviews, reprinted here with permission.
LIC.NYC $180M Investment
The de Blasio Administration released the Long Island City Investment Strategy, a comprehensive approach to support sustainable growth. The strategy outlines the City’s commitment to investing $180 million in new City funding for infrastructure improvements, including schools, transportation, and open space. The Long Island City Investment Strategy can be downloaded here
LIC Core Study
The Department of City Planning is evaluating the effects of a potential upzoning of Court Square/Queens Plaza and parts of Dutch Kills. This would have a dramatic impact on the height of buildings, the kinds of buildings (housing vs commercial), as well as the infrastructure in these neighborhoods. Details of what they are studying are in this document.
Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study
In a quest to create more affordable housing, Mayor DeBlasio looked to Sunnyside Yards as an opportunity for expansive housing, office space, and parkland — similar to a more housing-focused version of Hudson Yards. Such a massive undertaking would take decades to complete, and would have tremendous impact on the surrounding communities. This feasibility study assesses those impacts.
BQX Outreach Presentation
Because of the high cost of transportation infrastructure, it is unlikely a new subway line will be built in our lifetimes. There is a prevailing belief — whether true or not — that the waterfront communities between Brooklyn and Queens need to be better connected to spur social and economic growth, and relieve reliance on Manhattan. The Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) is a solution to that alleged need. This presentation was used as a discussion guide for the proposal.
7 Train Platform Entrance
There is currently only one main entrance onto the 7 train platform at Court Square Station. As part of its zoning bonus, the owner of the lot at Jackson Ave. and 23rd St — Toyoko Inn — would be required to build an additional entrance to the 7 train platform at 44th Dr and 23rd St. These are the detailed plans of the construction, if it were to happen and that lot were to be developed. Currently a 50-story hotel is expected to be built, but there is no timeline.
Jackson Ave. Street Seats Proposal
Rockrose Development and the Department of Transportation would like to install "street seats" that extend from the front of Toby's Estate Coffee to Levante, along Jackson Ave. We came out in support of the street seats, but the proposal also includes changes to the traffic patterns at the intersection of Jackson Ave., Purves St. and 43rd Ave. Their proposal is currently being reviewed by Community Board 2's Transportation Committee.