What you need to know
- New York City is nearing construction of its first professional soccer stadium near Citi Field in Queens.
- The City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on the Willets Point redevelopment plan, which includes a $780 million, privately funded, 25,000-seat stadium near Citi Field.The City Planning Commission has already approved Phase II
- The second phase of the Willets Point redevelopment plan includes 1,400 units of affordable housing, a stadium used by Major League Soccer's New York City Football Club, a 250-room hotel, 80,000 square feet of commercial retail space, and approximately 3 acres. Includes public access areas. space etc.
The New York City Council is expected to approve the Willets Point redevelopment plan on Thursday, which would create the city's first professional soccer stadium, as well as nearly three acres of new public space, hotels, retail stores and more.
The City Planning Commission has already approved a redevelopment plan, with the City Council voting in favor late Thursday to build a privately-funded 77-acre building near Citi Field in Queens as the home of Major League Soccer's New York City Football Club. It will pave the way for a $80 million, 25,000-seat, all-electric stadium. Scheduled to be completed by 2027.
In addition to the stadium, the redevelopment plan will bring 2,500 affordable housing units, an elementary school and 80,000 square feet of retail space to Willets Point.
Earlier this year, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. issued a recommendation to conditionally approve the second phase of the Willets Point redevelopment plan, which includes the stadium.
MetLife Insurance is preparing for the title game and will not be able to make it in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in parts of the United States.
Major League Soccer's New York City Football Club currently plays its home games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The club will be responsible for the cost of the new stadium.
Mr. Richards previously emphasized the importance of making this part of Queens, once known as the “Valley of Ashes” because of its industrial past, a valuable space for the community.
“Over the decades, many plans have been conceived for Willets Point, but only one has been approved,” Richards wrote. “We are proud to see the former 'valley of ashes' transformed into better housing, schools and open space, but we are proud to see a material and serious commitment to the surrounding communities of Corona, Flushing and East Elmhurst. It’s necessary.”
What does Phase II include?
The second phase of the Willets Point redevelopment plan includes 1,400 units of affordable housing, a 25,000-seat soccer stadium, a 250-room hotel, 80,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, and approximately 3 acres of public open space. I am.
Certain conditions outlined in Richards' recommendation include a written agreement from the development team that the housing affordability level in the second phase of the project will be comparable to the first phase; A commitment is stipulated to make more than half of the 1,400 units available. his less than 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), and a complete list of community benefits that the applicant team has promised throughout his ULURP process.
As of Thursday, it was not immediately clear which, if any, of his conditions had been met.
What are the recommendations?
- Local recruitment: Minority- and women-owned businesses and local residents must represent at least 30% of contracts and employment, and the application team will submit quarterly reports to borough presidents, local councilors and local community boards. The application team will also need to work with the ward mayor and local councilor to determine a mutually agreeable set aside location for local street vendors and concessionaires in and around the football stadium.
- community partnership: Discounts on NYCFC match tickets for local residents.
- Improvement of area infrastructure: The application team must work with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to identify areas in and around Flushing Meadows-Corona Park that require capital improvements, including the Flushing Promenade, regional sports fields, and playgrounds. .
Richardson also said that to avoid excessive crowding, on days when the New York Mets are playing home games at Citi Field or when the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is in use. It is recommended that New York City FC games not be scheduled.
See here for more recommendations.
