Queens is set to get a major revitalization, transforming a long-abandoned airport into a hub for new homes and public green space. New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced plans Monday to build 3,000 homes and create 60 acres of public parkland on the site of the former Flushing Airport.
The airfield, once the busiest in New York City, has sat vacant and fallen into disrepair since its closure in 1984. The city-owned land is now slated for a transformative development project that Mayor Adams highlighted as part of the city’s “Housing Week.”
S9 Architecture
S9 Architecture Rendering of approximately 60 acres of public parkland.
The project is projected to stimulate significant economic activity, generating an estimated $3.2 billion over 30 years. It’s also expected to create more than 1,300 union construction jobs and establish 530 permanent careers.
“For too many decades, this valuable land has sat vacant, but our administration said it was time to change that,” Adams stated. He emphasized his administration’s commitment to housing, citing record affordable housing construction and zoning reforms. “We are proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history.”
Aerial rendering of the proposed project.
The development will feature a mix of affordable and market-rate housing. The 60 acres of public space are slated for integration within the Flushing River Wetlands, designed with sustainable elements and park-like landscaping.
New York City-based firms Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated will lead the project. Both firms have committed to utilizing 100 percent union labor for construction and ongoing operations.
“This transformative project to build working class housing will be built by the members of Building Trades unions such as Steamfitters Local 638,” said Robert Bartels Jr., business manager of the Enterprise Association of UA Steamfitters Local 638. “As a union, we have the simple belief that if you build something, then you should be able to afford to live in it.”
Construction is anticipated to commence in 2028.
