NYCFC’s journey toward a new home took another step forward on Monday.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced that it has begun the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) for the transformation of the land next to Citi Field at Willets Point, Queens, which will contain a state-of-the-art stadium for New York City Football Club.
The project — which will also feature 2,500 units of affordable housing, a 650-seat public school, a 250-key hotel, retail space, 40,000 square feet of public open space, and a soccer-specific stadium for the MLS club currently playing its matches at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field — was made official in November by Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Member Francisco Moya.
While NYCFC’s new stadium will be the centerpiece of the project, the housing will be the most developed in New York City since the 1980s.
“Today, we take a major step closer to creating 2,500 affordable homes — New York City’s largest fully affordable housing project in decades — while simultaneously creating 16,000 good-paying jobs (1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs) to provide a true pathway to the middle class, right in the heart of Queens,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “With this plan, our administration is seizing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a brand-new neighborhood — a Willets Point that offers opportunity for working people and all New Yorkers. As we begin the land use review process, we look forward to building on our extensive engagement by continuing conversations with community members and building a true ‘City of Yes.’”
Developing the land at Willets Point with a soccer-specific home for NYCFC, which is currently comprised of auto-body shops across the street from the home of the New York Mets at Citi Field, is expected to generate $6.1 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years while creating a sports hub in Queens alongside the Bille Jean King National Tennis Center, which hosts the US Open annually.
“For 10 years, NYCFC proudly invested in our great City with a focus on soccer and community,” NYCFC vice chairman Marty Edelman said. “Today marks the continuation of the conversation with the community and elected officials to approve our building a privately-funded soccer stadium… Queens and New York City need and deserve this transformational new community in Willets Point.
“We promised our growing fan base we would build their home in the five boroughs, and with their continued enthusiastic support, we continue our journey to have that home as part of this unprecedented new housing community.”
For more on NYCFC and the development of Willets Point, visit AMNY.com
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