Housing development plans for former Flushing Airport site in Queens face community opposition
A large-scale housing development is slated for 80 acres in College Point, Queens.
The Adams administration announced the plans Monday. The project aims to combat the housing shortage with 3,000 new units at the former site of Flushing Airport, which was reclaimed by wetlands after its closure in 1984.
"For 40 years, this land has just been sitting around," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Led by developers Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated, the development promises 1,300 union construction jobs. The EDC projects $3.2 billion in economic activity generated over the next 30 years.
The city calls it a housing victory, but neighbors say they think it's a disaster waiting to happen.
"It's like removing Central Park from New York City"
"College Point does not have the infrastructure for this. We're not prepared for this. Our roads aren't prepared for this. Our schools aren't prepared for this," civic association president Jennifer Shannon said.
"I'm all for seeing some new development," real estate broker Wayne Rose said. "I think it has to be done in a more responsible way. The amount of traffic you're going to be putting onto 20th Avenue is going to make it impossible for us to get in and out."
Dr. James Cervino with the Coastal Preservation Network says an overburdened sewer system is already spilling waste into nearby Flushing Bay. But worse, he says, is the prospect of losing the wetlands and a freshwater aquifer to a development.
"This also acts as a vacuum cleaner for the residents of Whitestone, College Point, and Flushing. It's a carbon, pollution, dust, and water vacuum cleaner," he said. "What you're going to have is a coast with more rotten-egg smell."
And with new development, he says, flooding will get worse.
"It's like removing Central Park from New York City," he said.
A spokesperson for Cirrus and LCOR told CBS News New York in part:
"The proposed development has been carefully planned to prioritize the preservation and enhancement of the site's wetlands through responsible and environmentally sensitive site design. With this in mind, the development will run parallel to 20th Avenue, ensuring that the vast majority of the land will remain undisturbed and preserved as wetland habitat."
"You're putting people at risk"
Cervino is concerned about toxins and pathogens at the site.
"You're putting people at risk by moving them into a place where mosquitos breed," he said.
The developers vow to remediate the property under the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYS DEC) residential safety guidelines.
The EDC told CBS News New York the development will undergo a robust review with environmental, parking, and traffic analysis made publicly available. If approved, the EDC says construction could begin as soon as 2028.
For James Cervino, compromising the wetlands comes at too high a cost.
"We don't pay for that. We're getting a health prescription for free," he said.
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