The DOE building at 44-36 Vernon Blvd. Photo via Google Maps.
May 5, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather ideas and gauge interest in the potential redevelopment of the 672,000-square-foot Department of Education building at 44-36 Vernon Blvd. in Long Island City—a property that has long been a focal point in the community and is now a key element of the city’s OneLIC neighborhood plan.
The six-story, city-owned structure, which dates back to construction phases in the 1930s and early 1940s, currently houses various New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) operations, including offices, trade shops, and warehousing. Positioned along the East River waterfront near Anable Basin, the site was once included in the footprint for Amazon’s scuttled HQ2 proposal.
Now, city officials are exploring adaptive reuse of all or part of the property for a range of potential uses, such as light industrial, office, cultural, retail, and community-serving space, as part of broader efforts to reshape Long Island City’s waterfront and industrial districts.
“This site has the potential to unlock tremendous benefits to the community,” said Adolfo Carrión Jr., Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce. “Today, we are one step closer to bringing vitality to this site, which is a crucial component of the OneLIC plan.”
Responses to the RFI are due by August 27, 2025, and will help inform future steps in the public redevelopment process. NYCEDC officials said the responses will help identify project feasibility, potential implementation strategies, development partners, and how proposed uses align with community priorities surfaced through two years of outreach.
This latest RFI builds on a previous Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) issued earlier this year, which was used to gather preliminary ideas from the community and stakeholders about possible future uses for the site.
While the RFEI was designed to solicit broad conceptual input without requiring detailed plans or partnerships, the RFI is a more targeted outreach to identify feasible redevelopment strategies and potential implementers. Respondents to the RFI are expected to outline a clearer vision for the site, including how they would deliver the project, possible financing models and alignment with community-identified priorities under the OneLIC plan.
OneLIC Neighborhood Plan would transform Long Island City with thousands of new homes and
jobs, creating a more affordable neighborhood for New Yorkers. Image Credit: DCP.
The RFI follows a robust public engagement process led by the Department of City Planning (DCP), which included 16 public meetings and generated more than 5,750 public comments and 2,350 survey responses. The input shaped the OneLIC plan, which seeks to add over 14,000 new homes and 14,000 jobs to the area through zoning changes that promote mixed-use development, housing affordability, and job creation.
City Council Member Julie Won, who represents the district, emphasized the importance of local input.
“Responses gathered through the RFI process will help ensure that future development on public sites is shaped by community feedback and that proposals truly reflect our community’s priorities,” Won said. “This includes affordable housing, community space, schools, artist spaces, green space, workforce development and more.”
The site has also drawn significant local advocacy. The Western Queens Community Land Trust has repeatedly called for the building to be transferred for public use and reimagined as the “Queensboro People’s Space”—a concept that would provide affordable space for local vendors, nonprofits, artists, and community-serving organizations.
NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball noted the building’s potential to expand public waterfront access while generating economic activity. “This RFI will help inform how the site could be transformed to deliver maximum benefit to the Long Island City community,” he said.
Dan Garodnick, Director of City Planning, added that the initiative is part of a wider effort to build a more inclusive and dynamic neighborhood. “This RFI is an important first step to bringing more community-serving uses to the area,” he said.
Redevelopment of the Vernon Boulevard site would proceed through a public procurement process following the conclusion of the OneLIC plan’s ULURP review, which is expected to wrap by the end of 2025.
The OneLIC neighborhood plan spans 54 blocks stretching from Gantry Plaza State Park north to the Queensbridge Houses and the Long Island City Industrial Business Zone, and east to Court Square and 23rd Street. It proposes zoning reforms to replace decades-old industrial rules, improve infrastructure resiliency, and support the neighborhood’s evolution as a mixed-use, transit-rich community.
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