Photo: Office of Council Member Julie Won
Feb. 11, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Council Member Julie Won and the Department of City Planning (DCP) have announced a new survey for three publicly-owned Long Island City sites near Anable Basin to solicit community feedback about local priorities for the three locations.
The three sites, which include the six-story, 672,000-square-foot Department of Education building at 44-36 Vernon Blvd., are part of the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan, which aims to create new housing and park space and improve connectivity and street safety within Long Island City.
The LIC community is also invited to share feedback about 4-99 44th Dr., under the jurisdiction of the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and used as surface parking for the DOE building, and the nearby 44-59 45th Ave., under the jurisdiction of the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and used as a maintenance and operations facility for multiple DOT divisions.
Under the OneLIC plan, these three sites could be repurposed or redeveloped for a combination of uses through new buildings, adaptive reuse of the DOE building, and/or public space. The survey will also collect feedback on how the public wants to develop and use sites under the Queensboro Bridge.
The Queensboro Bridge sites are currently city-owned and used by the Department of Transportation and NYC Parks for bridge operations and park cleaning and maintenance.
Meanwhile, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has already released a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the DOE building, which will allow respondents to share their concepts and plans to convert all or a portion of the building to other commercial, light industrial and community-serving uses.
The Public Sites Community Survey, released on Jan. 25, follows the first round of surveys created by Council Member Won’s office in October 2024, which gauged community priorities for the entire OneLIC project area.
Won said the first round of surveys engaged thousands of constituents through a postcard mailer sent to 20,000 households in Long Island City, in-person outreach, tabling at community events, canvassing, flyering in the community, digital advertisements, social media posts and electronic newsletters.
She said the second round of surveys would help to shape the shared vision of Long Island City.
“We’re excited to announce the second round of surveys in the OneLIC Neighborhood Planning Process for public sites in Anable Basin and under the Queensboro Bridge. Whether you want to see more affordable housing, new schools, open space, businesses, or community spaces, we want your feedback for priorities on these public sites to continue shaping our shared vision for Long Island City,” Won said in a statement.
DCP Director Dan Garodnick said the public sites are a vital component of the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan.
“Public sites in Long Island City present an amazing opportunity to deliver more active, community-serving uses for decades to come, and we want to hear from New Yorkers about their vision for the neighborhood,” Garodnick said in a statement.
DCP representatives said the OneLIC plan will create 16,000 new homes, at least 4,000 of which will be affordable, and 16,000 new jobs across various sectors.
DCP officials said the plan would also create 7-9 acres of public space on the LIC waterfront, several new schools, safer streets, support for existing businesses, and protection for existing tenants.
Several community groups have called for the DOE building to remain in public hands, with a coalition of community groups holding a community sleepout and potluck on Vernon Boulevard in September, calling for the building to be transformed into the Queensboro People’s Space. Advocates said at the time that creating a community space at the DOE building could provide an outlet for children and young adults living in Queensbridge today while also creating a permanently affordable hub for street vendors, artists and small businesses.
Separately, the Western Queens Community Land Trust, a non-profit group that aims to promote deeply affordable housing and low-cost commercial space, held a rally outside the building in May 2022, calling for it to remain in public hands.
Meanwhile, Won previously emphasized the importance of community feedback for the redevelopment of the DOE building, stating that input from residents will help shape the Request for Proposal (RFP) that follows, ensuring the project aligns with neighborhood needs.
Click here to take the survey or get the latest information on the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan.
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