STUDY SUBMITTED BY: FLUSHING WILLETS POINT CORONA LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (FWCLDC) Flushing Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Study Community of Flushing, Queens County, NY FLUSHING WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PLAN 9/8/2017 Flushing Waterfront Revitalization Plan NYS Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program Nomination Step 2 Flushing, New York September, 2017 Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corporation (FWCLDC) Prepared by: NYC Department of City Planning With: AECOM AKRF, Inc. Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects SHoP Architects Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. Akerman Senterfitt This Flushing Waterfront Revitalization Plan was prepared for the FWCLDC and the New York State Department of State with state funds provided through the Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................................. 1 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 B. Project Description and Boundary ............................................................................................................. 1 C. Public Participation Plan ............................................................................................................................ 2 D. Analysis of the Flushing Waterfront BOA .................................................................................................. 4 E. Economic and Market Trend Analysis ........................................................................................................ 8 F. Strategic Areas and Sites ............................................................................................................................ 8 G. Flushing Waterfront Revitalization Plan (“The Plan”) Recommendations ................................................. 9 H. Next Steps ................................................................................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER 1: PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BOUNDARY .............................................................................. 12 A. Lead Project Sponsors .............................................................................................................................. 12 B. Project Overview and Description ........................................................................................................... 13 C. Study Area Boundary Description and Justification ................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 2: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN ............................................................................................... 18 A. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 18 B. Targeted Outreach............................................................................................................................ 18 Stakeholder Advisory Committee ............................................................................................................ 18 Local Organizations .................................................................................................................................. 19 Elected Officials and Community Board 7 ................................................................................................ 20 City and State Agency Representatives ................................................................................................... 20 Property Owners and Tenants ................................................................................................................. 22 C. Public Outreach Materials and Methods .......................................................................................... 23 D. Public Events and Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meetings ....................................................... 23 CHAPTER 3: ANALYSIS OF THE FLUSHING WATERFRONT BOA ................................................................... 29 A. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 29 B. Socioeconomic Conditions ............................................................................................................... 29 Baseline Demographic Conditions ........................................................................................................... 29 Age Distribution ....................................................................................................................................... 31 Race and Ethnicity .................................................................................................................................... 31 Income ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 Workforce and Skills ................................................................................................................................ 34 Housing Trends ........................................................................................................................................ 35 C. Analysis of the Flushing Waterfront BOA…………………………………………………………………………………...36 Zoning, Land Use, and Public Polic……………………………………………………………………………………………………..36 Zoning………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..36 Land Use…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….36 Development Activity………………………………………………………………………………………………………….39 Public Policy ............................................................................................................................. 41 Land Ownership ....................................................................................................................................... 48 Parks and Open Space .............................................................................................................................. 49 Building Inventory .................................................................................................................................... 52 Historic or Archeologically Significant Sites ............................................................................................. 52 Designated Landmark Buildings……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………55 Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................................... 55 Water Supply ........................................................................................................................... 55 Sanitary Sewer ......................................................................................................................... 56 Stormwater .............................................................................................................................. 56 Energy ...................................................................................................................................... 58 Natural Resources and Environmental Features…………………………………………………………………. 58 Mapped Wetlands and Water Resources ................................................................................ 59 Coastal Zone ............................................................................................................................ 60 Floodplains .............................................................................................................................. 60 Resiliency ................................................................................................................................. 62 Water Resources ..................................................................................................................... 64 Geology, Soils and Topography ............................................................................................... 64 Groundwater ........................................................................................................................... 65 Threatened, Endangered and Concern Species……………………………………………………………………65 Transportation Systems ........................................................................................................................... 67 Traffic Conditions and Vehicular Safety ................................................................................... 68 Parking ..................................................................................................................................... 68 Transit ...................................................................................................................................... 69 Bicycles and Pedestrian Facility Conditions ............................................................................. 69 Safety ....................................................................................................................................... 73 Potential Brownfield Sites, Including Vacant or Underutilized Properties .............................................. 74 Summary of Previous Assessments……………………………………………………………………………………..74 Potential Contaminants of Concern…………………………………………………………………………………….75 Sites Needing Further Environmental Investigation………………………………………………...............77