Most Pro-Housing Administration in City History: Mayor Adams Celebrates City Council Approval of Administration’s Jamaica Neighborhood Plan That Will Create Approximately 12,000 New Homes, 7,000 New Jobs

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today celebrated the New York City Council’s approval of the Adams administration’s “Jamaica Neighborhood Plan.” The fourth DCP-led neighborhood plan approved under the Adams administration, this ambitious initiative will create tens of thousands of new homes, add thousands of jobs, and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure in Jamaica, Queens. The plan will update the area’s zoning code to create nearly 12,000 new homes across nearly 230 blocks of this transit-accessible neighborhood. Additionally, by mapping Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) in the neighborhood at scale for the first time and requiring new developments to include affordable housing, the plan will ensure that approximately 4,000 of the new homes are permanently affordable, creating the largest MIH area in the city to date. The plan also opens the door to new commercial and industrial space, unlocking economic opportunities for residents and businesses and creating 7,000 new permanent jobs. To support this growth, the Adams administration will invest over $400 million in infrastructure, including sewer upgrades to reduce flooding; new and improved public spaces; safer, more walkable streets; and more. With today’s approval, the Adams administration has now paved the way for 110,000 new homes through city-led rezonings or text amendments alone, including Mayor Adams’ signature “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.” The Adams administration’s rezoning efforts are expected to create more new housing than the previous two mayoral administrations’ rezoning efforts combined. In total, the Adams administration has created, preserved, or planned over 433,250 homes for New Yorkers through its work to date.

“From bustling storefronts to busy train lines, Jamaica is exactly where our city should be building new housing and creating new jobs. For too long, the neighborhood’s outdated zoning code has made it harder to do both; but today, we changed that,” said Mayor Adams. “With the historic passage of our administration’s ‘Jamaica Neighborhood Plan,’ we have opened the door to thousands of new homes, thousands of new jobs, and delivered hundreds of millions of dollars for new infrastructure. When it comes to housing, our administration has done more than just talk about it; we’ve passed historic zoning reforms, invested record amounts of money into affordable housing, and opened the door to 426,000 homes for New Yorkers. Thanks to these efforts and more, we are proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history.”

“Anyone who has spent time in Jamaica knows that it’s one of the city’s most bustling hubs, but for too long, outdated zoning held it back. Thanks to today’s vote, that will change; Jamaica will see new homes, jobs, and investments that improve life for everyone who lives, works, and spends time there,” said DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick. “Thank you to Mayor Adams, Speaker Adams, Chairs Salamanca and Riley, Councilmember Gennaro, and Councilmember Williams, with special appreciation for her leadership and support of this community-driven plan that will help Jamaica become an even stronger and more vibrant neighborhood.”

A More Affordable and Prosperous Jamaica

Tailored to respect the unique character of each of the neighborhood’s different hubs and corridors, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan would update zoning to spur the creation of nearly 12,000 new homes. Approximately 4,000 of those homes would be permanently income-restricted and affordable through a combination of both MIH — making these nearly 230 blocks the largest geographic area in New York City where this policy has been mapped to-date — and through direct city financing of affordable homes on city-owned land. As part of these efforts, the Adams administration has committed to building a total of nearly 120 income-restricted affordable homes across five city-owned sites along Guy R. Brewer Boulevard and Union Hall Street in Queens.

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan would bring additional updates to:

• The Downtown Core: Allow high-density, mixed-use developments with permanently affordable housing, active ground floor retail, and community services along Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue, a transit-rich area served by the E, J, and Z trains. Densities slightly decrease further north, between Jamaica Avenue and Hillside Avenue.
• Southern Corridors: Encourage mixed-use, mid-rise developments with locally-serving retail and community facilities along Hillside Avenue, western Jamaica Avenue, Liberty Avenue, Sutphin Boulevard, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, and Merrick Boulevard.
• South Core: For the first time in 60 years, bring new housing immediately to the south of Jamaica Station and the Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer subway station. It will also generate commercial and light manufacturing near world-class transit resources. 
• Industrial Growth Area: New growth manufacturing zoning supports new employment and local businesses. 

The plan will support homeowners through the Homeowner Help Desk and HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program, which assist with mortgages and repair payments, help prevent foreclosure, and offer legal advice. Renters will have access to the Partners in Preservation program, which in coordination with Catholic Migration Services, will support tenants and combat landlord harassment and displacement.

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan will also generate over 2 million square feet of new commercial and community facility space, ultimately creating over 7,000 new jobs and strengthening Jamaica’s role as a live-work neighborhood where residents can find good-paying jobs close to home. It will provide funding for small business and workforce training programs to ensure workers and business owners can take advantage of these new economic opportunities.

A More Resilient Jamaica

To address long-standing flooding challenges as the community grows, the plan will fund $315 million in upgrades to Jamaica’s sanitary sewer infrastructure, starting at the Jamaica Bay Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility and heading north towards Downtown Jamaica. This generational investment builds on the $2.64 billion the Adams administration has already committed to installing storm sewers and creating a comprehensive drainage system in Southeast Queens.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will also work with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the New York City Housing Authority, and the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) to invest in green infrastructure projects throughout Jamaica. The city will also dedicate $7 million in funding for City Council grants to help not-for-profits retrofit their basements to prevent flooding damage as well. DEP will also chair an interagency task force focused on Southeast Queens flooding adaptation assistance that will includes representatives from city agencies, the Office of the Public Advocate, and the City Council.

Additionally, the plan invests heavily in public health infrastructure for those who live, work, and play in the neighborhood. It will dedicate around $80 million to provide a hospital expansion of the NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens’ Claire Shulman Pavilion, build a Queens Neighborhood Health Action Center, and establish a new Trauma Recovery Center in Downtown Jamaica.

A More Vibrant Jamaica

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan will enhance streetscapes and public spaces to make the neighborhood safer, more walkable, and more welcoming. As part of the Jamaica NOW plan, the city will continue its revamp of Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 168^th Place with bus bulbs, curb extensions, improved lighting, green infrastructure, public art, and increased open space to reinforce the corridor as the distinctive retail and cultural artery of Downtown Jamaica.

Other transportation improvements include reconstructing 165^th Street as a shared street for pedestrians, safety improvements for pedestrians along Merrick Boulevard between Liberty Avenue and Linden Boulevard, Vision Zero safety improvements between Merrick Boulevard and Sutphin Boulevard, a new bike boulevard along 160^th Street, and a calm corridor redesign for 109^th Avenue between the Van Wyck Expressway and 175 Street — all connecting parks and schools across the neighborhood. DOT will also conduct a comprehensive areawide traffic study and Neighborhood Transportation Planning Analysis to help inform additional potential street and transit improvement projects.

For the public realm, the plan includes major investment into the Archer Avenue Bus Terminal area, which is the largest bus to rail transfer in North America, as well as nearly $50 million to construct two new vibrant transit plazas at the intersections of Archer Avenue with 146^th Street, Sutphin Boulevard, and 147^th Place. These public spaces will offer nearby residents, workers, students, and commuters a place to relax in one of the most bustling parts of Queens. The plan will also create new park space for the community at 138^th Street & the Van Wyck Expressway and at 142^nd Street & 107^th Avenue. It will dedicate tens of millions of dollars to improve beloved parks throughout Jamaica, including Archie Sprigner Park, Baisley Pond Park, Captain Tilly Park, Detective Keith Williams Park, Marconi Park, and Rufus King Park.

Several educational investments are also featured in the plan, such as funds for capital improvements at local schools, the continued development of a Queens Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics Center, the first of its kind in Queens, as well as upgrades to York College, including a more accessible campus, a new public space in the reopened 159^th Street underpass, and an improved Union Hall Street underpass with augmented lighting, seating, and more.

Planning with the Community

Building on two years of public engagement, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan reflects the priorities of local residents, stakeholders, and elected officials. Outreach was guided by a steering committee with over 50 neighborhood stakeholders — including elected officials, Queens Community Boards 8 and 12, and many local advocacy groups — and included 40 in-person and virtual public meetings that received approximately 3,000 comments. DCP also worked with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Voice to Vision, an online tool that visualized how community feedback shaped the plan’s vision and goals. The proposal received a favorable recommendation from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and approval by the City Planning Commission during the formal Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

To make sure the community remains involved in the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan’s implementation over the coming years, an independent Downtown Jamaica Oversight Task Force will be convened by the City Council with the administration’s support to provide regular updates on the status of plan commitments.

“Today’s vote marks a historic moment for Southeast Queens and one of the largest investments in Jamaica in decades. With new affordable homes, jobs, and long-overdue infrastructure improvements on the way, this plan represents a real opportunity to shape the future of Jamaica in partnership with the community,” said New York City Councilmember Nantasha Williams. “As we move forward, continued oversight and collaboration through the Downtown Jamaica Task Force will be key to ensuring these investments deliver lasting impact for the people who call Jamaica home.”

“The Greater Allen Development Corporation celebrates the City Council’s approval of the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan as a significant step toward an inclusive and sustainable future for our community. We are proud to partner with the City and local stakeholders to ensure that the growth of Jamaica reflects the needs and aspirations of its longtime residents while creating opportunities for future generations,” said Harold H. Flake, president, Greater Allen Development Corporation.

“With today’s City Council approval, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan moves a step closer to reality. This bold, forward-looking blueprint will deliver thousands of new homes, including deeply affordable housing, while creating opportunities for local businesses and good jobs for residents of southeast Queens,” said Thomas J. Grech, president and chief executive officer (CEO), Queens Chamber of Commerce. “With targeted investments in infrastructure, transit, and open space, Jamaica is poised to grow and thrive for generations to come. We applaud Speaker Adrienne Adams for her leadership, Chair Dan Garodnick and the City Planning Commission for their vision, and Mayor Eric Adams and local leaders for their commitment to making this plan a reality.”

“The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan will do exactly what a 21st-century city is supposed to do: build homes, create jobs, and invest in a 24/7 transit-oriented community. This plan will unlock nearly 12,000 new apartments, with roughly 4,000 permanently affordable. It’s also a jobs plan, with 7,000 new jobs and more than 2 million square feet of new commercial and community space. This is how you keep a neighborhood strong: you build housing people can actually afford, you make room for local business to grow, and you deliver real public investment on the ground in Jamaica,” said Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., president and CEO, New York Building Congress.

“We appreciate the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan because it shows how important community partnerships are to our mission at York College/CUNY. It’s great to see the plan shaped by local voices and focused on equity,” said Dr. Claudia Schrader, president, York College. “The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan offers a unique chance to bring much-needed investment to Jamaica and York College. These investments will help York expand educational and career opportunities for our students, residents, and future leaders.”

“Jamaica is primed for unprecedented growth and investment,” said Justin Rodgers, president & CEO, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation. “The approval of the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, coupled with recent development news and the potential expansion of Resorts World make Southeast Queens the city’s next hot spot. We appreciate the Adams Administration, the Department of City Planning, Borough President Richards and Council Member Dr. Williams for their commitment to Jamaica.”

“As New York City faces a historically low vacancy rate of 1.4% — with Queens even lower at 0.88% — we must take every opportunity to build more homes,” said Andrew Fine, chief of staff and policy director, Open New York. “The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan is among the largest rezonings in decades, and with nearly every LIRR line stopping in the rezoning area, this plan will allow more New Yorkers to commute car-free to both Manhattan and Long Island. Thank you to Speaker Adams and Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams for getting this rezoning to the finish line. Looking ahead, the pro-housing charter amendments will help ensure that New Yorkers in every neighborhood can benefit from the same opportunity to welcome new homes and new neighbors.”

Most Pro-Housing Administration in City History

Since entering office, Mayor Adams has made historic investments to create more affordable housing and ensure more New Yorkers have a place to call home. Earlier this year, Mayor Adams announced that his administration has created, preserved, or planned approximately 426,800 homes for New Yorkers through its work to date. Mayor Adams also announced that, in Fiscal Year 2025, the Adams administration created the most affordable rental units in city history and celebrated back-to-back-to-back record-breaking years for producing permanently-affordable homes for formerly-homeless New Yorkers, placing homeless New Yorkers into housing, and connecting New Yorkers to housing through the city’s housing lottery. Thanks to the Adams administration’s recently-unveiled Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan and additional New York City Housing Authority Permanent Affordability Commitment Together closings in July, the Adams administration has now created, preserved, or planned over 433,250 homes.

In addition to creating and preserving record amounts of affordable and market-rate housing for New Yorkers, the Adams administration has also passed ambitious plans that will create tens of thousands of new homes as well. Last December, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing proposal in city history that will build 80,000 new homes over 15 years and invest $5 billion in critical infrastructure updates and housing.

The Adams administration is also advancing several robust neighborhood plans that, if adopted, would deliver nearly 50,000 homes over the next 15 years to New York neighborhoods. In addition to the Bronx-Metro North Station Area Plan, the Midtown South plan, and the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan — all of which have already been passed by the New York City Council — the Adams administration is also advancing plans in Jamaica and Long Island City in Queens.

Building on the success of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Adams unveiled his “City of Yes for Families” strategy in his State of the City address earlier this year to build more homes and create more family-friendly neighborhoods across New York City. Under City of Yes for Families, the Adams administration is advancing more housing on city-owned sites, creating new tools to support homeownership, and building more housing alongside schools, playgrounds, grocery stores, accessible transit stations, and libraries.

Further, the Adams administration is actively working to strengthen tenant protections and support homeowners. The “Partners in Preservation” program was expanded citywide in 2024 through a $24 million investment in local organizations to support tenant organizing and combat harassment in rent-regulated housing. The Homeowner Help Desk, a trusted one-stop shop for low-income homeowners to receive financial and legal counseling from local organizations, was also expanded citywide in 2024 with a $13 million funding commitment.

Finally, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that are already helping spur the creation of urgently needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary “floor-to-area ratio” cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments.

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