Most Pro-Housing Administration in City History: Mayor Adams, NYCEDC Kick Off Housing Week by Unveiling Ambitious Plan to Transform Former Flushing Airport Into 3,000 New Homes

July 28, 2025

Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKIAzVQTrw0&t=2s

Proposal Will Deliver Thousands of New Housing Units and Roughly 60 Acres of Open Space,
Create 1,300 Union Construction Jobs and 530 Permanent Careers 

Announcement Part of Mayor Adams’ Historic Executive Order to
Build More Housing on City-Owned Sites 

Plan Will Help New York City Reach Mayor Adams’ 
Moonshot Goal of 500,000 New Homes by 2032

Project Built by Building Trades Members Using Union Pension Fund Dollars

Announcement Kicks Off Mayor Adams’ “Housing Week,” Showcasing Administration’s
Relentless Focus on Creating More Homes, Connecting More New Yorkers to Homes,
and Keeping More New Yorkers in Homes They Already Have

WATCH: Mayor Adams Kicks Off “Housing Week,” Highlighting
Administration’s Historic Work to Deliver More Housing

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball today kicked off “Housing Week” by unveiling a sweeping proposal to build approximately 3,000 homes and 60 acres of public space on the site of the former Flushing Airport in College Point, Queens. The development — led by New York City-based firms Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated — is projected to generate $3.2 billion in economic activity over the next 30 years, creating over 1,300 union constructions job and 530 permanent careers. Cirrus-LCOR’s proposal also includes sustainable design elements and high-quality, park-like landscaping to integrate the buildings into the surrounding wetlands environment. Following the completion of a successful Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and a robust environmental review, construction is expected to begin in 2028. After Mayor Adams issued a historic executive order last year requiring city agencies to review their portfolios and identify potential sites for new housing, NYCEDC led a competitive request-for-proposals process to identify a developer for the former Flushing Airport. As a result of the historic partnership established in March 2024 between Cirrus Workforce Housing, Mayor Adams, and the New York City Building Trades to develop workforce housing on public lands using union labor, this project will be built by Building Trades members using union pension fund dollars. Along with proposals to build thousands of new homes on city-owned sites like 100 Gold Street and Gansevoort Square, five neighborhood plans to create jobs and new housing across the city, and the first citywide housing zoning reform in 60 years, today’s announcement will help New York City reach Mayor Adams’ moonshot goal of creating 500,000 new homes by 2032.

“For too many decades, this valuable land has sat vacant, but our administration said it was time to change that. We issued a landmark executive order to build housing on city-owned sites like this one and now, we are excited to announce we will create around 3,000 new homes at the site of the former Flushing Airport,” said Mayor Adams. “Whether it’s building record amounts of affordable housing two years in a row, passing the first citywide zoning reform in six decades, or transforming old offices, garages, and airfields into new homes, we are proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history — and by using every tool at every level of government to build housing on every block in every borough, we continue to prove that point every day. We are advancing generational projects to deliver the housing New Yorkers need and fighting every day to make our city more affordable and the best place to raise a family.”

"The redevelopment of the former Flushing Airport will deliver thousands of affordable and accessible homes that are financed by, built by, and lived in by union workers, as a result of our partnership with Cirrus and Mayor Adams," said Gary LaBarbera, president, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. "Thanks to this generational program, this project and others like it will continue to reinforce labor's historic role in boosting the middle class, generating family-sustaining careers, and providing our communities with economic stimulus. Hardworking New Yorkers, like our tradesmen and tradeswomen, deserve to live comfortably and raise their families in the city they serve. We are grateful for the collaboration from Mayor's Office, NYCEDC, Cirrus, and LCOR on forging a path for this particular development and look forward to seeing this unique approach to housing continue to come to fruition and improve the lives of countless New Yorkers."

“We thank Mayor Adams and NYCEDC President Andrew Kimball for their vision and partnership in the Flushing Airport project, which is positioned to deliver more than 3,000 homes to working middle class New Yorkers,” said Joseph McDonnell, managing partner, Cirrus Workforce Housing. “Cirrus looks forward to collaborating with local elected officials, labor unions, community organizations, and residents to bring this transformative project to life.”

“The redevelopment of the former Flushing Airport is finally ready for take-off, and we are thrilled to work with Cirrus and LCOR to transform this long-vacant site into a mixed-use project that will deliver thousands of workforce housing units, new public green space, and other community amenities all while protecting and preserving the wetlands,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Kimball. “Under the leadership of Mayor Adams, the city remains committed to addressing our housing crisis and looks forward to working with our city partners, elected officials, the College Point community, and the development team to deliver a project that creates good-paying jobs, drives economic growth, and strengthens the fabric of our city.”

Rendering of ~60 acres of public parkland. Credit: S9 Architecture

The former Flushing Airport has not been active since the airport was decommissioned in 1984 and has largely reverted to nature. Cirrus-LCOR’s proposal will utilize sustainable design elements, including a commitment to explore the use of mass timber construction and high-quality park-like landscaping that is accessible to the public and sensitively integrates the buildings into a modern wetlands environment with nature walks, sitting areas, rambles, natural open space vistas, and wildlife habitat. Lastly, Cirrus and LCOR have committed to build and operate the development with 100 percent union labor.

Today’s announcement builds on NYCEDC’s ongoing efforts to bolster the College Point community. In partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation, NYCEDC recently completed a 0.7 mile extension of 132nd Street nearby to improve traffic conditions and accommodate future traffic growth around the neighborhood.

Aerial rendering of the proposed project. Credit: S9 Architecture

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

Moreover, 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 towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. In June 2024, City Hall and the New York City Council agreed to an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invested $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Authority’s capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed $24.7 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. Mayor Adams has celebrated back-to-back record breaking fiscal years, as well as back-to-back calendar years, in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. In the spring of 2024, the city also celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation. 

Building on the success of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Adams unveiled his “City of Yes for Families” strategy 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 using every tool available to address the city’s housing crisis. Mayor Adams announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create accessory dwelling units that will not only help older adults afford to remain in the communities they call home but also help build generational wealth for families. In addition to creating more housing opportunities, 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 will 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.

“At the dawn of modern aviation a century ago, Flushing Airport made history as New York City's first-ever airfield and eventually the busiest airport in the five boroughs. But today, we're beginning the process of repurposing that incredible piece of Queens' history into a critical aspect of Queens' future," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "After years of conversations between my office, the Mayor's Office and NYCEDC, I couldn't be more excited to help announce this innovative plan to build badly needed affordable housing and create good-paying jobs on this historic-turned-vacant site. I look forward to the planning process, as we work collectively to reimagine this site into forever homes, thriving small businesses and engaging park space."

“New Yorkers want police officers to be part of their communities, but soaring housing costs have made it too difficult for our members to raise their own families in the city neighborhoods where they grew up — or to stay in the five boroughs at all,” said Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry. “This development is a welcome step toward making it easier for New York City police officers and our fellow first responders to live in the city we protect.”

“The New York City Carpenters Union is proud to stand behind Cirrus and the transformative Flushing Airport redevelopment project for College Point,” said Paul Capurso, executive secretary-treasurer, New York City District Council of Carpenters. “This is a win for New York’s working families. It’s going to be built union, putting hundreds of our skilled carpenters to work with fair wages and strong labor standards. At the same time, it will deliver the kind of affordable, quality housing our city desperately needs. Cirrus is showing what it means to invest in both workers and communities, and we’re proud to help build a stronger, more equitable New York.”

“This transformative project to build working class housing will be built by the members of Building Trades unions such as Steamfitters Local 638. As a union, we have the simple belief that if you build something, then you should be able to afford to live in it,” said Robert Bartels Jr., business manager, Enterprise Association of UA Steamfitters Local 638. “Our pension funds provide the opportunity for our members to retire with dignity and security. The pension fund is a monetary reflection of what we in the labor movement call ‘solidarity.’ Every member who is working now is supporting the retirement of the generation that came before them, and they have the confidence to know that the generation that comes after will do the same for them. Investing our union pensions in housing expands that value of solidarity by ensuring that we can help make sure that the people who build New York can afford to stay and live in New York. Construction unions and responsible developers like Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated are going to prove that there is profitable way to build housing for the workers who are the backbone of New York City.”

“This proposal is exactly what working New Yorkers have been waiting for — thousands of new homes, good union jobs, and a healthier future for our communities,” said Joseph Azzopardi, business manager and secretary treasurer, District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. “Turning an underused site into 60 acres of public space and 3,000 homes, while putting 1,300 union members to work and creating over 500 careers, is a smart investment in both people and place. This is how we build a more affordable, equitable, and resilient New York City.”

“Our pension funds, a trust from our members, are more than dollars. Investing them in workforce housing projects like this is financially sound and morally right. It builds a more affordable and equitable city,” said Thomas Gesualdi, president, Teamster Local 282. “We commend Mayor Eric Adams and NYCEDC for their bold, pro-housing leadership and commitment to making city-owned land work for working people. By aligning union pension investments with the construction of workforce housing, we’re ensuring a future where those who build New York can afford to live here. Developers like Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated are partnering with labor to deliver good union jobs, stable retirements, and thriving, sustainable communities.”

“This transformative project is a testament to what union labor can achieve when vision meets opportunity,” said Eric Meslin, president and business manager, Sheet Metal Workers Local #28. “By building thousands of homes on public land with union hands, we’re not just constructing buildings — we’re laying the foundation for stronger families, thriving communities, and a more equitable New York City. Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Adams and NYCEDC, this project leverages union pension investments to deliver affordable workforce housing. Developers like Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated are proving that you can build responsibly, sustainably, and profitably—while putting working people first. This is a blueprint for the future of development in our city.”

“Investing our union pensions in projects like this builds workforce housing, dignity, stability, and solidarity for generations of workers,” said Joesph Nolan, business manager, Ironworkers Local 580. “We ensure those who build New York can live here. The principle is simple: the city’s builders should be able to afford to stay. This development represents homes built by union labor, funded by union pensions, and designed for the working class. We commend Mayor Eric Adams and NYCEDC for their vision for housing that puts working families first. Construction unions and responsible developers, such as Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated, will demonstrate that there is a profitable way to construct housing for the hardworking residents of New York City.

“Heat and Frost Insulators Local #12, our members, and our contractors thank Mayor Adams for partnering with Cirrus Workforce Housing, the Building Trades and Local # 12 to build the next generation of workforce housing for New York City’s working class,” said John Jovic, business manager, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local Union #12. “This partnership will create much needed housing for teachers, police officers, fire fighters, construction workers and other blue-collar workers. As importantly, this housing will be built by Building Trades Union Labor and clearly demonstrate that workforce housing and union labor go hand in hand. We look forward to this Flushing site being the first of many and cannot wait to get to work.”

 “Local One IUEC proudly supports the transformative redevelopment of the former Flushing Airport site, led by Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR, in partnership with Mayor Eric Adams and NYCEDC,” said Lenny Legotte, Business Manager of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local One. “This bold project will create 3,000 new homes, including urgently needed workforce housing, along with 60 acres of public green space, while generating over 1,300 union construction jobs and 530 permanent careers. Backed by union pension funds and built by members of the New York City Building Trades, this initiative is a model of pro-housing, pro-labor progress. It underscores the mayor’s historic commitment to building on city-owned land, and positions Cirrus Fund as a national leader in equitable housing development that prioritizes working families, sustainability, and good union jobs.

“Local 7 Tile Marble Terrazzo of NY/NJ is proud to be part of these future housing projects that will bring affordable housing to middle-class workers in the NYC area,” said William Hill, president, BAC Local 7 Tile Marble Terrazzo of NY/NJ. “We proudly invested our pension funds into this project and thank Mayor Adams, BCTC President Gary LaBarbera, and Cirrus for helping us move it forward. We’re ready to show the entire state of New York that affordable housing can be built with union labor.”

“Firefighters, who dedicate their lives to protecting communities, are struggling to afford to live within those communities. Today’s announcement of thousands of units of workforce housing is the kind of investments we need to ensure the men and women on the front lines can live in the neighborhoods they serve,” said Bobby Eustace, vice president, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York.

“A sad reality for far too many low wage workers — including many retail workers in New York City — is that decent, affordable housing is unattainable. This project is a great step forward in addressing the affordability crisis,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

“Development of affordable housing must prioritize fair wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions for the construction workforce. We applaud Cirrus Workforce Housing for its strong commitment to do just that. This milestone project will go a long way to deliver critical housing that all working men and women deserve,” said Mike Hellstrom, vice president and eastern region manager, Laborers International Union of North America.

"Housing and jobs, jobs and housing — two critical issues so intertwined in the fabric of the city of New York and especially in Queens. The announcement by Mayor Adams of the awarding of the Flushing Airport RFP to Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated is just the kind of public/ private partnership that we need,” said Thomas J. Grech, president and CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce. “We look forward to the continued process and the Queens Chamber will support all efforts to bring local businesses to the table to support this project that will deliver 3,000 homes.”

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