Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Calls Into WCBS 880

November 16, 2022

Michael Wallace: The city has reached a deal with NYCFC, the New York City Football Club, to build a $780 million soccer stadium in Queens. Mayor Eric Adams joins us on our news line. Give us an update in your mind what this deal means for the city and Queens and especially that neighborhood of Willets Point.

Mayor Eric Adams: It means that we can get stuff done no matter how challenging it is. We can look at the top issues that's facing the city and no matter where you go, people talk about housing and affordable housing for low- and middle-income New Yorkers. Today, we announced that 2,500 units of housing — 2023, we're going to start the first 1,100 units. The shovels will go in the ground and this is an area that has been filled with blight, flooding issues, dangerous to walk down for years. But today we announced we're building a new community there. This is a real win for our city.

Wallace: Tell us about the financing for this project, Mr. Mayor. Where's the money going to come from?

Mayor Adams: A combination of public, private, that's exactly what it means when you say public and private. The stadium that we're building — that's going to produce a substantial number of jobs — is 100 percent private funding. We're not spending a dime of taxpayers’ dollars. The housing aspect is going to be a combination of things. We're partnered with Related, the company that's known for building in the city, and the city's going to kick in some as well because we do have an obligation to make sure the city's affordable. As one philosopher said, "The rent is just too darn high," and we need to be there to make sure we bring it down and affordable for the communities.

Wallace: The great Jimmy McMillan with that quote. How about naming rights? Is that a possibility? A possible money maker with the stadium?

Mayor Adams: We have witnessed all over the country, if not the globe, that people sell the naming rights of stadiums and I'm sure the soccer club is looking to do the naming rights as well.

Wallace: I know you're excited about the affordable housing aspect of this project. Are you looking to do more of that around the city? Is it a possibility?

Mayor Adams: Yes. We have some real W’s in this administration. The Bruckner Project in the Bronx was a real win. We were able to come together with the councilwoman and land the plane. We're looking at Innovation QNS. We also talk about a substantial number of affordable housing units, so we are excited about projects like this because it's going to deal with the top crisis in our city. And that's housing.

Wallace: New York City Mayor Eric Adams. We appreciate you giving us some time on this and thank you for joining us.

Mayor Adams: Thank you.

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