Transcript: Mayor Adams, Community Partners Break Ground on Willets Point Transformation, Largest Affordable Housing Project in 40 Years

December 20, 2023

Deputy Mayor Maria Torres‑Springer, Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce: Good morning, everyone. There we go. My name is Maria Torres‑Springer. I'm the deputy mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce. I could not be happier… I could be warmer, but I could not be happier than I am at this moment to be with all of you today to celebrate the groundbreaking Phase One of the Willets Point Development Project.

I'm reminded of two moments as we get started here today. The first moment was about 20 years ago. I was a wee policy analyst in city government two mayors ago. And one of my first projects was this project, a vision for the full transformation of Willets Point.

The other memory that I have is of about a year ago when Mayor Eric Adams unveiled, together with many partners, a vision for the full transformation of this site and we promised a year ago to deliver the affordable housing component of the project. One year ahead of schedule, we promised it would break ground before the end of this calendar year. And so it is really with a lot of pleasure and honor and excitement that we are here today.

And so now I have the honor of introducing the person who made sure not only that we delivered on that promise from a year ago but that we're delivering on the full promise of this incredible site. Please join me in welcoming the 110th mayor of New York City, Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thank you so much. And you know, you don't get complicated projects like this done without have many, many bottles of Tums and Rolaids during all the stress and anxiety and the number of hours on the phone and just talking it through, because there's a lot at stake, and we should have these conversations. And we could not have had better partners than our borough president who's really progressively thinking about how do we build out this borough. He came in with a real vision, and he continued to execute on that vision. And we want to thank him.

And then a real, real partner in the City Council, just one of those who not only understands it's important to have dollars and cents but it's just important to have common sense. And a common sense lawmaker, Councilman Moya, this is really… We've got to thank you so much for doing this. And we also have Assemblymember Sam Berger that's here with us at the same time, we're going to need city, state and federal help to do this.

And all of our partners that are here who were just laser focused on getting this done. I remember as a child this community has always been a blighted community of just great promise and opportunity. And you know, just the thought that DM Maria Torres‑Springer just came with all of that institutional knowledge. And you know, being a mayor should not be about dismantling things that were built previously under previous administrations, this is a continuation.

And so hats off to all of those mayors that were part of the lineage. This is… We may be putting a shovel in the ground, but there were those before me who understood how important it was to do something here at Willets Point. More than just baseball memories are now here, there's going to be memories of people living and enjoying this prosperous community.

So, thank you, DM, and we are seeing right here in the city the future of our city, a future where all New Yorkers can afford to live and grow, and that is what New York City is all about, the tradition of breaking ground.

And today, one year ahead of schedule — one year ahead of schedule… We're building 100 percent affordable, 2,500 units, the largest project of this magnitude in over 40 years, over 40 years. And it's reshaping this entire community and what we expect. For many years, this was a joke to be the Iron Triangle or the Valley of the Ashes. We're now going to see a vital community come about right here in the shadows of Shea Stadium.

New public school for our students, the first ever soccer specific stadium for a borough that loves soccer, 100,000 square feet of public open space to enjoy, a 250‑room hotel and retail space that will serve the neighborhood and create good paying jobs. And our new homes will have built‑in laundry, bike storage, a landscaped inner courtyard and more. And not to mention LED Gold certification on all-electric, Local Law 97 compliances. This is the complete package, and it was well thought through and well executed.

And along the way, we'll also be making significant infrastructure improvements to an area that was once off the grid. So many outer borough projects have been off the grid, we're now moving to make sure they are included. We're building new streets and sewers, planting trees, putting in proper drainage and lifting the site out of the flood plain.

We are expecting this project to generate $6.1 billion in economic impact, creating over 1,500 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs. Our labor guys are just smiling right now, because this is what they wanted.

This project goes back to 2018 where members of the community talked about this back then, and local residents will continue to be heard throughout the approval and construction process.
This is all part of our administration's commitment. This is what we talked about and what we are going to continue to deliver on. We talk about public safety, when you have a safe city you can build on that. But we have done more in affordable housing and our personnel under this deputy mayor and we're going to continue to grow and continue to move this city forward.

No child should be left without housing, no family should be left without housing. And the wins that just keep matching up to the promise of our focus on housing. From the NYCHA Land Trust that was just voted the other day. Just this year alone, we have connected more New York is to permanent homes through the CityFHEPS voucher program than ever in the program's history.
Unveiled the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Plan to create more than 100,000 new homes by getting rid of outdated zoning. Dan Garodnick is just really pushing this forward, and we need to continue to make it happen.

We launched the housing at risk task force to save affordable housing projects, need to get some form of 421‑a tax abatement done in Albany. Call it whatever you want. Call it 124‑a, I don't care. Just let's just get it done. Let's just make sure we incentivize building in our city.

And we have been cutting through bureaucracy and red tape, and we're going to continue to do so. So, thank you to everyone that's involved. As I said, the borough president, Councilmember Moya, Queens Community Board 7 and Related Companies for just being a real partner as we move forward, and Sterling Equities.

Safe and affordable housing is the American dream. It's the precursor to sleep that allows us to experience that dream. But right now, that dream is not going to be interrupted. We're going to remove the barriers. We're going to put the shovel in the ground and we're going to create housing for children and families in this city. Job well done. Thank you to everyone that's involved.

Deputy Mayor Torres‑Springer: Thank you so much, mayor, for your support and for your leadership.

Now, getting to this point today was a full team effort, a very heavy lift for so many involved. You will hear from some of our incredible partners in just a second, but I wanted to take this opportunity to thank members of the administration who have been critical in driving not just the vision for this project but what you're seeing today, its full implementation.

Starting with the incredible team at the Economic Development Corporation led by Andrew Kimball. Where's Andrew? There you are. The mayor mentioned Dan Garodnick and the team at City Planning. We also have here the commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Adolfo Carrión, and the president of the Housing Development Corporation, Eric Enderlin.

And really importantly, we also have the Commissioner of Department of Environmental Protection, Rit Aggarwala. And let me tell you why it's incredibly important that he's here and this is a full team effort in government.

We talk a lot about and we support dynamic, mixed use sustainable neighborhoods, but rarely do we have an opportunity in government to build an entire new neighborhood from the ground up. And so what that means is that it's not just the work of one agency, because it's not just about the housing, it's not just about the jobs. It's really about strengthening the infrastructure; and in this case, actually building new infrastructure that wasn't here before. And so thanks to all of you.

As the mayor mentioned, we are working on all cylinders to reach the moonshot goal of 500,000 new homes over the course of the next decade. We're doing that by building faster, cutting the red tape, streamlining our processes, building everywhere — through our City of Yes for Housing Opportunities, through are five neighborhood plans across the boroughs — and by building together where we need partnership in Albany at all levels of government to get the job done.

So, speaking of building together, we could not be here today without the incredible support of amazing leaders in elected office. And so our next speaker, I'm very happy to introduce to all of you a huge champion not just for this area but for growth and for affordable housing across the borough and also across the city, Borough President Donovan Richards.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards: All right. Thank you. Good morning, and what a great morning it is. I can't think of any better way to move into the holiday season than to put shovels in the ground. So, Mr. Mayor, thank you. Thank you for your confidence in us, thank you in your vision, and thank you in ensuring that Queens could truly get the money to see this project through.

And of course to my partner on so many fronts, Councilman Moya, thank you. It's a big day for you. Thank you for your vision as well.

Now, if anyone read The Great Gatsby in school, you know that F. Scott Fitzgerald called this spot the Valley of Ashes. If only he could see us rising out of the ashes like a phoenix today, because out of these assets is going to rise New York City's newest community, one that can and will be rooted in equity and opportunity for all.

To everyone who helped us get here today, thank you. HPD, EDC, Related Companies, Sterling Equities. Our community partners, elected officials. Your work here is going to touch so many lives.

Today we break ground on 881 new units of affordable housing, but that's not how we should think of it. We should think of it as breaking ground on a brighter future for 881 families. Families who are living paycheck to paycheck, families who struggle to afford a roof over their heads, families in our shelter system who need and deserve a home to call their own.

And what better poetic justice for those families than to now be able to live across the street from Citi Field. That's whose lives we're impacting today. That's who I want us to think about when we put these shovels in the dirt. And this project is for them. They deserve high‑quality housing. They deserve state of the art infrastructure to prevent flooding. They deserve park space; and yes, they deserve a brand‑new school.

I'm so proud to be standing here today ready to deliver exactly that for them. And I want to see these affordable levels repeated in the next phases of this project as well. I'm so proud that the city's largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years is being built right here in no other place than Queens County, because Lord knows we know we need the units.

We lead the city in housing production, and I'm proud to have signed off working with my colleagues on more than 5,000 units of housing as borough president. But that's not nearly enough if we're going to truly build our way out of this crisis.

That's why you see historic investments in downtown Far Rockaway, that's why you see us rezoning Jamaica and Long Island City. And just last week, we announced a big plan to finally redevelop the Creedmoor campus with over 3,000 units. That's why we got Innovation QNS done, Mr. Mayor, come hell or high water. And that's why we're here today at Willets Point,m breaking ground on the first of more than 2,500 new homes.

Today is the first day of an incredibly bright future for this community, and I can't wait to be back to tell all 881 families, welcome home. Congratulations to all. Here in Queens County, we understand that we're not going to talk our way out of the housing crisis, but we're going to build our way out of it. We are not the city of no here, we are setting the template and the blueprint for being the city of yes. Thank you and congratulations to all of our partners.

Deputy Mayor Torres‑Springer:  Thank you so much, borough president.

Our next speaker we all know is a fan and champion of soccer, but he's also an incredible champion, of course, of working people and a true partner for this administration in tackling the affordability crisis in this city. Please join me in welcoming Councilmember Francisco Moya.

Councilmember Francisco Moya: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Maria.

Good morning. I'm Councilmember Francisco Moya. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your leadership on this. I couldn't be more thrilled to be at the groundbreaking ceremony of a project that has gone through so many ups and downs, a project that we never thought would get to this point, yet here we are. Again, breaking ground one year earlier than predicted thanks to this administration and their hard work in making sure that this project happens.

And that's also thanks to everyone that's here present behind me who has played such a pivotal role in making sure that this day came to fruition. When I stepped foot in the City Council, the first thing I did was to work to create a true path towards bringing affordable housing to Queens. Today's groundbreaking reaffirms that commitment and represents a crucial step in addressing the housing crisis that our city is currently facing.

Back in 2018 when I was presented a plan for Willets Point, what I saw was a plan that was settling, and I love my neighborhood far too much just to settle. So, you see, because what's considered affordable maybe in Manhattan is just not the same as what's considered affordable here in Corona, Queens.

So, I worked tirelessly to secure historic AMI levels that would ensure affordability for my neighbors with units that would be available for rent from a range that's below 30 percent, and that includes 220 units for low income seniors and some reserved for formerly homeless families.

This project stands as the most significant fully affordable housing initiative in four decades, and that's only the beginning. And that was all thanks to the right team, many of whom are here today. And I have to thank Mayor Adams for your support, for your leadership and for your courage in letting me rework the entire script that was already written for Willets Point, which helped us produce the lowest AMIs ever seen on a project in this area. And that's all thanks to you, your leadership and this administration.

And I also want to thank the chief executive and partner at Related, Jeff Blau, who has worked with me from the very beginning. Thank you for your partnership. Also to Jeff Wilpon. And I want to give a big special thanks to Maria Torres‑Springer who is the deputy mayor. Thank you for all your leadership and your hard work. This has not been easy, but this is, for joining us in this long and historic journey that has brought us here to this day.

And thank you to my good friend, Andrew Kimball and the entire staff at the Economic Development Corporation for all their hard work and the great partnership that they have shown. And also to Borough President Richards, thank you for understanding the importance of what affordable housing project means to the community like mine and the impact that it's going to have on the City of New York.

And so today's groundbreaking is not just only initiating the construction of an historic project, it's creating stability and security for the working class community that is struggling to make it through, struggling to put a roof over their heads.

So, together we are tackling what really matters, and that's making sure that people can live in this community while simultaneously creating permanent and unionized job opportunities that will help these workers put food on the table, and a 150‑seat school that will provide a quality education for our future generation.

And recently I've been thinking about the difference between what is our accomplishments and our legacy. And as elected officials, too often two become synonymous, but they're not. Finally getting shovels in the ground at Willets Point after decades of failure, that's an accomplishment. Building thousands of affordable housing apartments that will become homes, that's legacy.

So, once again, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for everyone who's created the project that simply makes sense, and now let's finish what we started. Thank you so much.

Deputy Mayor Torres‑Springer:  Thank you so much, councilmember. I also want to acknowledge that we're joined by State Senator Stavisky. And our final speaker will be talking to us about the importance of public/private partnership here. Now, projects like this don't get done if that type of public/private partnership isn't effective.

On the public sector side, everyone who I mentioned working across the administration, our partners in elected office, our partners in labor. But it also means having a development team that we can work with effectively to do things like accelerate the housing a year ahead of schedule and really bring the full vision of this project into reality. And so please join me in welcoming the CEO of The Related Companies, Jeff Blau.

Jeff Blau, CEO, The Related Companies: Thank you, Maria. So, today has definitely been a long time = coming. I know it's cold, but I'm going to tell you a quick story. So, in 1989, I started at Related, and my very first assignment related, we were actually building boxes for Kmart, stores for Kmart.

And Kmart showed me a map and said, I want to be here. And in 1989, I walked through this entire neighborhood — it was pretty scary back then — and knocked on every auto body repair shop that existed here… Unsuccessfully, I will say. 20 years later, we were designated as developer for this site; and now today, we are here to celebrate the groundbreaking.

This site and the determination to create something that would make a difference for the people of Queens has been part of my entire professional career, which is why I am so proud to be here representing Queens Development Group, a partnership between Related and Sterling Equities.

As you said, Maria, partnership is the theme of today. Partnership between the public sector and private sector. The teamwork exemplified by everyone standing up here including Community Board 7 is what made this all possible. And the result is we're breaking ground on more than 800 affordable homes, which we're happy to say is just the start.

You've heard most of the people recognized already, but I'd have to say none of this would happen without you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. And just to name a few, Maria has been a great partner… Torres‑Springer with a dash hyphen in the middle, right? She corrected me once or twice. Andrew Kimball, Adolfo Carrión and the team at HPD, Eric Enderlin I saw, Dan Garodnick at City Planning. Thank you all. Everyone has been committed to getting us to this moment. Thank you.

City Council has been a true partner over many years, and Francisco Moya has become a friend and partner and taught me all about fútbol, not soccer, right, and what it's all about. And thank you. And thank you also to Speaker Adrienne Adams for helping to assist to make this all happen. Finally, thank you Borough President Donovan Richards for his commitment to this project.

Related was founded over 50 years ago as an affordable housing company. That remains the bedrock of our business and is the core of who we are. The reason we're so committed to affordable housing is simple: cities simply don't work without it.

Willets Point becomes a shining example of what can happen when we commit ourselves to solving the housing crisis. Today we officially begin the transformation of this neighborhood into a community that will be home to thousands of families for generations to come.

And as I said, this is just the beginning. When Phase 2 completes the land use process in a few months, we'll bring the total number of homes here to 2,500 apartments. These units will be 100 percent affordable. They'll be for families and seniors, they'll be game changers for these people.

As we all know, this kind of project takes the commitment of everyone. In particular, I also want to single out Wells Fargo, and Alan Wiener is here. Alan and his team, they really stepped up to make this all possible. Thank you. Wells Fargo is a partner of ours across the country but especially here in New York. Your willingness to partner on projects like this is absolutely essential. The affordable housing puzzle doesn't get solved without partners like Wells Fargo.

Finally, we have the best team at Related, and they've been waiting for this moment for over a decade. Bruce Beal, my partner is here, Related's president, along with Emad Lotfalla, our partner who is going to actually have to build all this.

Glenn Goldstein, Charles O'Byrne and Frank Monterisi are really our leaders on this project, and I want to thank you all. They have worked tirelessly on this effort. And I also want to acknowledge Jim Strobel. He's led the remediation of this site and the infrastructure. Trust me, none of us would want to be here today if he hadn't started work.

I also want to thank our partners at Sterling and the Wilpon and Katz family. This is a great day for Queens. Let's break ground and get to work. Thank you.

Deputy Mayor Torres‑Springer: Thank you, Jeff. Before we work with the shovels here I think we'll take a couple of on topic questions.

Question: Is there a timeline of when this project will be completed [inaudible].

Deputy Mayor Torres‑Springer: Sure. So, let me just talk through the timeline for the project. We're breaking ground today on Phase 1. As I mentioned, everyone should know the remediation, as Jeff mentioned, has been going on over the course of the last couple of years, largely complete since this past summer. So, the first phase, 881 units of housing will be complete by 2026.

The next phase of the project, Phase 2, that is right now going through the Uniform Land Use Review Process. As a reminder, that is Phase 2 which allows us to create the balance of the housing for a total of 25,00 units, the stadium and the hotel.

The anticipation is that the stadium will start construction — should the ULURP process go well — by 2024 with the first games here by 2027. And the full completion of the housing and hopefully also the hotel really we're looking at 2030.

So, that is, on one hand several years, but this is really a generational investment and building an entirely new neighborhood. But those are… That's a general timeline for the different components of the project.

Question: Can you talk about the cost of this project?

Deputy Mayor Torres‑Springer: Let me start with the benefits of the project, $6 billion in economic impact, 14,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs. For this phase, it's 100 percent affordable housing, and so we're using our typical, we call it our mix and match term sheet, and so it's a typical subsidy for 100 percent affordable housing.

In order to defray the costs of remediation and to build the infrastructure, there is a public sector commitment of a little bit over $200 million, and that is really for infrastructure. Because remember, we're building sewers, we're building streets, we're remediating. And so a project of this magnitude needs to have that type of investment in the infrastructure. So, those are the two main pieces.