MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES $35 MILLION INVESTMENT IN PHASE ONE OF NEW LINEAR PARK IN QUEENS

 

Met Hub Section Represents First Phase of QueensWay, a Comprehensive Plan to Reimagine Abandoned Railroad Corridor and Vacant Land as 47-Acre Linear Park

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a $35 million investment for design and construction of the Metropolitan Hub (Met Hub) in Queens — phase one of a new multi-phase greenway and park project called QueensWay. This phase of the project will transform a vacant, city-owned corridor in Forest Hills into a five-acre park with 0.7 miles of greenway, providing residents with new open space, improved access to recreational amenities, outdoor education opportunities for students, and a safe transportation corridor connecting people to schools, businesses, and 10 bus lines. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) will manage the construction of the Met Hub in collaboration with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks). The funding includes $2.5 million from the New York City Council.

 

“New York is a five-borough city, and every borough deserves high-quality park space. That’s exactly what we are delivering with this $35 million investment in one of our vital neighborhoods in Queens,” said Mayor Adams. “QueensWay phase one will convert abandoned railroad tracks that have been used as a dumping ground into a linear park that will make this community safer, healthier, greener, and more prosperous. The community has been asking for this for decades, and I am proud to stand with them to show how we ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New Yorkers.”

“The QueensWay, which will open new parkland and add greenway miles, demonstrates our commitment to expanding access to healthy open spaces and safe options for mobility,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “We’re incredibly proud to be supporting this community-led proposal and want to thank those residents, students, commuters, and recreationists who rallied for this project for years.”

 

“Now more than ever, New Yorkers are calling for open and green spaces, and this first phase of the QueensWay will deliver a beautiful new one for local Queens residents and visitors alike. Once complete, I am confident that it will be a tremendous neighborhood asset and catalyze local economic development for years to come,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “My gratitude to all the partners who nurtured this project’s vision for years together with the community.”

 

“One of our main goals at Parks is to expand our thriving parks system, and, thanks to this new $35 million investment from Mayor Adams for phase one of the multi-phase QueensWay project, countless New Yorkers will have access to a brand-new green space and greenway in their neighborhood,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “This investment in the Met Hub and the future QueensWay strikes to the core of several of this administration’s top parks priorities, including safer transportation in and around our parks, more parkland and green space, and connecting more New Yorkers to a park within walking distance of where they live, and we’re so excited to work on this project with all of our sister agencies in the future.”

 

“NYCEDC is committed to improving the city’s greenway efforts, and this exciting new project in Queens will provide residents with much-needed open space that also serves as a safe path to walk or bike,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “We thank Mayor Adams, Trust for Public Land, Friends of the QueensWay, Assemblymember Hevesi, and all the elected officials and organizations who have shown their support to transform this unused land into a greenway that will connect New Yorkers to schools, businesses, and mass transit.”

Once complete, the QueensWay will include a 47-acre park and seven miles of greenway from a converted unused railroad line. The project will cover the Queens neighborhoods of Rego Park, Forest Hills, Glendale, Forest Park, Woodhaven, and Ozone Park. The proposal was conceived by the Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay. The project concept is the result of an extensive community outreach that included public and stakeholder workshops, information tables at local community events and festivals, and more than 20 public tours.