Plan Now Heads to City Council for Review and Final Vote
“With its rich diversity of culture, cuisine, music, and more, Jamaica represents so much of what makes our city great. Unfortunately, the neighborhood’s outdated zoning code is not one of them. For decades, Jamaica’s zoning has curtailed new housing and limited new businesses; it’s made it harder for working-class families to work and stay in the area. But our Jamaica Neighborhood Plan will help change that,” said Mayor Adams. “With this ambitious vision, we’ll bring thousands of new homes and jobs to Jamaica and make sure that working-class families can live in the city they love. Whether it’s crafting neighborhood plans like this one, passing the most pro-housing zoning reform in city history, or shattering affordable housing records year after year after year, we are proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history.”
“With Jamaica’s central location and incredible access to jobs and transit, it is time for us to support the local community with affordable homes, jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure investments,” said DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick. “With today’s vote, Jamaica is one step closer to a more affordable and prosperous future. Thanks to the City Planning Commissioners for their overwhelming support.”
By updating old zoning rules across 230 blocks, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan will ultimately create more than 12,000 new homes and 7,000 new jobs. Credit: DCP.
Creating More Affordable Housing
Under Jamaica’s current zoning rules, there are no requirements for affordable housing in the neighborhood while industrial businesses are stymied from growing and reaching their full potential. The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan directly responds to these long-term challenges. 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 development of 12,000 new homes. Approximately 4,000 of those homes would be permanently income-restricted affordable through a combination of MIH — making these 230 blocks of Jamaica the largest geographic area in New York City where this policy would be mapped to date — and through city financing of affordable homes on public 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: The plan would 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 would slightly decrease further north, between Jamaica Avenue and Hillside Avenue.
- Transit Corridors: Through updated zoning, the plan would 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, the plan would allow new housing immediately to the south of Jamaica Station and the Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer subway station. It would also encourage commercial and light manufacturing near world-class transit resources.
- Industrial Growth Area: New growth manufacturing zoning would support new employment and local businesses.
Delivering More Jobs, Improved Public Space, and Infrastructure Investments
The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan would also generate over 2 million square feet of new commercial and community facility space, ultimately creating over 7,000 new jobs for New Yorkers and strengthening Jamaica’s role as a live-work neighborhood where residents can find good jobs close to home.
To facilitate this community’s growth, the plan will also invest over $300 million in sewer infrastructure upgrades, building 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 plan also seeks to bolster the streetscape and public spaces in order to make the neighborhood more walkable and welcoming, including through improvements by the New York City Department of Transportation along Jamaica Avenue as part of the Jamaica NOW plan and two new public plazas next to Jamaica Station.
Crafted With the Community
Building on two years of public engagement, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan reflects the priorities of local residents, stakeholders, and elected officials. The outreach process 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 also 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 feedback gathered through community engagement shaped the plan’s vision and goals. Finally, the proposal received a favorable recommendation from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards during the formal Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). The proposal now goes to the New York City Council for a public hearing and vote.
