The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is planning to issue a Request For Expressions of Interests (RFEI) on behalf of the city for 44-36 Vernon Boulevard, a six-story commercial building in Long Island City, Queens. The RFEI is an appeal to the public for input on the redevelopment of the 672,000-square-foot structure, which currently serves as the central hub for New York City’s Department of Education. Based on the public feedback, the city will decide whether to embark on a full or partial transformation of the property into revamped commercial, light industrial, or community space. The redevelopment could also include the addition of waterfront access under the OneLIC Long Island City Neighborhood Plan initiative by the Department of City Planning (DCP). The property is located along Anable Basin at the intersection of Vernon Boulevard and 44th Drive.
The RFEI was first announced during a town hall meeting for the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan on January 25 attended by Council Member Julie Won and representatives from the DCP and WXY Studio. The Department of Education is currently utilizing the building for storage and warehouse space, offices, and trade shops. The facility serves divisions including the Office of Pupil Transportation, the Division of School Facilities, and the Office of Food and Nutrition Services.
Below is a diagram from the Department of City Planning showing 44-36 Vernon Boulevard and the surrounding lots along the Long Island City waterfront. The redevelopment scheme also includes two adjacent parking lots at 44-59 45th Avenue and 4-99 44th Drive that are currently owned by the Transportation and Small Business Services departments.
Courtesy of the Department of City Planning.
The Long Island City Neighborhood plan was first announced in October 2023 and aims to create as many as 16,000 new homes. This figure would include at least 4,000 income-restricted affordable homes for New Yorkers with an average of 60 or 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The plan also calls for the creation of 16,000 new jobs across various sectors, as well as the construction of 3 million square feet of commercial space and several new schools and community spaces.
Other proposed components include an update to the Waterfront Access Plan to form 7 to 9 acres of new public waterfront space, protections for existing neighborhood tenants, and improvements to street safety across a vast section of the district’s underdeveloped commercial and industrial city blocks.
Below is a map of the proposed land usage under the initiative, with 44-36 Vernon Boulevard resting within the red-colored M1-5A/R8 section situated above the subterranean subway tunnels for the E and M trains.
Courtesy of the Department of City Planning.
44-36 Vernon Boulevard was once slated to serve as part of Amazon’s “HQ2” proposal, which sought to construct a sprawling tech campus in New York City. The tech giant withdrew its plan in early 2019 plan following opposition from local elected officials over the required $3 billion in grants and incentives from the city.
The nearest subways from the site are the E and M trains at the Court Square-23rd Street station, which offers a connection to the 7 train at the Court Square station.
The city, NYCEDC, and the office of Council Member Julie Won are expected to deliver more details and information about the RFEI process this spring. The process is expected to conclude by late summer 2025, followed by the roughly seven-month ULURP certification process. The NYCEDC could then issue a Requests For Proposals (RFP) to find a developer for the project.
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The Department of Town Planning, must give importance to land along the coastline: Thanks.