EIGHT years ago LICtalk proposed a radical solution to the endemic problems haunting Queensbridge: Raze it and rebuild. Today that solution has gained traction with the current Mayoral administration and might become a reality in the not-too-distant future.
Yesterday, The New York Times published a story entitled “To Improve Public Housing, New York City Moves to Tear It Down.” The first three paragraphs say it all:
NYCHA is set to announce on Wednesday that it is moving forward with a $1.5 billion plan to tear down the Fulton Houses and Elliott-Chelsea Houses in Manhattan and replace them with new high-rise apartments for the residents who live there, after it became clear that replacing the deteriorating buildings would cost about as much as rehabilitating them.
“At Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea, more than 2,000 public housing apartments would be replaced. The new apartments would have dishwashers, washers and dryers, and access to rooftop terraces. The plan also calls for the construction of new retail and commercial spaces and 3,500 mixed-income apartments, with around 1,000 restricted to people earning lower incomes and the rest renting at market rates.
“It would be only the third tear-down in the agency’s nearly 90-year history, and the first time new, mixed-income buildings would be built on NYCHA land. City officials said they hope to replicate the plan elsewhere as conditions in public housing worsen.“
Will there be dislocation and disruption? Yes. Will there be hiccups great and small? Yes. Will cultures be altered and the history be lost? Yes.
Nevertheless the ends overwhelmingly justify the means. Through better optimization of these 30 acres of land, it would be a huge win for the current residents, middle class housing, the city, and developers.
The physical housing units would be a vast improvement to the current dilapidated ones. The mixed economic backgrounds would pull the lower classes up, instead of isolating them. The large increase in units overall would bring more, better, and very-conveniently located housing to NYC. And the increase in overall units would also come at a discount to market rate housing due to more supply meeting demand as well as the initial ‘trepidation’ concession.1 That concession would be locked in for pioneers through rent-stabilization, yet still be profitable for developers. Finally, NYC taxpayers would not have to pay for the improved housing for the poor, nor for the costly capital improvements needed to maintain these 80-year old buildings.
We spelled it all out in our initial article from 2015 ‘Raze Queensbridge,’ and have continued to do so over the years. All of these articles as well as the NYT story from yesterday are listed below.
Rarely is the solution for improving people’s lives so clear cut. Given the momentum, the time for change is now. Raze Queensbridge!
To Improve Public Housing, New York City Moves to Tear It Down – NYT article yesterday
RAZE QUEENSBRIDGE – we started it all back in February 2015
LIC Follow-Ups – “$400 million just for roofing and mold?” May 2015
LIC Go – “the horrible living conditions in an apartment in the Queensbridge Houses that was in dire need of repairs” July 2016
Knock Down The Projects And Bring In The Cranes – “Not because it was a blight on Long Island City – its presence has minimal impact, but instead as a pragmatic solution to the endemic problems of, well …the projects.” August 2018
Meanwhile Up In Queensbridge – “nothing short of a major overhaul will curtail this violence. In addition to the persistence and uptick of violent crime in Queensbridge – largely perpetrated on victims within it’s own community – we are coming to the beginning of a new administration.” November 2021
DOE Proposes New Zoning Format For LIC Schools – “Instead of busing kids out of their neighborhoods, we should be bringing more diverse residents into the less fortunate neighborhoods.” January 2022
- Here at LICtalk, we call it like it is [↩]
Mitchell Hauser says
June 22, 2023 at 7:21 amLICTalk should be our council member.
Anonymous says
June 22, 2023 at 9:26 amLICTalk makes too much sense!
ASensibleMan says
June 22, 2023 at 12:36 pmThings to keep in mind.
Whatever the projected budget, reality will likely be 2x-3x more. It always is.
This — “The mixed economic backgrounds would pull the lower classes up, instead of isolating them” — is a Liberal fantasy. It works exactly the other way. New buildings do nothing to change human behavior. “The projects” have always been terrible because of who lives in them, not the buildings. The buildings were all new once. It’s just like how Section 8 brings crime and trouble to the suburbs.
The new housing will quickly be ruined by the tenants. It always has been and always will be.
Finally, if the city government is kept ENTIRELY out of this with the properties sold to private developers, it just might work. Otherwise, forget it. The usual Progressives will play their usual games, which always lead to failure, because they’re imbeciles.
In any case, I suppose anything is better than the current disasters, and if they tore down a building or two at a time, instead of the whole shebang at once, it wouldn’t be as disruptive. But I suspect we’ll just get the usual: talk, talk, talk, no action.
Cathy Nolan says
June 26, 2023 at 9:33 pmTruly hate to be negative but this article and the comments are very uninformed as to the history of nycha queensbridge, the conditions of the buildings and most of all difficult to read because of the condescending cruelty towards the community that lives there. My father’s family were original tenants. Like many families there today his father had died and my grandmother was raising five young children alone as an immigrant to this country working a hard low paying job. I never knew her, she too died young. Queensbridge was a refuge for my family and I was proud as I entered politics to represent it and secure funding for it and many programs there . Queensbridge was and is a sanctuary for thousands of families, particularly those facing racial discrimination in housing, which certainly continues unfortunately to this day. My family and many others went on to be veterans serving our country, hard working taxpayers who raised families and loved New York. The buildings were well designed, windows for example in every bathroom and higher ceilings than what many so called luxury buildings have today. Every apartment has light and air. Every person an affordable rent and as Mayor LaGuardia said ” a chance for happiness”. The Jacob Riis community center, PS 111, Urban Upbound, nyckidsrise, Hour Children, floating hospital, NAACP and many other groups have worked with the community for years and deserve to be celebrated and supported by newer people, not dismissed as you have continually done on several occasions. Talented filmmaker Julie Dash made an important movie highlighting that many families at Queensbridge have Gullah heritage and are proud of their ancestry, famous artists and artisan quilters, entertainers, (Nas, many others) faith leaders, outgoing NYPD Commissioner Sewell and many more, all got their start in long island city at Queensbridge. To suggest it’s an awful place is an unfair, unjustified insult. It may indeed be different than the newer community of towers on the water but it is loved by those that have lived there. True, it needs support, resources and more but you are not telling it ‘like it is’, you have no monopoly on truth, you do not see what really happens at Queensbridge everyday. Though I am retired, I hope to continue to see Queensbridge, Ravenswood, Astoria Houses and other NYCHA residences continue for New Yorkers. I believe in letting people speak out on blogs and rarely respond but this last column just….what can I say? I find it ignorant and snarky in smugly commenting on what you don’t really know. Enjoy your Long island City but my advice is stick to your restaurant reviews. On Queensbridge I believe your provocative comments are cruel, hurtful and uninformed. I too believe I am telling it like it is! But frankly with actual knowledge and experience, not armchair editorializing! One of the benefits of being a private citizen! Thank you
Carmen says
June 28, 2023 at 8:18 amthank you
Mitchell Hauser says
June 28, 2023 at 8:36 amIt doesn’t seem that Kathy Nolan closely read LICTalks article Raze
Queensbridge. LICTalk’s motivation seems to be completely unbiased without any benefit to itself. It is also informed and thoughtful. I read a suggestion about improving Queensbridge, Queens, NYC and the people who live there and will live there. As a native NY’er, I have seen that neighborhoods change (including the one I grew up in) and not necessarily the way we want but often is a greater benefit for all. I would suggest that LICTalk has a better understanding than insulated politicians.
cathy nolan says
June 30, 2023 at 8:12 pmSince I am no longer a politician, (though certainly was proud to be one, it’s not a bad thing, we learn facts) was never insulated, and am now retired, I would like to add, I certainly did read it closely, it’s an offensive idea. Razing queensbridge is not a suggestion for improving the lives of anyone, and certainly not the people who live there. The displacement would be devastating, only people who are insulated themselves would think this idea is unbiased, it is sadly ignorant of the strengths of a long standing community that certainly doesn’t need sweeping uninformed suggestions that would destroy it. thanks for commenting in such a condescending manner, it let’s me compose my thoughts in a more cogent way, love Long Island City, all of it! cathy nolan