The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy’s mission is to enhance and advocate for the green spaces and waterfront of Long Island City, Queens, and to ensure the parks remain an indispensable asset to the community. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) recently invited residents to participate in the community visioning process to shape the development of Parcel E in the City-owned Hunters Point South development. This parcel is located between 55th and 56th Avenue between 2nd Street and Center Blvd on the Long Island City Waterfront.
Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, which helps maintain the LIC waterfront parks (Hunters Point South Park and Gantry Plaza State Park) believes this Parcel should be used as a space for a multi-purpose sports facility that can provide a much-needed active recreation area for our schools and residents. The Conservancy also believes that Parcel D, which is next to Parcel E from 54th to 55th street between 2nd Street and Center Blvd. should also be included in this visioning process. Both Parcels need to be discussed at the same time so a unified vision that provides needed housing and recreational space is delivered.
Long Island City, by many metrics, is one of the fastest growing communities in the country and is the fastest growing community in New York City. Unfortunately, our parks and green spaces have not kept pace with this growth. In a 2021 Open Space Profile from Partnership for Parks, our Community Board (CB2) ranked 57th out of 59 districts in New York City for parks and open space by population.
Since this study, the population of LIC has continued to increase, putting even more strain on our existing parks. The housing growth is set to continue, with several buildings with over 2,000 units under construction within a block of the waterfront parks, and even more being built throughout Hunters Point South and the rest of Long Island City. All of these new buildings bring residents to the existing waterfront parks, which led to a 28% increase in park usership year over year in the last year, in line with LIC Partnership’s finding of a 30% increase in apartments in LIC between 2022 and 2023.
We believe if HPD does listen to the community we will have a sports field for Parcel E (or F). We have worked with Community Board 2 and they believe as we do that this area needs an active recreation facility. Please see the attached two letters CB2 has sent to HPD detailing the need for such a facility. We also believe that, with the three schools that are already part of this development, and a fourth school on the way, this facility would provide the needed outdoor space for students during gym and recess.
We encourage HPD to think creatively on how both Parcels can be considered in unison to provide the housing and recreational space that is urgently needed. We know how essential parks are to mental and physical health, and we cannot have a healthy growing community without the appropriate parks and green spaces. We now have an opportunity to help correct some of these past shortages. New and existing residents deserve access to safe, clean, and welcoming open space.
CB 2 has also released two statements in favor of making the lot into parkland, on May 1, 2022 and January 10, 2024.