Sandy Zuckerbrot, president of Sholom & Zuckerbrot Realty LLC, feels that the rezoning will finally bring Long Island City the attention and recognition it deserves. After the Citigroup Building was erected in the early 1980s, many thought more businesses would follow suit. "But that's not what happened," Zuckerbrot says. "When we look back, now we see that Downtown Brooklyn got the accelerated office development we were hoping for in Queens. Now, it's Long Island City's turn."

The proposal is currently in the public review process, but is expected to proceed as expected unless there is a "severe economic downturn," says Zuckerbrot. Joe Rose, chairman of the City Planning Commission, agrees that Long Island City should be next in "joining the city's other central business districts in Midtown, lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn."

Zuckerbrot adds that stimulating office development through initiatives such as the Relocation Employment Assistance program will create a need for restaurant and retail services as well. "Jackson Avenue has great corridor potential, and as the area becomes redeveloped, it will host an increasingly diverse community," explains Zuckerbrot. The rezoning is part of the City Planning Commission's 1993 report "Plan for Long Island City: A Framework for Development."