NEW YORK CITY-The redevelopment of Willets Point marked its first physical steps on Thursday afternoon as local officials broke ground on a new sanitary sewer system and other infrastructure improvements for the 12.7-acre site adjacent to Citi Field. The $50 million investment for phase one of the construction will lay the groundwork for more than 400 units of housing and 680,000 square feet of retail.
“We are extending that foundation to an area that many thought would always remain neglected even though it holds so much promise, and that is Willets Point,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, at a press conference. “Historically Willets Point has lacked adequate drainage, and as a result, has been majorly flood-prone,” he added. “That’s unfortunate because there are many opportunities in the Willets Point-area that position it for substantial growth.”
The initial phase of critical infrastructure work includes reconstruction of a storm sewer located within 126th Street as well as the construction of a sanitary sewer main. Construction on the project will occur in the wintertime in order to prevent impacts during the baseball season.
Hunter Roberts Construction Group, construction manager for Willets Point, in coordination with the city, selected Holmdel, NJ-based Cruz Contractors, LLC, to perform the necessary infrastructure upgrades. By 2013, phase one of the 62-acre redevelopment plan is expected to create 1,800 permanent jobs and 4,600 construction-related jobs.
A developer for the property will also be selected by early 2012, said Seth Pinsky, president of New York City Economic Development Corp. “It is essential to bringing our plan to life,” he said. The neighborhood, formerly utilized as an ash dump for passing railroad cars, was rezoned by the city council in 2008 to allow mixed-use development. It expected to be redeveloped and remediated over a nine-year period, with total build-out estimated by 2017. “Our goal is to undo decades of damage that has been done to the environment and our waterways.”
However, the redevelopment plan has not come without controversy. The neighborhood is home to approximately 240 existing auto-related businesses, and eminent domain proceedings started in February. As the retail portion of the plan comes closer to fruition, Willets Point United, a grassroots group fighting eminent domain abuse in Queens, is calling for a living wage for retail workers at the multi-billion dollar site.
The NYCEDC is providing relocation assistance to local businesses and workforce training to employees with the assistance of LaGuardia Community College. Bloomberg said 500 employees are now enrolled in the program.
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