Fit for Queens

Langan Plays Integral Role in Transformative Willets Point Redevelopment

Willets Point is rising like a phoenix from the Valley of Ashes, which is how the area was described a century ago in “The Great Gatsby.” Thanks to the collaborative project team led by Queens Development Group, a joint venture of Related Companies and Sterling Equities, Willets Point is currently undergoing a transformation from forgotten area to flourishing neighborhood.

Langan has supported this complex project for more than a decade, beginning with navigating the client through the NY Brownfield Cleanup Program. Since then, the team has designed thousands of linear feet of utilities, incorporated green infrastructure like bioswales and a green roof, and completed comprehensive surveys of the property and surrounding roadway network.

The project team and stakeholders recently celebrated an important construction milestone: the frames of the first two buildings were completed, marking the halfway point of Phase One, which will provide 880 affordable housing units. Once fully redeveloped, the mixed-use neighborhood will encompass 2,500 units of affordable housing, roughly 150,000 SF of public open space, significant infrastructure upgrades, a public school, over 20,000 SF of retail space, a 250-key hotel, and a soccer-specific stadium that will be the permanent home of NYCFC.

“Willets Point is an ideal project for Langan because it enables our team to show the value of our integrated services on one of the most complicated sites in New York,” said Michele O’Connor, Senior Principal, Langan. “We are proud to help transform a neglected area of Queens into a welcoming, mixed-use neighborhood that invests in its community, drives economic growth, and brings together locals and visitors in the heart of ‘the world’s borough.’”