Queens West

File:QPL Hunters Point-2 jeh.jpg

The project on {{convert|74|acre|ha}} was first announced in 1983 when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced a new development along Long Island City's underused industrial waterfront, much of it brownfield land.{{cite web | last=Gargan | first=Edward A. | title=RIVERFRONT BUSINESS AND HOUSING FOR QUEENS OFFERED BY PORT BODY | website=The New York Times | date=March 21, 1983 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/21/nyregion/riverfront-business-and-housing-for-queens-offered-by-port-body.html | access-date=November 14, 2018}} There were no specific proposals, but one plan would include 11 residential buildings with about 4,500 units on {{convert|44|acre|ha}}, as well as {{convert|13|acre|ha}} of state park land, a public library, two public schools, and {{convert|120,000|ft2|m2}} of retail space.

Legislation authorizing the development was passed in 1983 or 1984, but delays arose due to the need to purchase land from several owners, as well as the fact that roughly a quarter of the proposed development was underwater.{{cite web | last=James | first=George | title=Queens Plan Still Stuck On Square 1 | website=The New York Times | date=December 15, 1987 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/15/nyregion/queens-plan-still-stuck-on-square-1.html | access-date=November 14, 2018}} The Empire State Development Corporation joined the project in 1989, by which time the Port Authority had only purchased about a third of the necessary land.{{cite web | last=Chira | first=Susan | title=Queens Waterfront Plan Gets a Push | website=The New York Times | date=July 30, 1989 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/30/nyregion/queens-waterfront-plan-gets-a-push.html | access-date=November 14, 2018}} The proposals for the Long Island City waterfront development changed during the planning process. By 1990, when the project was sent to the New York City government for review, the development was slated to contain 6,300 apartments, a hotel, office space, and a school spread across 15 buildings, as well as {{convert|19.2|acre|ha}} of open space. About 80% of the space would be residential, and the rest would be commercial.{{cite web | last=Lueck | first=Thomas J. | title=New York Agencies Push Huge Queens Development | website=The New York Times | date=June 9, 1990 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/09/nyregion/new-york-agencies-push-huge-queens-development.html | access-date=November 14, 2018}}

File:4610 Center Boulevard behind Pepsi sign jeh.JPG]]

The Queens West master plan ultimately called for three office towers, a hotel, apartments, and {{convert|28|acre|ha}} of waterfront space, which were to be developed incrementally.{{cite web | last=Muschamp | first=Herbert | title=ARCHITECTURE VIEW; Queens West: Why Not Something Great? | website=The New York Times | date=May 22, 1994 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/22/arts/architecture-view-queens-west-why-not-something-great.html | access-date=November 14, 2018}} The project officially began construction in with the start of Hunters Point Community Park. The park was constructed first partially because developers wanted to convince the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide funding for the first apartment buildings, and HUD would only provide that funding if amenities were guaranteed for the apartments.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/18/realestate/queens-west-begins-with-a-park.html|title=Queens West Begins With a Park|first=David W.|last=Dunlap|date=September 18, 1994|access-date=April 1, 2017|work=The New York Times}} Gantry Plaza State Park first opened in May 1998 and was expanded in July 2009.{{cite web | last=Polsky | first=Sara | title=Exploring the Second Stage of Queens' Gantry Plaza State Park | website=Curbed NY | date=October 19, 2012 | url=https://ny.curbed.com/2012/10/19/10315702/exploring-the-second-stage-of-queens-gantry-plaza-state-park | access-date=November 14, 2018}} The Pepsi-Cola sign in Gantry Plaza State Park was made a New York City designated landmark in April 2016.{{cite web | last=Dunlap | first=David W. | title=Pepsi-Cola Sign in Queens Gains Landmark Status | website=The New York Times | date=April 13, 2016 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/nyregion/pepsi-cola-sign-in-queens-gains-landmark-status.html | access-date=November 10, 2018}} Queens West is home to the Hunter's Point Community Library.{{Cite web|url=http://www.stevenholl.com/projects/hunters-point-community-library|website=Steven Holl Architects|title=Hunters Point Community Library Breaks Ground|date=May 16, 2015}}

In May 2009, {{convert|30|acre|ha}} were transferred to the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) for construction of the development renamed Hunter's Point South. It was completed in 2014 with 5,000 residential units, an 11-acre park, and 96,000 square feet of retail space and 46,000 square feet of public and community facilities.{{cite web|url=https://www.queenswest.org|title=Queens West Development Corporation|access-date=April 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402081259/https://www.queenswest.org/|archive-date=April 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://queenswestvillager.com/about/detail/history_of_long_island_city|title=History of Long Island City|website=Queens West Villager|access-date=April 1, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516061647/http://queenswestvillager.com/about/detail/history_of_long_island_city|archive-date=May 16, 2017}}

In November 2018, Amazon.com announced that it was going to construct one of two campuses for its proposed Amazon HQ2 on the Long Island City waterfront, near Queens West. The campus would have 25,000 workers.{{cite press release|url=https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-selects-new-york-city-and-northern-virginia-new|title=Amazon Selects New York City and Northern Virginia for New Headquarters|publisher=Amazon|date=November 13, 2018|access-date=November 13, 2018}}{{cite web | last1=Stevens | first1=Laura | last2=Morris | first2=Keiko | last3=Honan | first3=Katie | title=Amazon Picks New York City, Northern Virginia for Its HQ2 Locations | website=The Wall Street Journal | date=November 13, 2018 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-chooses-new-york-city-and-northern-virginia-for-additional-headquarters-1542075336 | access-date=November 13, 2018}}{{cite web | title=Amazon's Grand Search For 2nd Headquarters Ends With Split: NYC And D.C. Suburb | website=NPR.org | last=Selyukh | first=Alina | date=November 13, 2018 | url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/13/665646050/amazons-grand-search-for-2nd-headquarters-ends-with-split-nyc-and-d-c-suburb | access-date=November 13, 2018}} However, in February 2019, Amazon announced it would withdraw its plans to build the HQ2 location in Queens West due to community opposition.{{cite news |last1=Goodman |first1=J. David |last2=Weise |first2=Karen |date=February 15, 2019 |title=Why the Amazon Deal Collapsed: A Tech Giant Stumbles in N.Y.'s Raucous Political Arena |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/nyregion/amazon-hq2-nyc.html |access-date=16 February 2019 |work=The New York Times}}

{{wide image|Long Island City New York May 2015 panorama 3.jpg|500px|Panorama of Queens West, May 2015}}

File:LIC dock NY Waterway jeh.jpg

The district lies west of the Long Island City station, served by the Long Island Rail Road, and the Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue station, served by the New York City Subway's {{NYCS trains|Flushing}}. The district also contains the Long Island City ferry stop, which is served by NYC Ferry's Astoria route.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/254611698/Proposed-Routes-for-NYC-s-Expanded-Ferry-Service|title=Proposed Routes for NYC's Expanded Ferry Service|author=DNAinfoNewYork|website=Scribd|access-date=September 22, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160303/astoria/citywide-ferry-service-launch-june-2017-official-says|title=Citywide Ferry Service to Launch in June 2017, Official Says|last=Honan|first=Katie|date=2016-03-03|website=DNAinfo New York|access-date=2016-09-22|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923101354/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160303/astoria/citywide-ferry-service-launch-june-2017-official-says|archive-date=2016-09-23}}{{cite web|last=Siff|first=Andrew|date=March 16, 2016|url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/New-York-City-Citywide-Ferry-Service-Hornblower-2017-372257472.html|title=New York City's Ferry Service Set to Launch in 2017|work=NBC New York|access-date=9 May 2016}}

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{{Reflist}}

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• {{cite web|url=http://wirednewyork.com/queens/queens_west/|title=Queens West|first=Edward|last=Sudentas|access-date=1 April 2017}}
• [https://www.nycedc.com/sites/default/files/filemanager/Projects/Hunters_Point_South/HPS_Presentation_June2009.pdf NYCEDC Hunters_Point_South]
• {{cite web|url=http://www.sprlaw.com/results/queens-west-development-corporation/|title=Sive, Paget & RieselSearch Results -|access-date=1 April 2017}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.akrf.com/integrated-approach/brownfield-redevelopment/projects/queens-west-development-project/|title=Queens West Development Project|access-date=1 April 2017}}
• {{cite web|url=https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/hunting-for-a-haven-at-queens-west-SatDec2005051505002008/|title=Hunting for a haven at Queens West|access-date=1 April 2017}}
• https://web.archive.org/web/20160320124931/http://www.abbnyc.com/pdfs/queens_west.pdf
• http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/plans/transportation/qern_fullb.pdf
• http://bushwickdaily.com/bushwick/categories/sponsored/836-lic-for-brooklynites-where-to-live-in-hunters-point-queens-plaza-court-square-and-dutch-kills

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