Thousands of New Dwellings Planned for Former Flushing Airport Site in Queens Under Mayor Adams' Vision
Flushing Airport Site in Queens to be Transformed into 3,000 Workforce Housing Units
The former Flushing Airport site in College Point, Queens, is set for a significant transformation, with plans to redevelop it into a mixed-use project that will deliver over 3,000 residential units, new public green space, and community amenities.
The development, led by NYC-based firms Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated, is part of Mayor Eric Adams' "City of Yes" housing initiative. The project is a result of the city's partnership with the New York City Building Trades and Cirrus, which involves investing pension fund dollars from eleven unions into housing projects on city land.
The residential units will range from deeply affordable to market-rate, with the focus being on providing housing for middle-income New Yorkers. The development is expected to create approximately 1,300 unionized construction jobs and 530 permanent jobs, contributing an estimated $3.2 billion in economic activity over 30 years.
The project follows the City of Yes plan, a zoning reform passed on Dec. 18, 2024. The plan emphasizes sustainable and community-sensitive design, incorporating mass timber construction and integrating buildings with wetland preservation and public green space. The project will be built and operated with 100% union labor.
The site, which is owned by the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC), spans 80 acres. About 60 acres of the site will be preserved for park-like landscaping and sustainable design, featuring nature walks and wildlife habitats. The wetlands at Flushing Airport will be preserved to minimize flooding and provide habitat for diverse species.
This marks the first major housing project to proceed on the site since the airport closed in 1984, overcoming prior community resistance to commercial development proposals. The NYC EDC issued a request for proposals last year to develop the site, and the winning proposal came from NYC-based firms Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated.
Union pension funds have a history of direct investment in union-built, middle-class housing in New York City. The Flushing Airport redevelopment project is a return to that proven model in decades for workforce housing. The NYC EDC and Department of Transportation recently completed a 0.7-mile extension of 132nd Street to improve traffic conditions and accommodate future traffic growth in the area.
Construction is expected to begin in 2028, following planning stages announced publicly in July 2025 during Housing Week. The development is expected to generate $3.2 billion in economic activity over the next 30 years. The residential units will provide a much-needed boost to the housing market in Queens, addressing the ongoing housing crisis in the city.
Investing in the Flushing Airport redevelopment project, led by Cirrus Workforce Housing and LCOR Incorporated, will contributed funds from union pension funds, a historical return to direct investment in union-built, middle-class housing in New York City. This development, part of the City of Yes housing initiative, is transforming the site into 3,000 residential units, including a focus on providing housing for middle-income New Yorkers, and will significantly impact the housing market in Queens.
