NYC In Focus

Documents reviewed by NYC In Focus show Queens Borough President Donovan Richards will hold a virtual public hearing Thursday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m. to consider the single largest parkland acquisition in western Queens in a decade. The application would authorize the city to acquire more than 40 separate lots across Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside for new park use.

The same hearing will advance a Corona rezoning that would replace low-rise R6B zoning with a 13-story, 119-unit mixed-use tower with Mandatory Inclusionary Housing at 47-03 108th Street.

Independent analysis confirms both items are moving on an accelerated timeline. Written testimony for the Queens hearing is due by 5 p.m. the same day. The Rent Guidelines Board meets at the exact same time in Manhattan to discuss the 2026 Income and Affordability Study. And the City Planning Commission will vote the day before on a Staten Island waterfront upzoning that creates a new Special St. George District.

This is not a coincidence. This is the city clearing its spring ULURP calendar while most tenants are at work.

The 40-Parcel Park Grab in Community District 2

The centerpiece is ULURP #260089 PCQ, submitted jointly by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation. The application seeks acquisition and site selection for park use of properties scattered across Queens Community District 2.

Agency employment records show the city is targeting a constellation of lots that reads like a developer’s wish list:

Long Island City core: 47 Avenue (Block 28, Lot 12), 5-23 47 Ave (Lot 15), 5-13 47 Ave (Lot 18), 47 Avenue (Lot 121), 10-38 45 Rd (Block 49, Lot 35)

Dutch Kills / Queens Plaza: 31-21 Thomson Avenue (Block 275, Lot 11), 30-02 Skillman Avenue (Lot 35), 31-10 Queens Boulevard (Lot 80), 43-10 Van Dam Street (Block 276, Lot 35)

Sunnyside Yards edge: 31-09 Starr Avenue (Block 301, Lot 1), 31-07 Starr Avenue (Lot 5), 52-24 34 Street (Lot 26), 34-10 Borden Avenue (Block 306, Lot 19)

Northern Boulevard corridor: 55-02 Northern Boulevard (Block 1179, Lot 1), Northern Boulevard (Lot 7), 57-14 Northern Boulevard (Block 1181, Lot 38), 60-20 Northern Boulevard (Block 1183, Lot 10), 57-05 Broadway (Block 1181, Lot 9)

Queens Boulevard spine: 39-02 Queens Boulevard (Block 195, Lot 21), 56-07 Queens Boulevard (Block 1329, Lot 1), 57-07 Queens Boulevard (Block 1330, Lot 1), 57-17 Queens Boulevard (Lot 34), 68-15 Queens Boulevard (Block 1348, Lot 40), 48-02 Queens Boulevard (Block 2281, Lot 25), 70-50 Queens Boulevard (Block 2444, Lot 40)

Woodside / Maspeth fringe: 37-36 56 Street (Block 1210, Lot 29), 56 Street (Lots 31 and 32), 41-10 70 Street (Block 1309, Lot 45), 40-25 61 Street (Block 1336, Lot 28), 53-10 46 Street (Block 2535, Lot 25), 53-20 46 Street (Lot 31), 44-23 54 Avenue (Lot 33), 46-49 53 Avenue (Block 2544, Lot 36), 54-12 48 Street (Block 2545, Lot 40), 48-26 54th Road (Block 2557, Lot 30)

Staffing patterns reveal this is not a single contiguous park. This is a distributed acquisition strategy. The city is assembling small, privately owned lots along major corridors to create a network of pocket parks, greenways, and potentially a future Queens Boulevard linear park.

Documents reviewed by NYC In Focus indicate the application is pursuant to Section 197-c of the City Charter, which means it requires full ULURP review. The fact that it is before the Borough President on April 16 means it has already cleared certification. Community observers counter that no public scoping meeting was widely advertised for a project of this scale.

The implications are massive for western Queens. Long Island City has added 30,000 residents since 2010 with virtually no new parkland. The 40 parcels listed total several acres of developable land that could have become housing. Instead, the city is choosing open space.

Critics note that acquiring this many lots will cost tens of millions and take years of eminent domain litigation. Residents familiar with the area point out that many of these addresses are currently auto shops, storage yards, and vacant lots that blight Northern Boulevard. Turning them into parks would be a dramatic quality-of-life upgrade.

Corona’s 13-Story Tower: From R6B to R7X in One Vote

The second Queens item on the April 16 docket is ULURP #260147 ZMQ and N260148 ZRQ, filed by 108 Realty Group Inc. The site is 47-03 108th Street in Corona, Community District 4.

The proposal would change an R6B District to an R7X District and establish a C2-4 commercial overlay on the block bounded by 47th Avenue, a line 100 feet northeasterly of 108th Street, 48th Avenue, and 108th Street. The companion text amendment would map the area as Mandatory Inclusionary Housing.

Independent analysis confirms the scale: a new 13-story, 120,000-square-foot, 119-dwelling-unit mixed-use development. The breakdown is 90,000 square feet of residential, 8,700 square feet of commercial, and 17,700 square feet of community facility space.

This is a textbook upzoning. R6B is contextual mid-rise, typically 4-5 stories, built to the street wall. R7X is a high-density district that allows towers up to 14 stories with Inclusionary Housing bonuses. The C2-4 overlay brings neighborhood retail.

The project is already scheduled for a Community Board 4 hearing on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. at VFW Post #150, 51-11 108th Street, Corona. The applicant’s representative is Frank St. Jacques of Akerman LLP. The board’s land use consultant, Paul Graziano, will also present.

The timing is tight. CB4 testimony is limited to two minutes and written testimony must be submitted by 3 p.m. on April 14 to qn04@cb.nyc.gov. Two days later, the Borough President votes. This is a 48-hour window for a neighborhood that is 80% renters and has some of the highest overcrowding rates in the city.

Staten Island Waterfront: St. George Gets Taller

While Queens dominates the calendar, the City Planning Commission hearing on Wednesday, April 15 at 10 a.m. includes a major Staten Island rezoning that has flown under the radar.

198-208 Richmond Terrace in St. George would change from an R6 District to an R7-3 District, eliminate the existing C2-2 and Special Hillsides Preservation District, and establish a new Special St. George District (SG) with a C2-4 commercial overlay.

The application by Economic Development Opportunity Zone Fund 1, LLC also maps Mandatory Inclusionary Housing. The site is on Richmond Terrace near Nicholas Street, directly on the waterfront with views of the harbor.

This is the first significant expansion of the Special St. George District since it was created to spur development around the ferry terminal. R7-3 allows significantly more bulk than R6, and the SG district provides height and setback modifications for waterfront towers.

Documents reviewed by NYC In Focus show the CEQR declaration is E-864, dated February 18, 2026. The fact that it is at CPC in April means the environmental review found no significant adverse impacts, a finding community observers counter given the site’s location in a coastal flood zone.

Rent Guidelines Board Meets at the Same Time

In a scheduling move that guarantees low public attendance, the Rent Guidelines Board will meet Thursday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m. — the exact same time as the Queens Borough President hearing.

The meeting at Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street, will discuss the 2026 Income and Affordability Study with presentations from HPD, HCR, and Columbia University’s Center on Poverty & Social Policy.

This is the data that will justify this year’s rent increases for one million stabilized apartments. The board is meeting to hear that tenants are poorer while landlords’ costs are up. The outcome is preordained, but the presentations matter because they set the narrative.

The public can attend in person or livestream via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/RentGuidelinesBoard. The location is wheelchair accessible.

The Bin Mandate Is Coming to Brooklyn

Buried in the Community Boards section is a critical deadline for every small landlord in the city. Brooklyn Community Board 18 will hold a statutory public hearing Wednesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. on the NYC Bin Mandate taking effect June 1, 2026.

The Department of Sanitation will present requirements for property owners of 1-9 residential units to use official NYC Bins. The presentation covers how to obtain them and will be followed by Q&A.

The hearing is hybrid: in-person at 1097 Bergen Avenue and via Zoom. Webinar ID is 824 4728 8690, passcode 226838. Phone access is available at +1 646 931 3860.

Independent analysis confirms this is the final outreach before fines begin. Starting June 1, putting trash bags on the curb will result in violations. The bins cost money, they take up sidewalk space, and DSNY has not solved the theft problem.

Landmarks Wants to Demolish Tribeca Buildings

The Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing Tuesday, April 14 at 9 a.m. includes a demolition request that will anger preservationists. At 31-33 Lispenard Street and 35 Lispenard Street in the Tribeca East Historic District, the applicant seeks to demolish two commercial buildings built in 1946-47 and 1954-56 and construct a new building.

Other items include a garage with apartment at 136 Kane Street in Cobble Hill, a rear yard addition at 17 Montgomery Place in Park Slope, and rooftop additions at 32 West 95th Street and 168 East 75th Street.

The hearing is at 253 Broadway, 2nd Floor, with YouTube livestream at www.youtube.com/nyclpc.

How to Make Your Voice Heard

If this affects your neighborhood, here’s how to show up. All information below is copied exactly from documents reviewed by NYC In Focus.

QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT HEARING — PARKS ACQUISITION & CORONA REZONING

_• Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026

_• Time: 9:30 A.M.

_• Location: Borough President Conference Room, 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11424

_• Virtual: Live-streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@queensbp

_• Preregister to speak: https://www.queensbp.nyc.gov/ or call (718) 286-2922 between 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. prior to hearing

_• Written testimony due: 5:00 P.M. Thursday, April 16, 2026

_• Email written testimony: planning2@queensbp.nyc.gov

_• Mail: Office of the Queens Borough President, 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Room 226, Kew Gardens, NY 11424

_• ADA/Sign Language: Contact (718) 286-2860 or planning2@queensbp.nyc.gov no later than THREE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR

_• Accessibility contact: Victoria Garvey, vigarvey@queensbp.nyc.gov or 718-286-2922 by Monday, April 13, 2026, 2:00 P.M.

QUEENS CB4 CORONA HEARING

_• Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026

_• Time: 6:30 P.M.

_• Location: VFW Post #150, 51-11 108th Street, Corona, NY

_• Written testimony due: 3:00 P.M. Tuesday, April 14, 2026

_• Email: qn04@cb.nyc.gov

_• Testimony limit: 2 minutes

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION — STATEN ISLAND

_• Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

_• Time: 10:00 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time

_• Location: NYC City Planning Commission Hearing Room, Lower Concourse, 120 Broadway, New York, NY

_• Remote: Zoom via https://www.nyc.gov/content/planning/pages/calendar

_• Call-in: 877 853 5247 US Toll-free, 888 788 0099 US Toll-free, 253 215 8782, 213 338 8477

_• Meeting ID: 618 237 7396

_• Password: 1

_• Written comments: Until 11:59 P.M. one week before vote via CPC Comments form

_• ADA: AccessibilityInfo@planning.nyc.gov or (212) 720-3366 at least five business days before

RENT GUIDELINES BOARD

_• Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026

_• Time: 9:30 A.M.

_• Location: Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street, New York, NY 10007

_• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/RentGuidelinesBoard

BROOKLYN CB18 BIN MANDATE

_• Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

_• Time: 7:00 P.M.

_• Location: 1097 Bergen Avenue and Zoom

_• Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82447288690?pwd=QRkHl8MYssaI8PlCxOcgANA61P9ehJ.1

_• Passcode: 226838

_• Webinar ID: 824 4728 8690

What This Actually Means

The city is executing a coordinated land use strategy across three boroughs in one week. In Queens, it is simultaneously taking land off the market for parks while adding density in Corona. In Staten Island, it is expanding the St. George waterfront district to allow taller towers. In Brooklyn, it is preparing to fine small landlords who don’t buy city-mandated bins.

The 40-parcel park acquisition is the biggest story. Western Queens has a park deficit of 2.5 acres per 1,000 residents, well below the city average. Acquiring these lots would be transformative, but it will also remove developable land in a housing crisis. The choice is deliberate.

The Corona rezoning is classic MIH politics. The city gets 119 units, roughly 30 of which will be permanently affordable, in exchange for a 13-story tower in a neighborhood of 3-story homes. The community facility space suggests a school or clinic sweetener.

The Staten Island upzoning shows the administration is not afraid of the waterfront. After years of fighting climate change, the city is now encouraging density on Richmond Terrace. The Special District will control design, but it will not stop the water from rising.

The Rent Guidelines Board meeting at the same time as the Queens hearing is not an accident. It is calendar management. The city knows tenants cannot be in two places at once.

Watch what happens after April 16. If the Queens BP approves the park acquisition, expect DCAS to begin title searches within 30 days. If the Corona rezoning passes CB4, it will sail through the BP and go to City Council in May. And if the RGB’s affordability study shows what we think it will show, prepare for a 3-5% rent increase proposal in June.

We will be at Kew Gardens on Thursday. You should be too, even if it’s just on YouTube.