NYC In Focus

Documents reviewed by NYC In Focus show Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is holding a virtual public hearing at 9:30 a.m. TODAY, Thursday, April 16, 2026, on the largest parkland acquisition in western Queens in a decade and a 13-story Corona tower.

The applications — ULURP #260089 PCQ for the 40-parcel park acquisition and ULURP #260147 ZMQ / N260148 ZRQ for the Corona rezoning — represent the culmination of a coordinated four-day land use blitz that has seen votes in Williamsburg, Bay Ridge, Carroll Gardens, and Staten Island.

Independent analysis confirms this is the final major ULURP action before the Rent Guidelines Board preliminary vote and the city budget deadline. The city has pushed through rezonings in four boroughs in 96 hours.

This is the week that will reshape Queens for the next generation.

The 40-Parcel Acquisition: From LIC to Maspeth

The centerpiece is the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and Department of Parks and Recreation application to acquire more than 40 properties across Queens Community District 2 for park use.

The April 16 filing reconfirms the full parcel list:

Long Island City core: 47 Avenue (Block 28, Lots 12, 15, 18, 121), 10-38 45th Road (Block 49, Lot 35), 42-50 24th Street (Block 428, Lot 1), 12-12 43rd Avenue (Block 443, Lot 14)

Dutch Kills / Queens Plaza: 31-21 Thomson Avenue, 30-02 Skillman Avenue, 31-10 Queens Boulevard, 43-10 Van Dam Street

Sunnyside: 31-09 and 31-07 Starr Avenue, 52-24 34th Street, 34-10 Borden Avenue, 37th Street

Northern Boulevard corridor: 55-02 Northern Boulevard, 57-14 Northern Boulevard, 60-20 Northern Boulevard, 57-05 Broadway, 56-02 Broadway

Queens Boulevard spine: 39-02, 56-07, 57-07, 57-17, 68-15, 48-02, and 70-50 Queens Boulevard

Woodside / Maspeth fringe: 37-36 56th Street, 41-10 70th Street, 40-25 61st Street, 53-10 and 53-20 46th Street, 44-23 54th Avenue, 46-49 53rd Avenue, 54-12 48th Street, 48-26 54th Road

This is not a single park. This is a distributed network of pocket parks, greenways, and potential future linear park along Queens Boulevard. The city is assembling privately owned lots that are currently auto shops, storage yards, and vacant land.

The application is pursuant to Section 197-c, requiring full ULURP review. If approved today, it goes to City Planning Commission in May and City Council in June. DCAS would then begin eminent domain proceedings, a process that could take 2-3 years and cost $50-75 million.

Corona Tower: 47-03 108th Street

The second item is the 108 Realty Group Inc. application to rezone 47-03 108th Street in Corona from R6B to R7X with a C2-4 overlay and MIH.

The proposal would allow a 13-story, 119-unit mixed-use development with approximately 90,000 square feet of residential, 8,700 square feet of commercial, and 17,700 square feet of community facility space.

R6B is a contextual district limited to 4-5 stories. R7X allows up to 14 stories with inclusionary housing. The site is in Community District 4, one of the most overcrowded and rent-burdened areas in the city.

The community facility space suggests a school or medical clinic, a common sweetener for controversial upzonings. The 36 affordable units would be permanently affordable at 60% AMI.

Today’s Hearing: Last Chance to Testify

QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT PUBLIC HEARING

_• Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026

_• Time: 9:30 A.M. (LIVE NOW)

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

_• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@queensbp

_• Preregister: https://www.queensbp.nyc.gov/ or (718) 286-2922

_• Written testimony deadline: 5:00 P.M. TODAY

_• Email: planning2@queensbp.nyc.gov

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

The Four-Day Sprint: What Happened

Monday, April 13: Brooklyn BP heard 200 Kent Avenue (Williamsburg 14-story, 143 units)

Tuesday, April 14: City Council voted Bay Ridge (9201 4th Ave) and Carroll Gardens (46 Nelson St)

Wednesday, April 15: City Planning Commission heard Staten Island waterfront (198-208 Richmond Terrace)

Thursday, April 16 (TODAY): Queens BP votes 40-parcel parks and Corona tower

Independent analysis confirms the city has advanced rezonings affecting more than 500 housing units and 40 acres of parkland in four days. This is unprecedented speed for ULURP, which typically takes 6-8 months per application.

What This Actually Means

The 40-parcel acquisition is the most significant parks initiative in Queens since the 1939 World’s Fair. Western Queens has 2.5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, compared to the citywide average of 4.5 acres. Acquiring these lots would close that gap.

However, the city is choosing parks over housing at a time when Queens needs 20,000 new units to meet demand. The lots on Queens Boulevard and Northern Boulevard could accommodate 2,000-3,000 apartments if rezoned for housing. Instead, they will become open space.

The Corona tower is classic MIH politics. The city gets 119 units, 30 affordable, in exchange for tripling the height limit. The neighborhood is 80% renters with a median income of $45,000. The affordable units will rent for $1,200-1,500, still out of reach for many current residents.

The timing is deliberate. By holding all four hearings in one week, the city ensures that community groups cannot attend all of them. It also buries the news — no single rezoning gets sustained media attention.

Watch what happens after 5 p.m. today. If the Queens BP approves, expect DCAS to begin title searches within 30 days. If the BP disapproves, the applications still proceed to CPC but with a negative recommendation. The BP’s vote is advisory but influential.

We will be watching the YouTube livestream. You should too.