
A rendering of 145-93 Guy Brewer Boulevard. Image Credit: NYC CPC.
The eight-story building would be adjacent to mostly two-story homes. On February 16, 2022, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application that would facilitate the construction of a new mixed-use residential and commercial building at 146-93 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard. The proposed rezoning area consists of the entire eastern-facing side of Guy R. Brewer Boulevard between 146th Terrace to the north and 147th Avenue to the south. The proposed project site is a vacant lot that formerly had a gas station on the south east corner of Guy R. Brewer Boulevard and 147th Avenue. The applicant, Ranbir LLC, is represented by Sheldon Lobel, PC. (more…)

A rendering of 145-93 Guy Brewer Boulevard. Image Credit: NYC CPC.
On March 16, 2022, the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application that would facilitate the construction of an eight-story mixed use building at 146-93 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard in Springfield Gardens, Queens. The building will be on the site of a vacant lot, which was formerly a gas station several decades ago. (more…)

- South Jamaica Proposed Rezoning. Image: Courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning.
Contextual rezoning would impact 538 blocks in South Jamaica. On May 4, 2011, the City Council’s Land Use Committee approved a Department of City Planning proposal to rezone South Jamaica and portions of Springfield Gardens and St. Albans in southeast Queens. The 538-block rezoning area is generally bounded by Liberty Avenue and South Road to the north, North Conduit to the south, Merrick and Springfield Boulevards to the east, and the Van Wyck Expressway to the west. Planning also proposed a zoning text amendment to expand the City’s FRESH program to commercial and manufacturing districts within the rezoning area and other portions of Queens Community District 12. The FRESH program offers incentives to encourage the development of grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods.
South Jamaica is a residential neighborhood characterized by one- and two-family detached houses, with small pockets of one- and two-family semi-attached and attached houses and multi-family buildings. Approximately 97 percent of the study area is zoned R3-2 and R4. These zoning districts permit a variety of housing types at densities that are inconsistent with the neighborhood’s built character. (more…)
Approval marks the fourth Queens down-zoning in 2005. The City Council voted unanimously to down-zone 40 blocks of Kissena Park, making it the fourth neighborhood in Queens to be rezoned by the Council in 2005.
The Kissena Park down-zoning responded to residents’ concerns over the demolition of structurally sound single-family homes and the construction of out-of-character developments in their neighborhood. As-of-right development within the 40 blocks will now be restricted to one or two-family homes. (more…)
Springfield Gardens residents petitioned City to initiate down-zoning. On April 12, 2005, the City Council down-zoned 68 blocks of Springfield Gardens, Queens, completing a three-year process initiated by a local community group, the United Neighbors Civic Association.
Concerned about the proliferation of multi-family apartment buildings replacing small, single-family homes, members of United Neighbors canvassed Springfield Gardens with a petition requesting that the City down-zone the neighborhood to hinder future demolition. Acting on the request, the Planning Department found that although the area’s zoning permitted large-scale, multifamily units with a 35-foot height limit, 97 percent of Springfield Gardens contained one and two-family homes, which created an incentive to demolish existing homes. (more…)