QUEENS, NY – Wednesday, the New York City Council approved the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, bringing to life a comprehensive vision for Downtown Jamaica and surrounding neighborhoods in Southeast Queens. This marks a major milestone in the community’s long-awaited push for investment, access, and a neighborhood that works for the people who already call it home.
“This day is deeply meaningful for the people of Southeast Queens,” said Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams, who represents District 27, where this plan will bring new housing, upgraded streets, and vital community resources. “For far too long, our community has been asked to wait to be seen and supported. But today, that wait is over.”
The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan is more than a rezoning. For over two years, residents shared their hopes and concerns in church basements, community centers, multilingual town halls, forums, and a youth symposium, shaping a plan grounded in their lived experience. “This is community-driven development in action. Today, we are delivering on a long-standing promise: a walkable, vibrant downtown where people can live, work, and play. We are proving that Southeast Queens deserves more than promises. We deserve progress,” the Council Member added.
Under the plan:
- Nearly 12,000 new homes will be created, including 3,800 permanently affordable units, the largest Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) zone ever mapped in New York City.
- Jobs and small business support will be a key component of the redevelopment, reinforcing a downtown that’s vibrant and walkable, not just a place to pass through.
- Over $700 million in infrastructure and community investments have been secured, including commitments through the “City of Yes” to deliver safer streets, modernized schools, upgraded parks and playgrounds, expanded healthcare access, workforce programs, small business support, and more.
“From bustling storefronts to busy train lines, Jamaica is exactly where our city should be building new housing and creating new jobs. For too long, the neighborhood’s outdated zoning code has made it harder to do both; but today, we changed that,” said Mayor Adams. “With the historic passage of our administration’s ‘Jamaica Neighborhood Plan,’ we have opened the door to thousands of new homes, thousands of new jobs, and delivered hundreds of millions of dollars for new infrastructure. When it comes to housing, our administration has done more than just talk about it; we’ve passed historic zoning reforms, invested record amounts of money into affordable housing, and opened the door to 426,000 homes for New Yorkers. Thanks to these efforts and more, we are proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history.”
Recognizing that true change requires accountability, the plan also establishes the Downtown Jamaica Oversight Task Force, an independent body charged with ensuring transparency, collaboration, and sustained community voice. “Long after my time in office, residents will still have the power to track progress and hold the city accountable,” said Council Member Williams. “That is what lasting change looks like.”
Thank you to the Department of City Planning, Speaker Adrienne Adams’ office, our Land Use team, colleagues, and, most importantly, the residents, advocates, and community leaders who never gave up on Jamaica. “Today, we are proving what happens when a city listens to its people, when government and community work together, and when we dare to believe every neighborhood deserves investment, beauty, and hope.”
