Elmhurst Community Fears Gentrification as Queens Board Overwhelmingly Votes Against Rezoning for High-Rise Development

Community concerns are mounting in Queens as developments threaten to upend the fabric of the neighborhood, pushing out long-standing residents and small businesses. Elmhurst residents are worried that a proposed 13-story, 314-unit residential tower at 78-01 Queens Blvd. could trigger gentrification, following a decisive vote against rezoning by Queens Community Board 4, which ended with a standing tally of 30-2 in opposition according to a report by Gothamist.

The concern isn't isolated to the board, with broader fears about the effects of high-rise development on the local community which includes many Asian American small businesses and an aging population, risking displacement; "Just one high-rise development and upzoning can pave the way for more luxury housing, high-end stores that will ultimately price out our Asian American small businesses and the elderly residents that rely on those areas," Brianna Cea, a community board member, told Gothamist in their coverage of the neighborhood's issue.

Moving just a few neighborhoods over, the consequences of gentrification have already manifested for Gabrielle Musca, owner of Haus of Wax, whose lease termination echoed the fears of the Elmhurst community, echoing the narrative that personal dreams are becoming victims of progress aiming for profits over people. Musca recounted her distress upon learning her lease was cut short, "I remember being in beauty school, and I wrote down the name of my wax salon that I wanted," she reminisced in an interview with NY1, highlighting the personal significance of her business journey.

Musca's struggle is not unique as assertions of rampant displacement owing to luxury apartments and corporate chains have become increasingly common in Queens, "It’s happening all over Queens, where you know, these luxury apartment buildings, or these huge corporations that just don’t fit the neighborhood," Musca pointed out in her discussion with NY1, indicating a sharp rise in the cultural and economic upheaval pervasive in the borough.