Willets Point’s big housing gamble is finally getting its first real test: people moving in. Phase One of Willets Point Commons is now complete, with two 12‑story residential towers opening next to Citi Field and delivering 880 income‑restricted apartments. Move‑ins are slated to begin this month. The project, led by Queens Development Group — a joint venture between Related Companies and Sterling Equities — is the first visible piece of a larger plan that aims to bring 2,500 affordable homes, a new school, parks and a soccer stadium to the long‑contested corner of Queens.
City and neighbors mark the milestone
City officials and developers cut the ribbon last Monday, celebrating what many locals framed as the turning of a very long page on the “Iron Triangle,” according to the Queens Daily Eagle. Community board members and borough leaders stressed that these first buildings are just the opening act in a broader neighborhood rebuild. Attendees said the new public plaza and streetscape upgrades already feel like a different world compared to the area’s former industrial stretch.
Phase One delivers 880 all‑affordable homes
According to the New York City Housing Development Corporation, all 880 apartments are designated as affordable, reserved for households earning between 30 and 120 percent of area median income. The buildings include set‑asides for residents of Queens Community Board 7, veterans and municipal employees, along with units specifically designed for mobility, visual and hearing accessibility needs. Move‑ins are scheduled to start this month, and Related Management Company will handle property management. City partners and the developers also underscored that the site underwent extensive soil remediation and infrastructure work before anyone could safely unpack a moving box.
Design and amenities
The two new buildings, designed by S9Architecture, use red and earth‑toned brick at the lower levels with gray paneling above, along with upper‑story setbacks and planted green roofs that connect to landscaped common areas, as reported by New York YIMBY. Residents will have access to a community garden, multiple courtyards, tenant lounges, a fitness center, a children’s playroom, coworking space and ground‑floor retail meant to serve the emerging neighborhood. Developers say the amenity package and green roofs are intended to boost quality of life for tenants and spark street‑level activity around the new plaza.
What’s next for Willets Point
Officials say construction is already underway on Building 3, a project that will add 220 affordable senior apartments and complete the Phase One housing commitment. Later phases are expected to bring the total to 2,500 affordable homes and add a 650‑seat school, open space, more retail, a hotel and Etihad Park, planned as the home stadium of New York City FC, according to NYCEDC. The overall plan includes large‑scale environmental cleanup, raised streets to help address flood risk and infrastructure upgrades designed to support the future residents and businesses the city hopes to attract. Developers also pointed to the financing packages that helped close out Phase One construction costs.
The affordable housing lottery for the initial 880 units closed in March after an “astonishing number” of applicants, according to a March press release from the NYCHDC. Applications were submitted through NYC Housing Connect. City agencies and Queens Development Group are directing prospective tenants and neighbors to the official Willets Point project sites for updates on move‑in timing and future project phases.
