Bloomberg praises Astoria rezoning

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden are celebrating the City Council’s approval of a rezoning plan for Astoria, Queens. The plan, which covers approximately 240 blocks in the neighborhood, will allow for an increase in residential and commercial density in some areas, which supporters say will increase the number of opportunities to build affordable housing. The area is boarded by 20th Avenue and Broadway, and Vernon Boulevard and the East River. The previous zoning was outdated and did not allow for adequate development, Bloomberg said. “The rezoning of Astoria… [provides] opportunities for mixed-income housing and new job growth,” Bloomberg said. TRD