Preceding the full City Council vote on Astoria Cove, the Land Use Committee signed off on the controversial 1,700-unit mixed-use project.
The Council is expected to follow suit in granting its final approval. Alma Realty, the lead developer, agreed Tuesday night to increase the portion of affordable units to 27 percent from 20, as previously reported. Council members who voted in favor of the project today expressed concerns that there will still not be enough affordable housing.
“Astoria Cove will bring much needed infrastructure, housing, retail, jobs and economic development to transform an isolated and underutilized area of Western Queens,” Alma’s John Mavroudis said in a statement. “It is an excellent project for the city and the community. This has been a very engaging process and we look forward to the next stage and then moving ahead with construction.”
The City Planning Commission passed the project in September, when 20 percent of the housing was to be designated affordable.
“We have an agreement here at Astoria Cove that truly integrates this development into our community,” Council member Costa Constantinides told the Journal. [WSJ] — Mark Maurer