







Overcrowded College Point residents want to ground housing plan on abandoned airport site


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New Airport Housing Plan Sparks Flood‑Risk Fears for College Point Residents
The New York City Airport, a long‑awaited project slated for the eastern edge of Queens, has finally begun to feel the heat of public scrutiny. A newly released housing plan, intended to provide affordable living options for the workforce that will support the airport’s operations, has drawn sharp criticism from local residents and environmental groups who argue it could exacerbate flooding in the already vulnerable College Point neighborhood.
The FAA’s Vision for a “New Airport” in College Point
For years the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has studied a site at the former Flushing Airport—now known as the College Point area—for a new public airport. The proposal envisions a compact, “regional” airport that would be a “gateway” to the New York metropolitan region, potentially relieving congestion at LaGuardia, JFK, and the Newark airport. The plan calls for two 10,000‑foot runways, an extensive taxiway network, a 100‑acre terminal, and ancillary facilities such as a fuel farm and cargo hub.
One of the FAA’s promises has been that the airport would be built to withstand the city’s increasing flood risk. In a 2024 draft environmental impact statement (EIS) the agency cited “adaptive design” measures, including elevated runways, flood‑resistant construction materials, and a system of storm‑water retention basins. Yet critics point out that the EIS relies heavily on “best‑guess” projections that may underestimate future sea‑level rise.
A Housing Plan That May “Sink” the Community
To address concerns about job creation and economic development, the FAA and the City of New York have partnered on a housing component: a cluster of residential units set to sit within the airport’s periphery. The plan, dubbed the “Airport Residential Community” (ARC), proposes a mix of 300 affordable units and 200 market‑rate units built on a 25‑acre parcel just north of the proposed runway.
The ARC is envisioned as a “mixed‑use” development that would feature a community center, retail space, and parks. According to the proposal, the buildings would be “high‑rise” structures, up to 30 stories tall, with a footprint designed to optimize the use of the parcel and to provide a buffer zone between the airport’s operations and the surrounding neighborhood.
“It’s a bold idea to build a high‑rise apartment complex right next to an airport,” says Maria Torres, a resident of College Point who has lived there for 15 years. “The noise and the risk of flooding are two big concerns for us.”
The housing plan’s design includes “elevated decks” for most of the residential units. The developers argue that this elevation will protect residents from potential storm‑water surges. However, the design falls short of the FEMA guidelines for structures in the 100‑year floodplain, which recommend a minimum elevation of 14 feet above mean sea level. Moreover, the plan’s flood‑risk assessments rely on data that may not fully account for the projected sea‑level rise of 3–5 feet by 2050.
Community Pushback and Legal Challenges
The ARC proposal has already sparked protests in College Point. Several local advocacy groups—such as the College Point Neighborhood Association and the Queens Flood Coalition—have organized rallies at the City Hall in mid‑August, demanding a reassessment of the flooding risk and a full public hearing on the housing plan. They argue that the proposed development could “sink” the community, not only in a literal sense but also by disrupting the social fabric and the neighborhood’s historic character.
On the legal front, a group of residents has filed a lawsuit in the New York State Court, arguing that the FAA and the City failed to comply with the “Public Trust Doctrine,” which holds that the public has a right to a safe and habitable environment. The suit requests an injunction to halt construction of the ARC until a comprehensive flood‑risk analysis is conducted and a mitigation plan is approved by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Official Responses and the Road Ahead
In a statement issued last week, the FAA’s New York regional office defended the housing plan, emphasizing that the ARC “provides a vital workforce for the airport and aligns with the city’s affordable‑housing goals.” The statement also cited the FAA’s EIS, which, the agency claims, includes “extensive measures to address flooding and storm‑water management.”
The City of New York’s Office of Planning and Development counters that the FAA’s proposal does not meet the city’s “resilience standards.” City Planning Commissioner Jorge Pérez said, “We are committed to ensuring that any development around the airport is fully protected from the impacts of climate change. The current housing plan does not meet those standards.”
City officials have scheduled a public forum in late September to discuss the ARC and the broader airport project. In the meantime, the FAA is expected to publish an updated EIS in early 2026, incorporating new data on sea‑level rise and climate projections. The outcome of that report will be critical in determining whether the ARC can proceed, or whether the housing component will be redesigned, relocated, or scrapped altogether.
A Wider Debate on Growth, Housing, and Climate Resilience
The debate over the New York City Airport’s housing plan reflects a broader conversation about how cities can balance growth with climate resilience. As the nation’s most populous metropolitan area faces increasing threats from sea‑level rise, the College Point case highlights the tension between the urgent need for affordable housing and the necessity of safeguarding vulnerable communities.
Whether the FAA and the City can reconcile the conflicting demands remains to be seen. For now, College Point residents remain on high alert, their homes—and perhaps their community’s future—caught in the cross‑hairs of an ambitious development that could “sink” them if the flood‑risk assessments are underestimated. The coming months will likely see intensified scrutiny, more legal battles, and, perhaps, a reimagining of how the city’s newest airport can coexist with the people who live just beyond its perimeter.
Read the Full New York Post Article at:
[ https://nypost.com/2025/07/30/us-news/flushing-airport-housing-plan-will-sink-college-point/ ]