Council subcommittee approves Broadway Junction Herkimer‑Williams redevelopment and Francis Lewis overlay

The New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted to approve a package of land‑use items affecting East New York and Queens, including a large redevelopment in Broadway Junction and a commercial overlay in Queens.

Council Member Kevin Riley, chair of the subcommittee, said the panel would vote on two proposals and described LU 434–438, the Herkimer‑Williams project, as a redevelopment of four blocks in the Broadway Junction area of East New York that would create four buildings totaling more than 1,000,000 square feet of floor area, nearly 1,000 residential units, commercial and light industrial uses, possible community facility space, and about 20,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space. "The proposed development consists of 4 buildings with over 1,000,000 square feet of floor area that will consist of almost 1,000 residential units," Riley said.

Riley outlined the zoning actions in the package: a zoning map amendment to change M1‑2 and M1‑6 districts to C6‑4, a zoning text amendment to establish a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) area coterminous with the proposed C6‑4 district and to modify contiguity rules for large‑scale general developments, special permits to establish a large‑scale general development and to allow Use Group 6 retail over 10,000 square feet, and an acquisition/site selection action for a privately owned lot.

On MIH, the subcommittee agreed to modify the MIH level related to the Herkimer‑Williams application by striking MIH option 2 and adding MIH option 3, as Riley described. The chair also said the panel would approve LU 439, a private application to create a C1‑2 commercial overlay at 18‑15 Francis Lewis Boulevard in Queens.

Riley noted that the applicant for LU 447 (LaDive Café) had withdrawn the revocable consent application; DOT received the withdrawal in a letter dated 12/05/2025 and the applicant confirmed the withdrawal to counsel on 12/09/2025. "Therefore, it is recommended that we approve a motion to file for LU 447," Riley said; the subcommittee adopted the motion to file that item.

Before the roll call, Riley also announced two citywide franchise resolutions—resolution 1109 (extension of the public communications structure franchise) and resolution 1157 (extension of the coordinated street furniture franchise)—would be laid over and not voted on at this meeting.

The chair called for the roll. Council Member Kevin Riley, and Council Members Moya, Abreu, Schulman, Carr and Salam recorded their votes in favor. Chair Riley announced, "By a vote of 6 in the affirmative, 0 abstentions and no opposition, these LU items are approved as stated by the chair." The meeting was then adjourned.

The approvals modify the MIH option for the Herkimer‑Williams package and clear the described zoning and permit actions for the project and the Francis Lewis Boulevard overlay; the laid‑over franchise resolutions were not acted on. No additional procedural steps or implementation dates were announced during the subcommittee meeting.