The plan to turn the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center into a revitalized mixed-use campus took a big hit last week.
Empire State Development and local officials in Queens announced a deal last week to cut the number of housing units proposed for the long-vacant site, the Queens Daily Eagle reported. Negotiations between the two sides stemmed from opposition about the density of the state’s project.
Originally slated for more than 2,800 homes, the compromise cuts roughly 850 units from the proposal. A majority of the units in the development were earmarked for ownership, while hundreds were rentals. The reduction leaves slightly more than 2,000 units in the plan.
Five of the planned eight-story buildings were also axed from the proposal. The agreement will lead to a 27 percent decrease in overall unit square footage and a 15 percent reduction in units allocated for individuals with mental illnesses.
“We believe these adjustments demonstrate our commitment to create a project that responds to comments expressed by yourselves and community members and that provides housing which will enable young adults to stay in their neighborhoods with their family support system, allow seniors to age in place, and create new homeownership opportunities,” said ESD chief executive officer Hope Knight.
It’s not immediately clear how other parts of the original proposal — retail space, an early childhood center, an older-adult facility and a school — will be affected by the downsized scale of the project.
Gov. Kathy Hocul initially unveiled plans for the redevelopment at the end of 2023, a sprawling 58-acre project to replace vacant land, buildings and parking lots.
Creedmoor dates back to 1912, when it opened as a satellite facility of Brooklyn State Hospital. It started as a psychiatric “farm colony” where patients took part in daily work as part of a therapy regimen.
The full campus spans 125 acres. Most of its buildings — 19 out of 25 — are vacant. Various state-led agencies are expected to continue providing services to patients on the remaining 67 acres at Creedmoor.
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