WXY has worked with the landowners, Plaxall Inc., to develop a master plan on a 12-acre site around Anable Basin in Long Island City that would become the core area of a new special district. Plaxall, which runs a plastics factory on the site and has cultivated light industrial, artisanal and tech uses in its other buildings around the basin, is seeking an ambitious re-zoning that would create a new mixed-use district at the waterfront.

The resulting rezoning proposal would create a mixed-use district with leasable space for production and light industrial uses for artisans, tech-startups, and other creative fields, significantly stimulating the job market for the surrounding community. The new development also allows for the establishment of more than 4,000 residential units, of which at least 25% would be dedicated to affordable housing in order to honor the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.

The proposal also calls for the addition of a new public school to be built several blocks from the rezoning area. WXY has been working with the Plaxall team and land use attorneys to develop the special district zoning text and the required ULURP materials.

To activate the East River waterfront and address resiliency concerns, the Anable Basin development will introduce over 3 acres of open space, creating a bi-level esplanade that will wrap around the Basin with pedestrian lanes and space for kayak docks. The esplanade will not only act as a vital connection linking the parks along the Western Queens waterfront, but will also provide important flood resiliency infrastructure for the new neighborhood.