Astoria Cove Gets Final Approval

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The final decision for Astoria Cove has rested on the shoulders of the City Council – and yesterday, they released their final vote: A unanimous yes.

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Councilman Costa Constantinides posted this on his Facebook page after the decision,

“I am proud that today, the full City Council voted unanimously to approve the Astoria Cove project. Residential development in the 21st Century must be innovative, contextual, and inclusive of its community. I am proud to have reached this goal. For the first time in City history, the developer will be required, by law, to provide permanently affordable housing that is within the reach of Astorians. In one of the largest agreements on affordable housing in city history, a record 27% of the development will be permanently reserved for low- and middle-income households. The development will also use a fully unionized workforce, bringing good jobs in an area that needs them. This agreement shows what we can achieve when the private and public sectors work together. This agreement provides real benefits to the neighborhood and will help further link our booming communities along the East River. I thank Mayor de Blasio, Borough President Melinda Katz, Council Speaker Mark-Viverito, and all my colleagues in the City Council including Council Members Greenfield and Weprin, for their dedication. I am deeply honored to have had partners in these negotiations to build a better connected, and more affordable, City of New York.”

We are interested to see how this progresses. Astoria Cove aims to be a development that moves Astoria forward in terms of housing, but also aims to set a precedent for mass affordable housing. We hope that it lives up to these goals, and that the developers stay true to their aims.