Protect Ethnic Enclaves
By Trevor Lam
If you grew up in Northern Queens, you’d understand the importance of the 7 train. It is the only subway line serving the predominantly Hispanic area of Corona and the predominantly Asian area of Flushing. However, you’ll notice something unusual with the demographic of riders during the first week of every September—the subway car, which is typically overcrowded with working-class Asian and Hispanic immigrants, is filled with affluent New York City transplants who wouldn’t dare to travel farther than the trendy restaurants of Downtown Brooklyn, let alone the ethnic enclaves of Northern Queens. If you’re wondering where they’re heading, they’re going to the US Open in Corona Park, where tickets cost thousands of dollars. This exemplifies the city’s disregard for deteriorating minority communities while continuously catering to the elite. Instead of investing in services that benefit the people living in these communities, the city and private developers focus on gentrifying these areas to attract those with deep pockets.
The History and Demographic Changes of Flushing
From the perspective of an urban planner, Flushing is ideal for development projects—the area is a ten-minute drive away from LaGuardia Airport and is adjacent to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. However, this isn’t the first time Flushing has undergone gentrification. Before the 1980s, Flushing was a predominantly white area that was declining in quality. Then, the area saw an influx of Taiwanese immigrants for whom Flushing was a more desirable area than Manhattan’s Chinatown because the distance allowed the wealthy Taiwanese immigrants to separate themselves from the working-class Chinese immigrants. Using their fortunes from Taiwan, the immigrants redeveloped the area by constructing businesses and buildings that resembled their old homes, eventually earning the nickname “Little Taipei.” This eventually caused a white flight defined as “the departure of white residents from urban communities as the population of minority residents increases” by Weishan Huang, a professor teaching immigration and globalization at Hong Kong Shue Yan University (Huang 58). Huang’s article, “Immigration and Gentrification—a Case Study of Cultural Restructuring in Flushing, Queens,” analyzes the change in demographics and economics in the area. Her research illustrates the rise in median rent and home prices from 2000–2006. Median rent prices increased by 39%, from $832 to $1,160, and median home prices increased by 99%, from $269,043 to $535,700. Flushing hasn’t seen a dramatic increase in median rent and home prices since 2006, which is bound to happen with the construction of luxury condos, malls, and a casino.
Gentrification Projects
In 2019, the Queens Community Board 7 (QCB7), the local board representing Flushing, Whitestone, Bayside, and Willets Point, voted on the construction of the Special Flushing Waterfront District (SFWD), a plan to construct luxury condos, hotels, retail space, and office facilities. The plan was passed in a 30–8 vote by the skewed community board, a predominantly white board representing a predominantly Asian community. Daniel Iskhakov, an employee at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, noted this flawed representation in his article “Community Engagement in New York City Land Use Approval: Special Flushing Waterfront District as a Case Study.” Additionally, Ishakov writes about a scandal that took place during the hearings:
Choe stated that he used his power on the board to influence other members to vote in favor of development projects he is affiliated with. On June 14, 2021, QCB7 voted in favor of creating a special committee to investigate the allegations (Murray 2021) ... On August 6, 2021, QCB7 voted 39 to 3 to remove Choe from the board after finding just cause to expel him, even though Choe had extensive evidence rebutting the allegations (Mohamed 2021) (Ishakov 17).
His article also discusses how community groups protested by attending hearings to voice their opposition. They were able to force private developers to include more affordable housing units and hire unionized workers for construction. However, Iskhakov argues that this small victory won’t be able to reverse the devastating effects of gentrification in Flushing.
In addition to the Special Flushing Waterfront District, the Citi Field Casino is another development project threatening the community. In the fall of 2023, Steven Cohen, owner of the New York Mets, proposed constructing a seventy-eight-acre complex consisting of a hotel, casino, and entertainment venue. Cohen is currently seeking approval for the project from state senators, Queens council members, Mayor Eric Adams, and Governor Kathy Hochul. Although neither Mayor Adams nor Governor Hochul has officially expressed their support for Cohen’s proposal, it’s important to note that they have a close relationship—Cohen donated $1.5 million to Adams’s mayoral campaign in 2021 (Campanile). However, it can easily be assumed that the proposal will be approved because Mayor Adams and the city council recently approved the construction of a stadium for the New York City Football Club (NYCFC), New York’s first stadium designated for soccer, in Willets Point. If the proposal is passed, the complex will be built on the parking lot surrounding Citi Field and fifty acres of public parkland on the bank of Flushing Creek. Cohen argues this project will bring new jobs and economic prosperity to Flushing. However, community groups, like the Flushing Anti-Displacement Alliance (FADA) and Flushing for Equitable Development and Urban Planning (FED UP), refute his claims by arguing that the complex will cause home prices to skyrocket, displace working-class families, and cause gambling addictions. Along with the social issues, there are also urban and environmental issues, such as increased congestion and carbon emissions. Cohen failed to acknowledge these issues, let alone offer any solutions.
As previously mentioned, the city council approved the construction of New York’s first stadium designated for soccer on April 11, 2024. The NYCFC, which currently plays at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, will relocate to the newly constructed venue directly opposite Citi Field. During a press conference addressing the Willets Point development project on November 16, 2022, Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz detailed the prospective benefits of the stadium. She said:
We are excited to work with the community, local council members, and development partners to deliver the largest 100-percent affordable new construction project in 40 years with 2,500 new homes. Alongside the new stadium, open space, and local jobs that this project will bring, we are building new housing to ensure that all New Yorkers have a place they can afford and raise their families.
The stadium may bring “open space,” “local jobs,” and “new housing” for New Yorkers. However, it won’t be a place “they can afford and raise their families.” The issue with affordable housing is that it’s not easily accessible for most New Yorkers. According to a report by the Community Service Society (CSS), about three-quarters of affordable housing is unaffordable to New Yorkers. Once the project is finished, Willets Point will be an extremely desirable area, which means the starting price for affordable housing units will be high. Additionally, the stadium and other development projects will overshadow Flushing and Corona. If the city is successful with the project, the city council might consider expanding the project to adjacent areas, pushing current residents out of their homes.
A Serviceable Alternative to These Projects
Instead of privatizing public parkland, the Flushing Anti-Displacement Alliance and the Flushing for Equitable Development and Urban Planning propose constructing a public-funded park called Phoenix Meadows—named after the mythical bird that rises from the ashes. The park would revitalize deserted and polluted land by building amenities for the community, such as bike paths, food stalls, and space for recreational sports.
Community organizers are pushing for this proposal to rival Steven Cohen’s proposed casino complex. Cohen acknowledges the communal benefits of Phoenix Meadows, but he argues the casino will be more beneficial for the community because it brings more jobs. However, the casino will only profit from these jobs and drain economic activity from small businesses in Flushing and Corona. Unlike Cohen’s proposal, the proposal for Phoenix Meadows includes environmental and urban impacts. In an interview for the Queens Daily Eagle, Rebecca Pryor, Executive Director of the Guardians of Flushing Bay, details the environmental effects of Phoenix Meadows. She says:
The idea is that you build parking garages, two to three stories, with the exact same amount of parking that is right now, no net loss, no net gain of parking, same traffic flow, and you build a huge park on top of that parking, you hide the parking with the park . . . It [Cohen’s casino proposal] doubles the number of parking spaces in an area that has some of the highest levels of air toxicity from traffic in the nation (Schwach).
These new attractions pollute and worsen the lives of those living in neighboring areas to the casino. Why should the residents of Flushing and Corona have to suffer? So New York’s elite can have a space to gamble away their money?
Unfortunately, Phoenix Meadows doesn’t have nearly enough support from important state politicians as Cohen’s casino. So far, Councilman Francisco Moya and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards have explicitly expressed their support for Cohen’s casino.
The Real Price of Living in Flushing
As a first-generation Chinese American who grew up in Flushing, I witnessed the changes in the urban landscape—from the small Asian-owned businesses that were forcibly closed because of rising rent to the construction of luxury private developments. A recent example of gentrification is the closure of New Flushing Bakery. The bakery, which was beloved by the Flushing foodie community, served one of the best Chinese-style egg tarts in New York City. Every day, I used to buy myself an egg tart after school, so seeing the bakery close this past fall was heartbreaking. Although it’s unclear whether higher rent prices were the main reason for their decision, it can be assumed that it was a factor. In a report by Ethan Marshall for QNS, rental prices in Flushing grew from $2,887 to $3,493 (an increase of 21%) from December 2022 to December 2023. To put that into perspective, rent prices were $1,160 in 2006, which means it took sixteen years for the prices to increase by $1,727 (an increase of about $107.94 per year) and one year for the prices to increase by $606.
Another example of a new private development project intruding on Flushing residents is the construction of One Flushing. The building opened in 2019 and was built on a municipal parking lot. The lot was a go-to parking lot for thousands of Queens residents, including my father. The project developers, Monadnock Development, and former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio stated the building would have two hundred thirty-one affordable housing units, retail, and office space (Mohamed). According to NYC Housing Connect, rent prices were relatively affordable when the building first opened: a studio apartment was $865 per month, and a three-bedroom apartment was $1,289 per month. The annual household income to qualify for these units ranges from $31,543 to $43,860 for a studio and $46,732 to $56,340 for a three-bedroom apartment. Now, the rental price for a studio apartment is up to $1,884 according to RentCafe. In an area with a median annual household income of $62,776, charging $1,884 per month for a studio apartment is unaffordable for low-income families.
It’s tragic to witness the gentrification of Flushing. Casinos, entertainment venues, and luxury condos displace working-class families because they can’t afford to live there anymore. The New York City Council and private developers promise economic prosperity. However, these developments will lead to the demise of ethnic enclaves. Protesting against these projects protects the sanctity of these communities. If politicians truly wanted to help the residents of Flushing and Corona, they would support Phoenix Meadows. It’s important to remember that politicians work for the people and not vice versa, so community residents need to make their voices heard because silence is complicity to gentrification.
SPRING 2025
Bibliography
Editor’s note: This piece was submitted to REFRACT in May 2024.
Illustrations were done in collaboration with the New Media Artspace at Baruch College. The New Media Artspace is a teaching exhibition space in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Baruch College. Housed in the Newman Library, the New Media Artspace showcases curated experimental media and interdisciplinary artworks by international artists, students, alumni, and faculty. Special thanks to docent Anika Rios for creating artwork for this piece.
Visit the New Media Artspace at http://www.newmediartspace.info/