Willets Point

Organization Name: S9 Architecture

Project Title: Willets Point

Project Location: Willets Point, Queens

Project Description:
S9 Architecture created the master plan and designed the first three mixed-use residential buildings for the new Willets Point, a ground-up neighborhood in northern Queens. Phase 1 features 1,100 units of 100% affordable housing for the new neighborhood which will ultimately include 2,500 new homes. The first phase comprises three 12-story buildings, each with ground-floor retail and community space. Buildings 1 and 2 will provide 880 permanently affordable rental units; building 3 will provide 220 studio and one-bedroom units designated for low-income seniors under the City’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) program. All residents will enjoy interior amenities on the ground level, inner courtyards, an outdoor lounge and a community garden on the roof. The buildings will be all-electric, LEED Gold certified, and feature high-efficiency systems. Willets Point will also include new hotel development, a new sports stadium, retail, office space, a school, and publicly accessible green space. The master plan includes the addition of new streets and utility services and is designed using pedestrian-centric urban planning principles.

Community Impact:
Willets Point represents the City's most ambitious development in decades. Once a derelict patchwork of junkyards lacking even sewers or sidewalks, S9’s master plan and Phase 1 transform this long-overlooked area into an entirely new fully resilient, interconnected neighborhood.
The 1,100 100% affordable units will profoundly improve housing options in Queens, creating a diverse community with units that prioritize renters of all types. Each building fosters sense of place through extensive amenities, courtyards, and rooftop gardens. The scale, materials, and palette respond to their context, helping the neighborhood growth feel organic.

Beyond residential, Willets Point centers retail, public space, and community uses needed to make a neighborhood thrive. New streets and infrastructure, designed with pedestrian-friendly principles, will ensure the area is walkable, accessible, and equitable. Future phases will add more benefits, including a school, parks, utilities, MLS stadium, and more housing. Developed with Community Boards, NYCEDC, NYC Football Club and Queens Development Group, Willets Point is a groundbreaking project that will have a monumental impact on livability in the city.

Organization Description:
S9 Architecture is a New York City-based firm dedicated to designing spaces, buildings, and neighborhoods that respectfully integrate and enhance communities and cities. S9's designs are specific to their micro-geographies and designed to enhance them. Through site analyses, historical and physical investigations, and studies of local communities and cultures, we design projects that are authentic, additive, and transformative while also fitting into the local urban context.

Team Members:

NYC Community Board
NYC EDC
NYC Football Club
Queens Development Group