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Today, the southern end of Steinway Street is dominated by parking lots, underutilized industrial and commercial buildings, and vacant spaces.

Four years of dialogue with neighborhood civic leaders, cultural institutions, small businesses, non-profits and residents has resulted in a vision for an inclusive, neighborhood-focused, mixed-use creative district that builds on Astoria's rich cultural fabric and will deliver meaningful economic opportunity at a critical time.

Innovation QNS will soon reactivate this corner of Astoria as a bustling hub of activity by expanding the neighboring Kaufman Arts District and building on existing cultural assets like the Museum of the Moving Image and the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts with:

Two acres of open space – more than 25% of the project site – with lawns, performance space, a playground and a dog park, as well as enhanced streetscapes and hundreds of new trees;
A community hub that will provide a new home for long-time community-serving nonprofit organizations;
200,000 square feet of neighborhood-serving shops, restaurants and entertainment that complement existing small businesses, including a new state-of-the-art cinema;
Health and wellness facilities tailored to meet the needs of area residents;
2,845 mixed-income apartments, including some 1,100 permanently affordable and senior apartments – more than 500 of which will be available at the most deeply affordable "extremely low-income" band (30% AMI); and
250,000 square feet of space for small businesses, startups and nonprofits in the creative industries.