There’s a stretch of Queens — and Brooklyn — that locals call “The Hole.” The name says it all: a low-lying, perpetually flooded neighborhood along the border of the two boroughs, near the Jewel Streets area of South Ozone Park and East New York. For generations, residents here have lived without city sewer connections, watching stormwater pool in the streets after every rain. Now, that’s officially changing — and 2026 is the year the formal land-use process kicks into gear.
The Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan
Mayor Eric Adams unveiled the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan in October 2025, and it’s one of the most ambitious local planning efforts Queens has seen in years. The plan targets the Jewel Streets area — named for streets like Ruby, Pearl, Amber, and Crystal — and surrounding blocks in the Jamaica Bay watershed, with three major goals: fix the flooding, build affordable homes, and improve transportation infrastructure.
The rezoning needed to make this happen will enter the formal Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in 2026, with the city planning to certify land use applications and launch the environmental review process. That’s the official public process where community boards, the Queens Borough President, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council all weigh in — meaning Queens residents will have real opportunities to shape what gets built.
Thousands of New Homes on the Table
If the rezoning clears the approval process, the city is projecting creation of approximately 3,600 new homes in the Jewel Streets area, along with new retail and community spaces along Linden Boulevard. On a 17-acre city-owned site within the plan area, up to 1,400 new affordable and mixed-income homes are planned — including units with homeownership opportunities, which is relatively rare in large-scale city housing plans.
The city’s Economic Development Corporation is managing the site selection process for the pump station and bluebelt infrastructure needed to handle drainage, and those acquisitions are being advanced alongside the rezoning application.
Linden Boulevard Is Getting a Redesign
Alongside the housing work, Linden Boulevard itself is in line for a significant upgrade in 2026. The Department of Transportation is implementing corridor-wide improvements including intersection redesigns, bus lane enhancements, and new protections for cyclists and pedestrians. It’s being treated as a Vision Zero corridor, meaning the priority is reducing speeding and improving safety for everyone who uses the road — not just drivers.
For Queens residents who commute along this stretch, the changes mean some short-term disruption but a considerably safer and more efficient corridor once the work is complete. The bus lane enhancements in particular could meaningfully speed up transit times for riders on that route.
What the Community Has Been Saying
Community Board 10, which covers parts of South Ozone Park, held scrutiny sessions on the Jewel Streets plan, with residents raising questions about whether the affordable housing commitments would hold through the development process and whether existing residents would be protected from displacement. Those concerns are now part of the official record heading into ULURP. If you live near the Jewel Streets area, now is the time to get informed and get involved — community board testimony during the ULURP process carries real weight.
If you’re tracking affordable housing availability across the borough, our recent roundup of NYC housing lotteries is a good place to stay updated on open applications. And for a broader look at Queens neighborhoods, our Sunnyside and Woodside guide gives context on how the borough is changing across multiple fronts.
What You Need to Know
- The Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan targets the chronically flooded South Ozone Park/East New York border area with a comprehensive rezoning and infrastructure overhaul.
- The formal ULURP land use review process is expected to launch in 2026 — giving Queens residents a structured opportunity to weigh in.
- Up to 3,600 new homes are planned in the rezoned area, including up to 1,400 affordable and mixed-income units on a city-owned 17-acre site.
- Linden Boulevard will receive bus lane upgrades, new cycling and pedestrian protections, and intersection redesigns in 2026.
- A new drainage system and bluebelt infrastructure are central to the plan — addressing flooding that has plagued The Hole for decades.
- Community Board 10 has been actively engaged; attending future meetings is the best way to stay informed and have input.
