Downtown Jamaica: Gateway to the New York Region

This report surveyed Downtown Jamaica’s urban design, economy and transit links as part of Regional Plan Association’s Fourth Regional Plan, and was informed by a robust community engagement process and a survey of previous studies. Systematic improvements are recommended that would leverage the Downtown’s proximity to JFK Airport using the aerotropolis model for economic development. Key recommendations are summarized below. Like recommendations in the forthcoming Fourth Plan, the recommendations in this report are not constrained by current regulatory restrictions or even political cycles, and instead, begin to envision Jamaica in 2040, with both short and long-term recommendations presented.

The urban design study treated the downtown as a system with a gateway at the Jamaica AirTrain and LIRR Station Area, and key nodes throughout the downtown. In the short-term, designs are needed to address severe pedestrian and vehicular congestion that elevate stress levels in the community. Pedestrian, cyclist and transit use of space should be prioritized over private automobiles and for-hire vehicles. A promising proposal is to maximize the potential of the 165th Street Bus Terminal as a visible mixed-use hub, making use of potential of a public-private partnership to leverage air rights in exchange for a modern bus facility. Relevant parties would study whether subterranean connections to the subway network could be possible. The Downtown’s subway stations should improve wayfinding, and the intermodal hub at Archer Avenue should be redesigned, placing MTA employee private vehicles elsewhere and adding accomodations for cyclists. In the long-term, the north and south sides of the Long Island Railroad viaduct should be seamlessly connected, and land uses should be further studied south of the viaduct to support more light industrial businesses that fit with the Downtown’s vibrancy. New, connected public spaces should be planned, including at the intersection of Sutphin Avenue and Liberty Avenue; and Hillside Avenue should eventually be enlivened with residential, retail and restaurant uses.

The market study recognized that Downtown Jamaica’s commercial significance will grow tremendously as a result of projected long-term sea level rise over the next decades, which will require space at JFK Airport to be maximized for aeronautical activities while aviation-related cargo uses could be consolidated closer to the airport to rationalize and improve cargo operations. In the medium to long-term, aviation-related office and retail should be attracted to Downtown Jamaica. The Downtown office market could be catalyzed in the short term by creating a co-working space that provides affordable spaces to local entrepreneurial young professionals. In the medium term, second floor office spaces could be maximized by leasing to smaller firms. Also in the short term, the retail gap could begin to be addressed in a way that creates more of a 24-hour district with more dining, entertainment and hospitality options, in a manner that protects the existing booming fashion and other offerings unique to Jamaica. Diverse food and beverage options should be promoted in planned hotels. Finally, the market study supported the design recommendation to revisit land uses south of the LIRR tracks in order to activate employment clusters with lighter uses that fit with the downtown’s commercial character.

The mobility study recommended ways to maximize Greater Jamaica’s connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods, Manhattan and JFK Airport. Speeds could be improved on nine bus routes through bus rapid transit-type of interventions, and the Q9 could be extended to address the transit coverage gap to southwest and north Queens. Skip-stop operation in the reverse peak could be considered to improve headways on the J/Z, and the LIRR’s Atlantic Branch’s service could be converted to a hybrid urban transit type service between Jamaica and Babylon. In line with the Fourth Plan forthcoming recommendations around regional rail: LIRR headways could be shortened in Jamaica; additional stops could be added to improve access for Jamaica residents and visitors; and LIRR pricing could be changed to extend the more affordable CityTicket pricing, currently only available to city residents on the weekends, to all seven days. Finally, connection between the multi-modal Jamaica Station hub and Downtown Jamaica could be improved via physical access and programming , including integration with area business improvement districts, and biking amenities.

With a remarkable history of difficulty and regeneration, Jamaica is thriving. In promoting the city and state partnerships necessary to continue positive trends, community leaders and public officials must protect existing residents and small businesses from displacement and proactively ensure long-term residents are full participants in the success of their community. Taken together, the recommendations in this report provide a set of actions complementary to those being undertaken by the City of New York as a part of the Jamaica NOW Action Plan, and should inform future investments such as use of funds in the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. These recommendations will serve as the foundation for the Fourth Plan’s vision for Jamaica in the region in 2040 and beyond.