JetBlue is heading for Long Island City

After a lengthy debate between relocating to Orlando or staying in Queens, JetBlue, the only NY-based airline, has decided to stay in NYC. They’re moving their HQ from Forest Hills to Long Island City, Queens Plaza to be exact.

From NYT: “Keeping JetBlue is the first economic development coup for the city in a while. Instead of moving jobs to Florida, JetBlue plans to shift its administrative offices from Forest Hills, Queens, to a Citigroup building in Queens Plaza, according to the person who was briefed. The airline also plans to move an additional 70 jobs there from Connecticut.”

It’s not happening anytime soon, but chalk up another highly-publicized new commercial tenant for Long Island City. According to the press release, the new address will be 27-01 Queens Plaza North, where they’re expecting to occupy approx. 200,000 SF by mid-2012 in the historic Brewster Building.

The future of Queens Plaza is very interesting »

Long Island City Getty Gas Station to become bakery, 11th St @ 47th Rd

A while back, word came through the wire about the transformation of the Getty Gas Station (just the old auto-shop component, not the gas pumps) on 11th St @ 47th Road, into an ‘adaptive reuse bakery’ with a facade comprised of rolling pins. Well, it was speculated that this very, uh, creative renovation project was just a concept, not an actual plan. Au contraire! The plan is very much alive, and in fact, underway »

Two Gotham Center, Queens Plaza South & Jackson Ave, LIC

The municipal parking garage at Queens Plaza South and Jackson Ave, an eyesore dubbed the “white elephant” by local residents, is continuing its transformation into a Class A, LEED Certified Green Building:

“First phase construction has started for a mixed-use development here in Long Island City, Queens–dubbed Gotham Center »