The affordable housing complex, built as part of the development of New York City FC’s new soccer-specific stadium in Willets Point, features 880 units, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments.

The complex is a public-private project between the city and Queens Development Group, a joint venture between Related Companies and Sterling Equities, and will eventually include 2,500 permanently affordable housing units, a new public school, over 150,000 square feet of open space and a new hotel. NYCFC is also building Etihad Park, a 25,000-seater soccer stadium, adjacent to the housing development as part of the development.

Queens Development Group celebrated the official opening of Willets Point Commons on Monday, as well as holding a groundbreaking ceremony for the third building in the complex, which will feature 220 homes designated for low-income seniors.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the official opening of Willets Point Commons as a “major milestone” for the neighborhood.

“I’m proud to welcome the first residents home to Willets Point Commons — the largest fully affordable housing development our city has seen in decades,” Mamdani said in a statement Monday. “At a time when too many New Yorkers are being priced out of the neighborhoods they built, this project is proof that government can still deliver bold, transformative change.”

Leila Borzog, deputy mayor for housing and planning, said she was thrilled to welcome the first residents to the affordable housing development, adding that it had been a “long time coming.”

“Soon thousands of New Yorkers will benefit from affordable housing, open space, a new school, and more – all built by workers with good-paying, quality jobs,” Borzog said in a statement.

In a joint statement on behalf of Queens Development Group, Related Companies President Bruce Beal and Stirling Equities Partner Gregory Katz said the official opening of the first phase of the Willets Point affordable development is the culmination of 15 years of hard work.

“What started as a vision to transform an underutilized part of Queens into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood is now coming to life as families and hardworking New Yorkers move in,” Beal and Katz said in a joint statement. “We look forward to continuing this incredible progress as we start construction on the next 220 senior homes.”

Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry, whose council district covers the affordable development, said the first move-ins represent a milestone for both Willets Point and the future of affordable housing in New York City.

“This development represents an opportunity to further deepen the culture, diversity, and sense of community that make District 21 and Queens so special, while also creating new opportunities for families, seniors, veterans, and working New Yorkers to build their futures here,” Thomas-Henry said. “My hope is that Willets Point becomes a model for how development with community at the center can create neighborhoods that are both affordable and built to serve the people who call this city home.”

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards described the newly opened development as a “historic moment” for the borough.

“Rising out of the former Valley of Ashes are 880 brighter futures for the first residents of the reimagined Willets Point,” Richards said in a statement. “This transformational project proves that Queens is truly the future.”

Willets Point Commons will be managed by Related Management Company and features a wide range of amenities for new residents, including two landscaped inner courtyards, a tenant lounge space, outdoor terrace and BBQs, a community garden, a fitness center and a children’s playroom. The development also features co-working spaces, bike storage, electric vehicle charging and ground-floor retail shops.

The recent lottery closed after receiving “overwhelming demand” and offered a diverse range of units at a diverse range of prices, starting at $486 per month for single applicants making between $20,469 and $34,020 seeking studio apartments. The most expensive units in the lottery were capped at $4,244 per month for seven-member households with an income between $152,778 and $301,350.

Roughly half of the 880 units were available to applicants earning 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with 219 units set aside for applicants earning 60% AMI or below.

The 220 affordable senior apartments in the third building in the complex will complete the 1,100-unit commitment of Phase 1 of the Willets Point transformation, with Phase 2 set to deliver the remaining 1,400 affordable homes as well as a new public school, a new hotel and more than 150,000 square feet of public open space.

Etihad Park, meanwhile, is expected to be completed and operational by 2027, with NYCFC recently holding a topping-out ceremony at the new venue.