There’s hope on the horizon for The Hole.
The neighborhood, which straddles the Brooklyn-Queens border, is known for its patchwork of abandoned machinery, cars and overgrown lots. The area regularly floods; many of its streets are built atop a low-lying creek and have no sewer lines, forcing residents to rely on septic tanks that are easily inundated when it rains.
But that’s all set to change, according to Mayor Eric Adams, who on Tuesday announced a $146 million plan to finally connect the area to the sewer system and buy out homeowners who want to leave. The plan lays the groundwork for a broader rezoning that will bring 5,000 new homes to the area, which has, for decades, evaded new housing developments because of its lack of functioning infrastructure.
Along with adding sewers, the plan announced by Adams would elevate several streets, add landscaped ponds to help collect pooling water and add a new pumping station to help manage stormwater.
The work will take about a decade to complete, Adams said.
Mayor Eric Adams hopes his plan to bring sewers to "The Hole" washes away years of empty promises to the neighborhood's residents.
Some residents said they’ve already seen reduced flooding thanks to smaller, more piecemeal investments over the last two years that have added new drainage in the neighborhood.
“ Whenever it rained just a little bit, that became a lake,” said David Lopez, who first moved to the neighborhood 37 years ago but sold his home earlier this year.
The area is still prone to regular flooding, and the anything-goes atmosphere includes open burning of wood which sends smoke wafting over the abandoned heavy machinery and dilapidated buildings that dot the area.
As part of the overhaul, the city is working with residents in the area to sell their homes and “voluntarily relocate” to a “lower-risk area” in the city.
Julisa Rodriguez, who’s lived in the neighborhood with her husband and two children for nearly 20 years, said the regular flooding has left her family exposed to mold, which has triggered her 10-year-old son’s chronic asthma. She said she’s torn between exploring a buyout and staying put.
“ I have to weigh my options. I do feel like my heart tells me it's time to go just because we've been through hell and back,” she said.
