Luxury versus affordability is the conflict at the heart of the fight over a sprawling mixed-use development with thousands of apartments planned in Queens.

“Astoria’s what? Not for sale!” critics of the Innovation QNS project chanted at a rally last month.

But on Thursday, the project earned a key, procedural approval from the City Council subcommittee on zoning.

What You Need To Know

  • City Councilmember Julie Won says she's negotiated twice as many affordable housing units in the proposed Innovation QNS development in Astoria as there were initially proposed

  • The $2 billion development, which will now include 1,400 units of affordable housing, cleared one hurdle Thursday, but still needs approval from the City Council's land use committee and the whole City Council

  • Critics want Innovation QNS to be majority-affordable apartments

  • Bronx and Queens Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez said the bulk of the units are still “luxury rate”

“We’re in support of the project because the member is at a place right now where she’s in going to be in support of the project but is waiting on a few commitments,” subcommittee member Farah Louis told NY1.

All seven members spoke in deference to their colleague, Councilmember Julie Won, whose district includes the five blocks where the $2 billion project would rise.

“The most important part is she’s trying to protect the rich cultural fabric of Astoria,” Louis said.

Won said Thursday that she’s notched some concessions: 1,436 affordable units, double the 711 initially proposed; 500 units at 30% of the area median income; 157 apartments for homeless New Yorkers; and a $2 million fund to protect tenants from displacement and harassment.

“I will utilize every accountability measure to ensure that our community wins are actualized,” Won said in a statement.

Zoning subcommittee chair Kevin Riley told NY1, “Councilmember Won, who’s doing an amazing of advocating for her community, she’s still dotting some i’s, crossing some t’s, making sure that the administration and developers are committed to the agreements that they’re pretty much negotiating currently right now.”

The project still requires approval from the City Council’s land use committee and the full City Council.

Those votes are set for next week.

Bronx and Queens Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez remained critical, saying the bulk of the units are still “luxury rate.”

But City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams welcomed the zoning approval, saying the end goal is deeply affordable homes for the city.

Speaker Adams noted the total number of apartments is now 3,200.

The original proposal was for 2,800.

Mayor Eric Adams and Laborers’ Local 79, a construction workers’ union, were among those who celebrated the Innovation QNS vote.

It came a day after Adams announced a deal for a Major League Soccer stadium that would anchor a Willets Point project with 2,500 affordable units.