Willets Point, also known locally as the Iron Triangle, is an industrial neighborhood within Corona, in the New York City borough of Queens.

New York City Council members and the few residents of the area strongly opposed the original plan, leading to several years of lawsuits.

In 2011, the city began a $4 billion redevelopment project to construct a retail shopping center, residential buildings with a combined 3,000 units, an entertainment complex, and a public school.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation's plan to redevelop the area was approved in 2013, and demolition of the industrial section of Willets Point began in 2016.

[3]: 2–3 (PDF p. 2–4)  The New York City Subway's Mets–Willets Point station, serving the 7 and <7>​ trains, is located at the southwest corner of the area, at Roosevelt Avenue and 126th Street.

[6] The area consists mostly of auto repair shops, scrap yards, waste processing sites, and similar small businesses.

[5] A Hunter College study in April 2006 found that Willets Point was a "unique regional destination" for auto parts and repairs,[7]: 2 [8] and that the 225 businesses in the area employed a combined 1,400 to 1,800 people at the time.

[11]: 1  Before the 1964 New York World's Fair, Robert Moses tried to incorporate Willets Point into Flushing Meadows–Corona Park but failed when the junkyard owners hired Mario Cuomo as their lawyer.

[22] Willets Point is currently planned to be the home of Etihad Park for New York City FC of Major League Soccer.

[24] On April 9, 2008, the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association (WPIRA), a group of the 10 largest business and land owners in Willets Point, filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the City of New York seeking a court order requiring the City to provide infrastructure improvements, including repairs to streets and storm sewers, installation of sanitary sewers, street lights, street signs and other services that the City had allegedly withheld for over 40 years, as well as unspecified damages for past neglect.

Three days later, Queens elected officials, various union members and others rallied at a press conference on the steps of New York City Hall.

On July 31, 2009, the Corporation announced plans to invest $100 million into infrastructure projects in Queens that would include development in Willets Point.

[27] In March 2009, Joseph Ardizzone, the only resident of Willets Point at the time, as well several local businesses filed another lawsuit in state court.

[28] In May 2010 the New York City Department of Transportation opened a new Municipal Asphalt Plant on Harper Street, on the north side of Willets Point.

[34][35] In phase 1A of the plan, which was expected to be completed in 2018, a 200-room hotel would have been constructed alongside a retail area of 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2), connected by an esplanade at 126th Street.

Meanwhile, one of Citi Field's western parking lots would have been demolished to make room for a mall with 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) of leasable retail space and up to 200 stores including anchors.

The temporary 2,825-spot lot would have been gradually redeveloped into 4,230,000 square feet (393,000 m2) of "residential, retail, additional hotel, office, parking, and community facility" development, as well as a public school and 6 acres (2.4 ha) of parkland.

[40][38] By the end of July 2016, the last auto repair shops between 38th and Roosevelt Avenues had been closed and demolition had started on the development, now priced at US$4 billion.

[43] In February 2018, the de Blasio administration and developers came to an agreement in which 1,100 lower- and middle-class apartments, a 450-pupil school, parks, and 6 acres (2.4 ha) of retail space would be built.

[53][54][55] The "Valley of Ashes" described in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is said to have been inspired by a former dump (now the location of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park) in Willets Point.

[58] The 2018 documentary The Iron Triangle, directed by Prudence Katze and William Lehman, describes the history behind the destruction of the once-thriving neighborhood.

[59] The 2010 cinéma vérité documentary Foreign Parts is shot in Willets Point and shows life and industry there prior to redevelopment.