The Iron Triangle: Willets Point and the Remaking of New York

In a bustling industrial community in Queens, New York, immigrant small business owners band together to fight a development plan that would bulldoze their slice of the American Dream.
by
Prudence Katze
William Lehman
2017
82 mins

NYC’s government is advancing plans for a high-end entertainment district that would completely wipe out a dynamic and historic industrial ecosystem. Together with a band of activists, the workers of Willets Point are racing against the clock to forestall their impending eviction.

Synopsis

Targeted for several failed redevelopment plans dating back to the days of Robert Moses, Willets Point, a gritty area in New York City known as the “Iron Triangle,” is the home of hundreds of immigrant-run, auto repair shops that thrive despite a lack of municipal infrastructure support.

During the last year of the Bloomberg Administration, NYC’s government advanced plans for a “dynamic” high-end entertainment district that would completely wipe out this historic industrial core. The year is 2013, and the workers of Willets Point are racing against the clock to forestall their impending eviction.

Their story launches an investigation into New York City’s history as the front line of deindustrialization, urban renewal, and gentrification.

Director Commentary

New York City’s rapidly changing landscape was the inspiration to make this film. We wanted to investigate the concept of 'economic development' and its use as a wedge that splits communities and advances specific kinds of urban design.

Through conversations with city officials, real estate developers, urban theorists, and the workers of Willets Point, the film dives deeply into New York City's urban planning process during the final term of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

A public hearing, where city officials and developers make the case for their plans, provides a scaffold for the film's investigation.

I am a filmmaker and urbanist whose work focuses on how invisible political infrastructures intersect with the built world. To make this film, I was able to utilize my background in urban planning to take a critical look at city building.

Features and Languages

Film Features

  • Closed Captioning

Film/Audio Languages

  • English
  • Spanish/español

Subtitle/Caption Languages

  • English
  • Spanish/español

Promotional Material

Promotional Stills

A man in an Army fatigues hoodie works on the engine of a car with a beat up front bumper in a junkyard. Behind him, cars in various states of disrepair sit on the ground or hover on platforms.
The Iron Triangle production still 2
White and brown men and women sit in wooden seats behind an ornate railing. Many rest their chins wearily in their hands. An older white man in Civil War era uniform stands in front of them, glowering. He holds a sign reading "Willets NO."
The Iron Triangle production still 3
Outside the Bullpen Gate of Citi Field on a damp day with a light dusting of snow on the muddy road. Parked cars line both sides of the road. A bloated collection of corporate advertising signs hover above the stadium.
The Iron Triangle production still 1

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