Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) has secured $12 million in state funding to support the construction of two new greenhouses, allowing it to replace its existing structures which date back to the 1960s and suffered extensive damage during the cold snap last winter.
The existing greenhouses, which QBG used to house its tropical collections and warm-weather species like mature banana trees, lost heat during one of the coldest weekends of 2026, leading to the death of hundreds of plants.
QBG said the incident was not the first time that the existing greenhouses had faltered due to outdated infrastructure but said that the most recent incident was by far the most significant.
The greenhouses, which date back to when QBG was relocated from Flushing Meadows Corona Park to its current home in Flushing in the 1960s, also boast a number of other issues, including cracked and uneven pathways. Evie Hantzopolous, QBG’s executive director, said the greenhouses are not even safe for members of the QBG crew in their current state, pointing to a number of tripping hazards.
Conditions have deteriorated inside the greenhouses. Photo by Shane O’Brien.
Hantzopolous was in Albany when the greenhouses failed in January and approached Assembly Member Nily Rozic, whose district covers the botanical garden. Rozic, along with the Assembly’s Queen delegation, lobbied Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who committed $10 million toward the construction of new greenhouses. At the Oct. 30 announcement event, Heastie committed a further $2 million.
Hantzopolous celebrates the allocation of an additional $2 million in funding. Photo by Shane O’Brien.
The new greenhouses will be moved to the park’s boundary, allowing QBC to plant an outdoor garden at the current home of its greenhouses. At present, the greenhouses are located in the middle of the botanical garden, with Hantzopolous stating that their relocation will make QBC more open plan and accessible to the public.
“Once the new ones are done, this will get knocked down and the space will be turned into a garden for the public to enjoy,” Hantzopolous said during a tour of the current greenhouses.
The new greenhouses will boast state-of-the-art technology, allowing QBG to build robust and annual collections. For the first time ever, the collections will be partially open to the public, providing year-round opportunities for educational activities and community engagement. They will also be ADA-accessible.
Hantzopolous, who described QBG as a “39-acre oasis” in the heart of Downtown Flushing, said she was “stunned” to learn that the state would be funding upgrades for the QBG greenhouses.
“We are going to be able to have state-of-the-art greenhouses here at the garden, and it’s something that the garden deserves, that our community deserves, that Queens deserves,” Hantzpolous said. “Really, everyone who walks through these doors will benefit from that.”
Rozic recalled meeting Hantzopolous in Albany almost immediately after the greenhouses had malfunctioned in January and said she was “shell-shocked” when she saw photos of hundreds of dead plants.
“Quite literally overnight, the greenhouses failed,” Rozic said.
Assembly Member Nily Rozic. Photo by Shane O’Brien.
Rozic said she has been visiting the garden since she was a child and said it was a “full-circle moment” that she was able to now bring her daughter to the space for its Little Sprouts program.
“I really want to thank Evie and her team for making this garden look as incredible as it does,” she said. “It’s such a special place for our community.”
Heastie, meanwhile, spoke of the importance of preserving zoos and botanical gardens so that the communities they serve can enjoy outdoor open spaces.
“Queens deserves this. People deserve this. They are beautiful open spaces,” Heastie said.
The State’s funding is not the only funding that QBG has received in recent years.
In addition to the State’s funding, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng allocated $500,000 to the greenhouse redevelopment and other capital projects in FY 2024, while members of the Assembly’s Queens delegation, including Assembly Members Larinda Hooks, Stacey Pheffer-Amato, Jessica González-Rojas, Steven Raga, Zohran Mamdani, Claire Valdez and Rozic secured $2.25 million to fund renovations of QBG’s rose garden in 2024.
The capital funding, obtained with the assistance of State Sen. John Liu, also included funds to upgrade visitor bathrooms, perimeter fencing and interior gates.
Meng said the recent greenhouse funding, along with other capital projects ongoing at QBG, will make the space a “destination of choice” for families across New York City. Meng said the space caters to all members of the community, noting that her grandmother recently celebrated her 102nd birthday at QBG.
“This garden serves our seniors who are doing tai chi early in the morning, our kids who come here on class trips… They have a children’s garden. People get married here,” Meng said.