Parents and community leaders in Sunnyside and Woodside announced plans to build a new middle school.  As NY1's Shannan Ferry explains, the highly anticipated project has been in the works for more than two years.

Applause, for a long awaited project in Sunnyside. 

The site of an abandoned building is expected to transform into a multi-million dollar middle school.

Parents Debra and Sean McGowan have been fighting for it for years.

"Oh, I have goosebumps everywhere, it's almost unbelievable actually," said McGowan. 

Their children aren't old enough for middle school yet, but the McGowans were expecting issues when they were. 

They said School District 30 is one of the most overcrowded in the city.

"There was one middle school that most of the students were going to, and it was over 100% capacity," said Sean McGowan.

On Monday, officials announced plans to demolish the former Paradise Cafe Billiards on 48th Street and build a brand new middle school for kids in Sunnyside and Woodside.

"That will benefit generations of kids, for years to come, children who aren't even born yet," said City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.

Although parents are thrilled to celebrate the construction of a new middle school, there are concerns about how it will affect traffic flow in the area.

"There are areas within a few blocks of where we are, where teachers might be able to park if arrangements can be made, so those are the things we're gonna mention," said Sean McGowan. 

A spokesperson with the School Construction Authority said they plan to have public input meetings and a thorough review process for this site.

There's no set timeline for the project.  But officials said the design phase is expected to take about a year, and construction will take two to three years.​