One interesting and two disappointing developments in the local real estate news last week. In the latter category, I was sad to read about the conversion of an old warehouse-type space to an office building in the Queensboro Plaza area. Though the structure is non-descript architecturally, “Prior tenants included furniture makers, art restorers and antique sellers, most of whom have left the building. The rebuilding is likely to cater more toward tech, advertising and media companies” according to The Court Square Blog.
Also disappointing was the announcement of the second tenant at 22-22 Jackson Ave: a Blow Dry/Lash/Brow Bar, only two weeks after the signing of the first lease containing a waxing salon. Both seem to be wasted on this high-ceilinged and patio’d location.
More interesting and significant, was a rezoning and decking plan proposed by TF Cornerstone for the very southern tip of Hunters Point as reported in the LIC Post. While I have a natural bias against any upzoning in LIC, grounded in the belief that there’s already a surfeit of residential building going on why not wait a decade to decide1, I do recognize that sometimes 1 + 1 can equal 3, or at least 2.5. I don’t know if this is the case – as proposed – but to my eye the concept appears creative. Better yet, according to the article the Community Board (CB2) “told McMillan {TF Cornerstone’s representative} that any rezoning would be a long protracted process and that there would be a lot of push back. ‘If you have an urgency around building this and you want to get going you should build the as-of-right scenario,’ Deller said.” Unlike most developers in NYC, urgency is not an affliction for any of the Elghanayans.
//Girls basketball in Hunters Point starts this Friday, May 3. Almost 20 girls in grades 3 – 8 have registered and there’s room for more. Only $60 for 15 sessions this Spring, go to LICYSL.org for more details and registration.
TF Cornerstone Proposes Hunters Point Rezoning – would include decking over a small portion of LIRR train depot
Rendering Appears For Office Conversion on 23rd St. – chipping away at the artisans
Blow + Arrow Coming to 22-22 Jackson Ave – mehh
Locals Want Separate Bike & Pedestrian Lanes on Queensboro Bridge – would eliminate a car lane to do so
Two-Year Old Boy Struck By Cab in Hit and Run – in Queens Plaza, suspect identified
Rockaway Brewery Christening It’s New Entertainment Space w/ Reggae Concert – May 2, Irie
- I would make a terrible Fed candidate in today’s climate [↩]
Anonymous says
May 1, 2019 at 7:30 pmInteresting real estate news here – thanks for sharing. I’m a long-term homeowner residing in in Hunters Point. I was ecstatic when Amazon chose LIC and devastated when they left. While it’s no secret my property value would have went up and Amazon’s dollars may have helped my large projected real estate tax bills, much of my disappointment had to do with how the local politicians put up their own wall and used every excuse in the book to drive the company away. Now that the Amazon fiasco is behind us & looking to the future, I understand there will be ~10k+ new rental units coming online by 2021, making our area tremendously more crowded. And more people will follow. But we’re still here now and need our leaders to address our current and anticipated problems. What is our community most concerned will strain our neighborhood in the next 10 years? If our politicians were successful in shipping Amazon away, shouldn’t they also be successful in addressing our current and pending concerns? Let’s talk about it!
LIC CONCERNED says
May 12, 2019 at 9:28 amI am also an owner of a home in LIC and blame Jimmy Van Bramer and a slew of others for the Amazon fisco. Numerous neighborbors said he’s done and will never hold another elected office and shunned by the business community. All said they won’t vote for him for Qns Borough President.