A 50-story skyscraper could potentially rise from an assemblage of three undeveloped lots in the heart of Long Island City, Queens. The combined 25,177-square-foot parcel is known as QPX and consists of 30-25 Queens Boulevard, 29-00 Northern Boulevard, and 29-14 Queens Plaza East. The property is located adjacent to Sunnyside Yards and is sandwiched between two new high-rise developments.
The current owner of the properties, LargaVista Companies, has arranged for a zoning lot development agreement from neighboring properties to allow for an additional 117,328 square feet of space. This would enable a scope of approximately 419,428 buildable square feet for residential or mixed-use development. Given these dimensions, it would be possible for a skyscraper of substantial height and bulk to rise from the property, as depicted in the rendering.
30-25 Queens Boulevard. Rendering by Fogarty Finger Architects
Renderings, which were posted to YIMBY Forums, depict a sleek glass-clad structure surpassing the roof level of the neighboring 496-foot-tall ALTA LIC. The floor-to-ceiling windows are separated by thin white mullions that run the full height of the building, and are divided by horizontal bands in groups of three to five floors each. A series of small setbacks are positioned near the base of the building on the northern elevation and are topped with landscaping. Another setback three-quarters of the way up the structure could support an outdoor terrace, as could the roof, which appears to have a glass railing around its perimeter.
According to LargaVista, Fogarty Finger is the architect behind the conceptual renderings. The design bears a close resemblance to another skyscraper from the firm proposed in the vicinity, by Charney Companies and Tavros Capital, at 45-03 23rd Street.
30-25 Queens Boulevard and 29-14 Queens Plaza East were formerly occupied by a parking lot, gas station, and commercial structure, with demolition permits filed for the latter two components in 2016. The site at 29-00 Northern Boulevard is vacant.
Due to its position at the end of Queens Plaza, the property will yield excellent views to the west of the Queensboro Bridge and the Manhattan skyline that will not be obstructed by future construction. The location is also convenient for transportation, with an entrance to the Queens Plaza subway station, serviced by the E, M, and R trains, at the corner of the lot.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
The recent boom in LIC only emphasizes the fact that this entire urban area of Queens does not have a large park for residents to enjoy. The Sunnyside Yards are the obvious choice for a lid with a huge, open park above for all to enjoy. Obviously the perimeter could provide space for thousands of low income and affordable housing that is desperately needed for millions of New Yorkers.
Make no small plans…
Good luck financing a 15 billion dollar deck for a park. The latest renderings suggest the mainline travelling through the yards will remain open to to the sky. While kind of neat to still be able to view trains coming and going, perhaps the best idea is to complete the deck from the north edge of the yards all the way to the south edge and the space about the mainline tracks be a long park stretching east to west.
Queens has several large parks including the second largest in Flushing Meadows Park and Forest Park and the large waterfront park that is continually expanding.
To say that it does not have a large park to enjoy just means they do not have a large park that I would actually go to an enjoy.
Why build, 40% of new luxury condos built from 2014 are empty.
It’s not a Fogarty design, I can tell you that…
It is!
Nothing like a luxury apartment house at the intersection of 2 elevated trains.
I’m sure all the unemployed New Yorkers will be waiting in line.
The current bad economic situation was caused by government intentionally shutting down, literally almost overnight, a strong healthy economy. Without any concrete plan for when people can get back to work. This is unprecedented in history. But keep in mind this is NOT a typical business cycle economic downturn in which we see many quarters of slowing economic activity, resulting finally in recession. No. This time our economy was roaring, flying high – then was crashed deliberately into a mountain. This all means the strong economic factors that were driving our great economy should still be there when government finally let’s everyone get back to business – and living.
True, but the new bully–China, won’t be so lucky. And THAT was the point of all this.
These condos are grossly overpriced and so small to raise a family. I was talking to one of the doorman who I know and most of the apartments are empty. Why build more Million dollar condos and people cant afford them? Maybe price the remaining condos and apartments at a price that some people can afford. A studio is 900K. Thats insane.
those noisy, dirty and ugly elevated trains will forever cheapen and hold back the desirability of the site. it is supposed to be a railroad yard, avoided by people. with all these new buildings, the place looks totally incongruous. the subways now need to sink underground (as they should be), and the railroad yards to be given to the same use and covering as those in the Hudson Yards thing. who likes to actually live among rail and subway tracks??