Last Monday, the City Planning Commission reviewed plans for 69-67 108th Street, a proposed 12-story residential building in Forest Hills, Queens. Developed under the 69-68 108 St. LLC, the 115-foot-tall structure will span around 55,700 square feet and yield 59 units with an average unit scope of 882 square feet. Approximately 15 of the apartments are slated to be designated as affordable housing. The project will also include 3,902 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The 9,380-square-foot property is located at the corner of 108th Street and 70th Avenue.
An architect has not been disclosed.
The rendering looks north from 108th Street, showing a multifaceted massing composed of multiple interlocking volumes of varying heights. Landscaped terraces will sit atop the setbacks on the ninth and tenth stories. The corner sections will feature a light beige façade with angled vertical panels surrounding a grid of floor-to-ceiling windows. Behind and above them, the building will be clad in a contrasting gray and earth-toned envelope. The structure will culminate in a flat roof.
The property is currently occupied by a two-story structure, as seen in the below Google Street View image looking north along 70th Avenue. The building was constructed in 1925 as a residence and later served as a funeral home.
69-67 108th Street circa April 2012. Image via Google Maps.
The site is located within the Cord Meyer-Forest Hills rezoning area, which was approved by the City Planning Commission on May 20, 2009 and adopted by the City Council on June 30, 2009. During last week’s review, the applicant requested a zoning map amendment to change an R1-2A zoning district to an R7D/C2-4 zoning district and a zoning text amendment to establish an Mandatory Housing Inclusionary (MIH) area.
The nearest subways from the ground-up development site are the E, M, F, and R trains at the Forest Hills–71st Avenue station to the south along Queens Boulevard.
Additional details about 69-67 108th Street are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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The demolished house was an interesting eclectic structure—American Foursquare with Mediterranean influence and a Colonial Revival entrance. The building in the rear may have its cell phone antennas blocked. These are a nice source of income if your building is in the right location.
“The property is currently occupied by a two story structure”…it’s called a mansion.
I’m shocked how much of the neighborhood was kept SFR for the Cord Meyer-Forest Hills rezoning.
A number of streets in FH could be safely rezoned R7-1 or R8 – outside of the gardens, theres no reason for SFR within 5 minues walk of an express subway stop!
Oh, it hurts to see that beautiful century old house destroyed. They don’t make them like this anymore. But progress must drive on.
I’m a 77 y/o retired NY trial lawyer now living out West for my health in the middle of nowhere in Phoenix, AZ. I remember the house because 51 years ago, when I was a brand new lawyer, I lived in what was then the brand new 32 story Court Plaza down Queens Blvd at 83rd Ave. I had suffered a dislocated shoulder and came under the care of a well known orthopedist whose office was in the house. Given that he certainly is by now either retired or deceased, the land is worth so much now that it screams out to put a bland hi-rise on it. So it goes. Nothing changes but change itself, for better or for worse; it the case, for the worse.
Roy, you must be turning 78 pretty soon now, and I agree, that house is/was beautiful.. 😀
An orthopedist in a place with so many steps? They did not have ADA concerns back then.
The existing building is still there. I do not believe these plans are approved. If you have concerns go to the Community Board 6 meeting on 5/12.