A new rendering has been revealed for Arras, a forthcoming residential complex in Jamaica, Queens. Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle and developed by The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, Gotham Organization, Monadnock Development, and Moses Sole Realty, the project will span more than 500,000 square feet across two 14-story structures. The development will yield 353 rental units and 72 affordable condominium units in studio- to three-bedroom layouts, as well as 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, a 1,450-square-foot community facility, and a 150-vehicle parking garage. The property is bounded by 160th Street to the northeast, 90th Avenue to the northwest, and Parsons Boulevard to the southwest.
The above street-level rendering looks east at the project showing a bulky massing with multifaceted street-facing elevations that break up its monotony. The shallow setbacks on the 11th story on the northern and western faces will be topped with landscaped terraces, and the building culminates in a flat roof. The façade is depicted composed of a mix of red and beige brick surrounding an orderly grid of recessed windows. The ground floor will feature floor-to-ceiling glass for the retail frontage, and new tree-lined sidewalks will surround the property.
The property is currently occupied by an underutilized parking structure, as seen in the below Google Street View image from the same perspective as the rendering.
The future site of Arras. Image via Google Maps.
Rental units are planned to be offered to households earning between 40 to 90 percent of the area median income (AMI), or about $58,000 to $131,000 for a family of three. The condominium units would be available to households earning between 80 to 100 percent of the AMI, or about $117,000 to $146,000 for a family of three.
The community facility component is slated to be occupied by King of Kings, a local nonprofit focused on youth violence prevention.
Construction is expected to cost roughly $200 million and will be built as of right, requiring no zoning changes or variances. Demolition is planned to begin in late 2026 with the project expected to follow Passive House design principles to maximize energy efficiency and energy saving costs.
Arras will likely be joined by a surge of new projects in Jamaica following Wednesday’s rezoning approval by the City Council. The rezoning covers 230 blocks and allows for the creation of nearly 12,000 new homes, 3,800 of them affordable, as well as 2 million square feet of commercial and community space, $413 million in community investment, and new towers rising as high as 18 stories. The development team behind Arras has stated a desire to add additional units upon approval of the rezoning, though no official commitment has been made at this time.
The nearest subways from the development are the E, J, and Z trains at the Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station to the south. Also nearby to the west is the Jamaica train station serving the Long Island Rail Road and the AirTrain to JFK International Airport.
Arras is expected to take 18 to 24 months to construct, putting its anticipated completion date near the end of 2028.
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It looks like yet another Gotham West. No new ideas here.
Tear down an “underutilized” parking garage to build a new 150 vehicle garage with housing above. Okay…
It seems like a nice plan. It may not stretch the bounds of architectural design, but it looks nice enough. I’m sure the 400 or so units will need a few parking spaces. Based on the images available on Google, the existing parking facility looks like it’s probably reached its useful lifespan and not worth trying to repair and develop above. Not too far from Jamaica Station so also a reasonable place for commuters.
They always putting up new buildings and the I’m a 66 year old lady and keep putting in for the apartment and work for the city and they never call me what can I do
Good infill.
Would the parking garage be used for the public as well or just the residence of the facility? I park in this garage daily as I work in the area.