Forest Hills

An unknown developer, doing business as an anonymous LLC, is proposing to build a 12-story mixed-use development at 107-18 70th Road, in Forest Hills, right around the corner from the Forest Hills – 71st Avenue stop on the E, F, M, and R trains. According to DNAinfo, the developer is currently seeking a special permit to build the project, which would normally be capped at seven stories in height. The proposal includes ground-floor commercial-retail space and an above-ground garage. It would replace a strip of restaurants currently operating in a single-story building at the site. The developer was scheduled to meet with Community Board 6 last night to discuss the project.

Almost a year ago, YIMBY reported on applications for a seven-story, 23-unit mixed-use building at 109-15 72nd Road, in Forest Hills, and now DNAinfo has a rendering of the project. The building will measure 36,248 square feet in its entirety, with 22,192 square feet designated for residential space and 5,033 square feet for ground-floor retail. The apartment units will come in one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations and will average 965 square feet apiece. Chuan Shu Wang is the developer and Flushing-based Tan Architect is designing the project. The existing 2.5-story building has been demolished and completion is expected later this year.

New development rarely arrives in Forest Hills, Queens, thanks to restrictive zoning and a densely built landscape of co-op buildings and single-family homes. But the city upzoned a small piece of the picturesque neighborhood just south of Queens Boulevard in 2009.