Queens

After Decades, Vacant Lot Finally Filled by Rowhome, at 55-35 Metropolitan Avenue, on Ridgewood/Maspeth Border

6:30 am on July 14, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

City blocks on the fringes between Queens and Brooklyn tend to be densely built out with low-rise, pre-war housing stock, leaving few empty lots for ground-up development. One such lot at 55-35 Metropolitan Avenue, which separates the neighborhoods of Ridgewood to the south and Maspeth to the north, has sat empty for more than half a century. The new rowhouse, developed by Shaoyun Chen, stands three stories tall, its plain cornice rising slightly above its neighbors. Permits list two residential units taking up 2,396 square feet of the 5,643-square-foot structure. A 1,623-square-foot retail space is located at the lower floor. Though the retail space would be the only one of its kind on the wholly-residential block, it is not out of place, given that most buildings on the other side of the street have ground level retail, as well. The building occupies 60 percent of its site, leaving space for a 35-foot yard in the rear.

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Ninth and Final Floor Underway at Hyatt Place, 27-07 43rd Avenue, Long Island City

4:00 pm on April 29, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Long Island City’s incredible construction boom continues as the Hyatt Place hotel at 27-07 43rd Avenue reaches its final, ninth floor. The 108-room hotel, developed by Prakash Patel with Triborough Construction Service Inc. serving as the general contractor, is among the five new hotels under development in the Queens Plaza/Court Square district. The 59,411-square foot building is designed by Michael Kang Architect. The firm was also behind the design for the seven-story, 162-room Comfort Inn built at 42nd Road and Crescent Street, which, in 2003, became one of Long Island City’s first hotels. Although the spring 2016 completion date indicated on this project’s board is unrealistic, construction seems to be moving at a reasonable pace. Completion in the second half of the year seems probable.

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Foundations Nearing Completion at 42-43 27th Street, Long Island City

6:30 am on April 28, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

The mid-rise interior of Long Island City’s skyscraper district at Queens Plaza/Court Square is about to get another addition in the form of a six-story, eight-unit building at 42-43 27th Street. The builder, New York Fast General Construction, lives up to their name as construction is moving at a rapid pace. When we last checked in at the beginning of March, excavation was only starting. Now, a month and a half later, more than half of the foundation walls in the basement are complete, with metal rebar ready for assembly of the ground floor.

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Steven Holl-Designed Hunters Point Library Rises On The Long Island City Waterfront

4:30 pm on March 18, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Literacy is the cornerstone of modern society, and libraries stand as the foundations of thriving communities. While Long Island City’s rebirth manifests itself through its skyrocketing skyline, its most significant public building steadily rises at the waterfront. The Steven Holl-designed Hunters Point Library will join the iconic gantries and the Pepsi-Cola Sign to form the borough’s new public face, while becoming a new focal point for the rapidly growing community.

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