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

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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1361 First Avenue

Developer Plans Cantilevering 33-Story Condominium Tower at 1361-1363 First Avenue, Upper East Side

CW Realty is planning to develop a 33-story condominium tower at 1361-1363 First Avenue, located on the corner of East 73rd Street on the Upper East Side. The project is expected to measure roughly 120,000 square feet and is being designed by HTO Architects, the New York Post reported. The number of planned apartments wasn’t disclosed, and it’s unclear whether there will be commercial space included. The new building will cantilever over the adjacent four-story tenement at 1365 First Avenue. CW Realty acquired the four-story mixed-use building at 1361 First Avenue earlier this year for $9.4 million and is in contract to purchase the four-story tenement at 1363 First Avenue. The latter sale is expected to close next year, and existing commercial and residential tenants in both properties are already in the process of relocating. The developer will also transfer air rights to the assemblage from other properties on the block. Demolition permits haven’t yet been filed.

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145 Clinton Street

Essex Crossing’s 15-Story, 211-Unit Mixed-Use Building Rises at 145 Clinton Street, Lower East Side

The 15-story, 211-unit mixed-use building under development at 145 Clinton Street, located on the corner of Grand Street on the Lower East Side, is now three stories above street level, as seen in photos shot by Tectonic. The latest building permits indicate the project – which is one piece of the mixed-use mega-development known as Essex Crossing – will encompass 283,178 square feet. There will be 73,000 square feet of commercial-retail space across the cellar through second floors. Planet Fitness has already pre-leased 22,000 square feet on the second floor, and a food market is expected to take 30,000 square feet on the ground floor.

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