Community Facility

99-01 Queens Boulevard

Partial Medical Office Conversion Planned at Two-Story, 57,000-Square-Foot Property, 99-01 Queens Boulevard, Rego Park

The Blumenfeld Development Group has purchased, for $31.2 million, the two-story, 56,916-square-foot mixed-use commercial building at 99-01 Queens Boulevard, in Rego Park, from Vornado Realty. The new owner plans to convert the property’s vacant portions into a medical facility for Mount Sinai Hospital, according to Real Estate Weekly. The hospital has already signed a lease with Blumenfeld. The property currently features retail space on the ground and cellar levels, followed by commercial-office space on the second floor. Existing tenants, which will remain in the building, include Bank of America, New York Sports Club, and DeVry College of New York. Completion of the conversion is expected in early 2017.


30 Village Road North

Five-Story, 40,000-Square-Foot Yeshiva Filed at 30 Village Road North, Gravesend

Yeshiva Lev Torah, a K-8 school, has filed applications for a five-story, 39,830-square-foot facility at 30 Village Road North, in the heart of Gravesend. The new 75-foot-tall structure will contain a lobby, administrative offices, and classrooms on the ground floor, a cafeteria in the cellar, classrooms and a teachers’ lounge on the second floor, classrooms on the third and fourth floors, followed by a gymnasium, a library, and a Midrash (probably a Beit Midrash, or study hall) on the fifth floor. Thomas Scibilia’s Brooklyn-based NA Design Studio is the architect of record. The Yeshiva is seeking a variance for bulk from the Board of Standards and Appeals, according to the applications. The 62-foot-wide, 11,075-square-foot assemblage consists of two two-story houses. Demolition permits haven’t been yet filed. The Avenue U stop on the F train is located around the corner.


249 Varet Street

Four-Story, 54-Key Hostel Being Converted Into 140-Person Homeless Shelter at 249 Varet Street, East Williamsburg

After opening just eight years ago, the four-story, 54-key New York Loft Hostel, located at 249 Varet Street in East Williamsburg, is currently in the process of being converted into a 140-person homeless shelter, Bushwick Daily reported. Until recently, the 22,237-square-foot property had 54 hotel rooms, but has since undergone a reconfiguration to 67 units, according to permits with the Buildings Department. The shelter’s occupants will be restricted to males ages 55 and older who aren’t sex offenders. They are expected to live in the shelter for roughly nine months and will have access to supportive services and meals, all located within the building. The project is being headed by the city’s non-profit organization Project Renewal and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The shelter will likely become operational this fall after the hostel closes for business at the end of August. Bosch Architecture is designing the conversion. The Morgan Avenue stop on the L train is three blocks away.


Marine Terrace

Developer Plans Two-Building, 53-Unit Affordable Housing Expansion of Marine Terrace Complex, Astoria

Related Companies is planning to build two new residential buildings, with a combined total of 53 units, along 20th Avenue on the northern edge of the Marine Terrace affordable residential complex, in the Ditmars section of northern Astoria. Marine Terrace is a 444-unit development comprised of seven three-story buildings, DNAinfo reported, which Related acquired for $121 million in June. It’s bound by 21st Street, Shore Boulevard, and 20th and 21st avenues. The 53 new residential units will spread across three- and four-story buildings. All of the units will be rented at below-market rates to veterans, although 20 percent will be specifically geared towards homeless veterans. The new buildings will replace two existing single-story parking garages. In addition, Related will renovate the rest of the 444-unit Marine Terrace complex. It will get an additional 5,400 square feet of community space, and amenities including a fitness center, a computer lab, a lounge, laundry facilities, and a nurse’s office. All but three apartments in Marine Terrace, which range from one- to three-bedrooms, receive Section 8 assistance. Grounbreaking for the new construction components is expected in 2017.


2947 West 28th Street

Renovation Begins on 17-Story, 573-Unit Surfside Gardens Public Housing Complex, Coney Island

Yesterday, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) broke ground on a $41 million renovation project of the 17-story, 573-unit public housing complex called Surfside Gardens (officially Coney Island I, Sites 4 & 5) at 2947 West 28th Street, on western Coney Island. The project, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is intended to repair damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy. It will also upgrade the building to better mitigate future storm damage, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported. The entire roof will be replaced, the façade will get a new look, backup power generators and new infrastructure will be installed, outdoor recreational areas will be upgraded, and new security measures will be installed. In addition, the Surfside Community Center will get an extensive renovation. James McCullar Architecture is behind the renovation’s design.


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