City Planning Hears Plans for New Building on Astoria Boulevard

On January 3rd, 2018, City Planning held a public hearing for the zoning map and zoning text amendment at 35-10 Astoria Boulevard in Queens. The proposed rezoning would facilitate a new seven-story mixed-use building. The ground floor will be used for commercial purposes and other floors will contain 35 dwelling units with 11 of the units as permanently affordable.


City Planning Commission Approves Plans to Build Socrates Sculpture Park

The site has been operating as an open public space for use by local artists and community members since 1986. On April 13, 2016, the City Planning Commission adopted a resolution to approve the amending of the City Map to include the Socrates Sculpture Park, located at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. The site has been functioning effectively as a public park for local artists and community members for … <Read More>


BSA Approves Restaurant Expansion Into Residential Area in Astoria

Approval corrects an erroneously-granted permit in 2011.  On May 19, 2015 the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to grant a special permit to the applicant, 22-32 31st Street LLC, for expanding an existing Use Group 6 restaurant at 22-32 31st Street in Astoria, Queens, into an adjacent residential zoning district..  The restaurant sits on a lot that is partially zoned as C2-4A with the remainder zoned as R5B.  The permit is needed to allow … <Read More>


City Council to Hold Hearings on Controversial Astoria Cove Proposal

The project was approved by City Planning despite opposition from the Community Board, Borough President, and the local Council Member. On October 20, 2014 the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will hold hearings on the proposed Astoria Cove mixed-use development project. The project, designed by Alma Realty, is the first project subject to Mayor de Blasio’s mandatory inclusionary zoning housing requirement. Despite the requirement, the project has faced opposition from community … <Read More>


Short time deadline for service sinks BSA petition

Residents missed deadline to serve BSA after filing petition challenging decision to grant developer time extension to complete hotel. Dutch Kills Partners obtained a permit from Buildings to develop a nine-story hotel at 39-35 27th Street in Long Island City, Queens. With 24 percent of the project’s foundation poured, the City approved the Dutch Kills Rezoning, which rendered the hotel project out-of-compliance with the maximum permitted floor area. 5 CityLand 149 (Nov. 15, 2008).  


BSA rejects waivers for L.I.C. apartment bldg.

Queens developer claimed out-of- date layout made apartments unfit. A Queens developer proposed to demolish two adjacent two-family buildings in Long Island City, replacing them with a five-story, 20- unit building that required waivers from BSA for floor area, yard, height, setback and open space.

The proposal was strongly opposed by the community, Borough President Helen Marshall, Community Board 1 and Council Members Peter F. Vallone, Jr. and Tony Avella. Faced with community opposition, the … <Read More>