Developers had begun but not completed foundations when the Council approved rezoning proposal. On June 24, 2011, the owner of a corner lot at 64-01 Woodside Avenue in Woodside, Queens obtained a foundation permit to begin construction on a proposed seven-story, 24,022 sq.ft. building with 27 apartments. On July 26, 2011, the owner of two lots at 69- 17 and 69-19 38th Avenue in Woodside obtained building permits to build two four-story buildings with a combined eight apartments.   (more…)

Developer sought to amend previously issued variance for seventeenstory project by increasing number of apartments and parking spaces. In December 2005, BSA granted Boymelgreen Developers’ variance request to build a seventeen-story building enveloping and preserving the landmarked interior of the RKO Keith’s Theater at 135-35 Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens. The project would have provided 200 condominiums, a 229-space belowgrade parking garage, and commercial and community facility space. 3 CityLand 11 (Feb. 15, 2006).

Boymelgreen never developed the project, and Patrick Thompson subsequently purchased the property. In November 2009, Thompson applied to BSA seeking to amend the variance. The amended proposal increased the number of apartments to 357, decreased the average apartment size from 1,437 to 787 sq.ft., and marketed the project as rentals rather than condominiums.  (more…)

New York Hospital Queens will add 80 beds, a new entrance and expanded cardiology and surgery facilities. New York Hospital applied for rear-yard, setback and bulkhead variances as part of a large-scale modernization and expansion of its 6.4-acre facility at 56-45 Main Street in Flushing, Queens. The 439-bed, acute care teaching hospital, occupies two blocks along Booth Memorial Avenue, employs 3,000 people and receives approximately 400 patients and 250 visitors per day.

five-story, 97,219-square-foot addition and a 122,368-square-foot, 372-space garage. The proposed addition would connect to the existing buildings, permitting expanded cardiology and surgery services, 80 additional beds and a new 2,098- square-foot lobby and entrance at the corner of Main Street and Booth Memorial Avenue. The proposed garage would be located on the corner of Booth Memorial Avenue and 141st Street with two below-ground levels and one above-ground level, requiring demolition of five existing two-story hospital buildings. (more…)

Developer gets variance to build a 200-unit, mixed-use development on site occupied by historic theater. Boymelgreen Developers, owner of two lots located at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Main Street in Flushing, Queens, totaling 41,880 square feet, sought to construct a 200-unit, seventeen- story, mixed-use building with accessory parking. The building will be constructed on two currently improved lots. The first lot contains a two-story commercial building that will be demolished. The second lot contains the RKO Keith Flushing Theater, which is home to an interior landmark.

Boymelgreen argued that several unique features of the site created an unnecessary hardship. The limited street frontage along Northern Boulevard, much of which is occupied by the theater, required the residential tower to be built above the theater. Boymelgreen also argued that restoration and protection of the theater during construction would be costly and time consuming. According to Boymelgreen, bringing the theater up to modern standards was infeasible because it would require an increased incline on the ground floor for stadium seating and a rebuilt balcony. Among other waivers requested, Boymelgreen sought to increase the allowable residential FAR for from 2.43 to 6.86 and the mixed-use FAR from 4.8 to 7.5. (more…)

Twelve residential buildings to be converted to dorms over opposition. St. John’s University proposed to convert 12 three-unit apartment buildings into dormitories, increasing the potential student occupancy from 108 to 162. St John’s currently uses the buildings, located along Union Turnpike in Flushing, Queens, as apartments for its students. The plan called for no alteration or enlargement to the buildings; however the use change would render the buildings noncompliant with the City’s 15-foot yard requirement, triggering the need for a variance.

The 12 buildings sit on a 25,309-square-foot portion of a 36- acre lot that also contains Parkway Village, a 34-acre housing cooperative with 109 buildings. To apply for the variance, St. John’s needed consent from all co-owners of the lot, which was refused. St. John’s applied anyway, arguing that it should qualify for a consent waiver. Ultimately, the Parkway Village Tenants’ Association, Queens Community Board 8 and the Parkway Village Preservation Society opposed, raising concerns about the impacts of future redevelopment of St. John’s site.

St. John’s argued that BSA should waive the consent requirement because the parties recorded a restriction on the Parkway Village buildings at the completion of its construction, requiring its owners to cooperate with the redevelopment of St. John’s site. St. John’s also argued that it was impractical to move all 12 buildings back five feet to make the existing ten-foot yard space compliant.

BSA agreed, granting the consent waiver and the variance. Noting that the plan included no new construction, BSA found that it could not have a tangible impact on nearby uses.

BSA: 147-04 Union Turnpike (240-06- BZ) (April 10, 2007). CITYADMIN