52-02 Van Dam (Google)
Nov. 26. 2018 By Laura Hanrahan
One of New York City’s biggest hotel developers, Sam Chang, has his eye on Long Island City for his next big project.
Chang filed plans today with the Department of Buildings for a 14-story, 283-room hotel at 52-02 Van Dam St., just one block from the Fairfield Inn Motel, currently being used as a homeless shelter.
The new hotel, which will total 81,706 square feet, will replace an existing one-story industrial building on the property. The development will feature a restaurant, bar, rooftop terrace and 35 underground parking spots.
The developer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This will be Chang’s second hotel proposal in Long Island City this year. In May, he filed plans for a 324-room hotel at 38-39 9th St.
The Van Dam Street hotel would go up in a light manufacturing zone. The filing comes at a time when hotel development in manufacturing zones is the subject of debate in the city council.
The City Council is expected to vote in favor a zoning text amendment in coming weeks that would make it tougher for developers to build hotels in manufacturing zones. Under the proposal, developers would have to get their plans approved via a public review process like a rezoning. This development, however, would not be subject to that requirement given the date of the filing.
8 Comments
We need assurance from Commissioner Banks of DHS, JVB and San Chang the owner that this hotel will not be converted to a homeless shelter. Blissville has already done its fair share. Having a real hotel in Blissville again will be good for us; prior to the other hotels being converted to shelters, the hotels had a positive impact on the neighborhood and local businesses.
Why is Sam Chang allowed to make this a Hotel when o many have already failed and been converted to homeless shelters? My guess is that the area is sort of underdeveloped and makes a perfect place for a overnight shutdown and next day movement of homeless into the hotel. Perfect cover by Chang and DumBlasio.
Wow this is a nice homeless shelter with a restaurant, bar, rooftop terrace and 35 underground parking spots!! Very exciting!!
Will they have a full breakfast buffet? I like my powdered eggs just so.
Developers want to build a new hotel here and yet the three hotels that are only blocks away have all been converted to homeless shelters by the city, what’s to say that this new project will not just end up like the rest of those hotels.
And when the market turns, it’s a shelter too.
Slight typo. Should read “14-story homeless shelter”
The area is already crowded with 2 other hotels turned into homeless shelters and yet the public transportation in the area is already strained and there is no local shopping facilities in this area!