The planned tower seen in white. The gray structures represent other planned developments, and are not part of the project at hand. (via City Planning Commission)
Feb. 13, 2019 By Nathaly Pesantez (Updated 3/07)
Long Island City could soon be home to yet another large tower, with a 45-story development planned in the heart of Court Square.
The proposed tower would rise at the southeast corner of 23rd Street and 45th Avenue, immediately adjacent to the elevated 7 line tracks and on the same block as the Court Square station entrance. The building would also rival the 50-story One Court Square across the street.
The tower, being developed by Tavros Capital Partners, would span around 308,500 square feet, and includes 200 condominium units. About one-fifth of the building would be made up of office space, with some space allotted for retail use.
The development, with a height of 524 feet, also has an L-shaped footprint that covers seven low-rise multi-family buildings currently on site. The addresses of the buildings, which will be torn down to make way for the project, extend from 23-10 to 23-16 45th Ave., and 45-03 to 45-09 23rd St.
The development site, outlined in red. (via City Planning Commission)
Each of the buildings was purchased by the developer between 2016 and 2017 for prices ranging from $3.75 million to $6.8 million, according to property records. It is unclear if the buildings are now vacant.
The triangular lot where the project is proposed, additionally, features a mix of multifamily buildings, a small commercial building, and a large empty lot at the corner of 23rd Street and Jackson Avenue that was last under development for a 50-story hotel.
The proposed project, however, does not cover the corner two-story building currently at 45-01 23rd St. The developer noted in city filings for the building that attempts to purchase the property and its development rights from the owner were unsuccessful. The “viability of development” for the lot, according to the developer, would not be affected by the project on the table.
The project has been in the works for several years, and requires public review due to changes in the buildout parameters, like bulk and setback, as requested by the developer.
Proposed development envelope as seen from 23rd Street. (via City Planning Commission)
Despite the tower’s proposed size, Tavros Capital Partners is actually seeking to make changes to current zoning that ultimately allow for a significantly shorter building. The developer can already build an as-of-right project on site reaching a height of 70 stories, but is opting to build a 45-story development instead that features “a more flexible design and a more efficient floor plate size,” according to city documents.
Coralie Ayers, from the Department of City Planning, said at last week’s Community Board 2 meeting that without the requested changes, the tower would be “excessively large.” She further expanded on the application’s reasoning in a January board meeting.
“It’s quite a constrained lot, and it would have necessitated quite a tall building,” she said, adding that the changes move away from having a “skinny, extremely tall building” on site.
Without the requested zoning text amendment changes, the developer could build the taller project in the top image, seen in white. The lower image shows the planned height of the tower with the requested changes. (via City Planning Commission)
The project recently entered the first phase of its review in Feb. 11, where it was presented before the City Planning Commission, and referred simultaneously to Community Board 2 and the Queens Borough President for a 45-day period to comment.
The developer, in a separate application yet to be submitted, also plans on providing subway improvements to the adjacent Court Square station in exchange for more floor area on the building site. Negotiations are currently underway with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on what the improvements may entail, and possibly include building out a new street to platform elevator for part of the station.
The developer plans on beginning construction in 2020, and completing the project by 2022.
Update 3/07: A prior version of this article said the development would have 250 units, based on plans presented at the time. The developer has since altered plans, now eyeing 200 condominium units on site. The article has been updated to reflect the changes.
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21 Comments
Will this be built with Union Labor JVB?
45-stories tall? That’s an awful lot of folks who will not have sunshine. I certainly hope the local community board keeps that in mind. It could just be an opening gambit and they’re expecting to be “bargained” down to 20 stories. And they are going to adopt the local subway and LIRR station right? So they will insure it will be maintained and cleaned?
If you were a developer, had a solid bottom line, investors, and the opportunity, you would do the same Thing… perhaps more equitably. Capitalism and greed are the American way and they in totality, dictate NYC macroeconomics. I feel sorry for real New Yorkers who are being driven out of their homes due to soaring rents and valuations.
Oh oh. Scamazon go bye bye. Now what??!?! I’ll tell you what….
News Update: Develor pulls back plans to construct 45 story tower. Details at 11. Opportunistic vultures.
Whether it’s LIC or Astoria, all these luxury condo developments are going up by the train tracks.
I’m a resident in one of the buildings to be torn down for this project and can confirm the low-rise buildings are not completely vacant.
I also live in one of those lots and this is the first I’m hearing of the construction plans (we already knew the building had sold). I’ll miss this place.
I like it! For those of us who would rather have remained in caves, open your minds.
I hope the architecture is more inspiring that the ugly that has been going up in the area for years. The Jacx project from Tishman Speyer is probably the only nice looking recent high-rise.
Where’s Jimmy and Gianaris??!!! Why aren’t they protesting yet another tower? Why aren’t they protesting that there be REAL affordable housing in these new skyscrapers??!! Why aren’t they upset that another building is going up and LIC doesn’t have the infrastructure?? But they’re crying cause they weren’t a part of the Amazon Deal?? Oh but they took $$$ from real estate developers??! Enough with GREED from developers and politicians. Hunters point gentrification has been happening for way over a decade. When’s it gonna end??
They are going to be very quiet about this because these Developers are off the grid and they can quietly collect their checks.
On spot!!!
You got that right!!!!
So unnecessary. I know the buildings were purchased by developers but I really hope that whoever lived in the two-story buildings, weren’t forced out of their home to find a new place because the property were brought by the developers.
Ridiculous please enough already! Ugh
They won’t stop until every inch of space in Court Square is developed (why not build IN the actual street?) without green space and we have to hire people to stand on the train platform to shove people into the trains like they do in Japan. Enough already.
They are doing it for Scamazon. If there was a cemetery, they would build on top of it too.
These parcels were purchased more than 2 years ago, way before Amazon was looking for an HQ2.
Yes. I’m sure it’s going to stop if Amazon goes away. ?
They wont stop for sure …FYI prepare for more when Amazon moves in ..
Soon the only green spaces you will able to find it.. that will be in lobby of another 45-story beauty
It’s disgusting. Good for your real estate sales and commissions, but not good for any decent quality of life.