Rendering of Phase 2 of HPS (EDC)
Oct. 19, 2017 by Nathaly Pesantez
Developers have released new designs for Parcel C of the ongoing Hunters Point South development, a shift that will result in the two planned towers to rise significantly higher than expected along the Long Island City waterfront in order to accommodate the complex infrastructure running below the ground along with a recently planned school for the site.
The two residential towers, referred to as “north” and “south” will rise to 55 stories, or 550 feet, and 44 stories, or 440 feet, respectively. The north tower’s new design is 14 stories higher than previously planned, and the south tower will see an additional nine stories, up from 35 stories in the previous plan.
The developer, TF Cornerstone, aims to break ground in June 2018.
The two towers will be flush against the perimeters of the parcel, as will the newly incorporated elementary school, resulting in cleared-out space in the middle of the site, where no built structures will rise, save for a food pavilion with outdoor seating amidst greenery and public art installations.
Layout of the redesigned parcel C
The changes were revealed during Community Board 2’s Land Use meeting Wednesday night. Jaclyn Sachs, a senior planner at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and John McMillan, director of Planning for TF Cornerstone, said that they had to redesign the two towers so they wouldn’t disturb power lines, an Amtrak tunnel, and other infrastructure running below the site. Furthermore, easement holders such as the New York Power Authority and Amtrak, wanted unobstructed access to the site.
Sachs added that while the New York Power Authority and Amtrak and other easement holders were part of initial conversations about the development, it wasn’t until a specific proposal for the parcel was put out by TF Cornerstone that easement holders preferences for an undisturbed center became clear.
TF Cornerstone also had to incorporate an elementary school on the parcel, which was not part of the original plan, after the city pushed for its addition during the developer’s redesign. The school will be 34,000 square-feet, with 572 seats, and have a ground level playground directed toward the center of the site.
“This was not an easy thing to do,” Sachs said, adding that parcel C is the largest and most complex of the parcels on the 30-acre Hunters Point South development.
Jaclyn Sachs of HPD and John McMillan of TF Cornerstone present a rendering showing parcel C
While the two towers will rise higher than initially planned, the number of total units and affordable spaces will remain the same for the parcel as laid out in 2013—nearly 1,200 units, 800 affordable—and have merely been redistributed. The north tower will see 800 units, of which 534 will be affordable, and with 100 of those units reserved for seniors. Approximately 8,000 square-feet of space will be reserved for commercial use.
The south tower will house 394 units, with 263 of those units classified as affordable. The tower will also hold approximately 6,316 square-feet of commercial space, including nearly 5,500 square feet for the retail pavilion. An 8,000 square-foot facility to be used by Sunnyside Community Services is also planned for the south tower.
About 60 to 80 units spread through the two sites will be three-bedroom apartments to cater to families.
Sachs added that the food pavilion planned for the site’s center may be taken up by a Shake Shack or a similar restaurant, and will possibly include rooftop seating. Local arts groups, like Socrates Sculpture Park or the Sculpture Center, are also being considered to curate rotating public art installations on the parcel.
McMillan said building permits will be filed immediately, with construction set to begin on the north tower in June 2018 and an opening toward the end of 2019, with marketing for the building beginning months prior to. Construction on the school will likely occur concurrently with the north tower’s construction. The south tower will follow about six months behind the north.
The HPD will seek a mayoral zoning override for the height increase in the two towers, a move Sachs said is not unusual, especially when circumstances might prevent the mandates of the RFP to be met.
The two towers to be built on Parcel C are part of seven residential towers planned for the Hunters Point South development. The overall site, spanning from 54th Avenue to Newtown Creek, is currently in phase II, which will see the construction of 3,000 units and a 600-seat school in the four remaining parcels.
Featured Events
41 Comments
Wait till the Mayor shuts down Rikers.
Where do you think he’ll put the LIC highrise jail to house the inmates?
LIC needs a nice community pool over in Hunters Point.
We also need shuttle buses to go into the city.
Boo yaaaa
Anyone know how many floors the elementary school
Will have?
Does this mean Sunnyside Community Center will move from 39th street — since they will move to a new 8,000 sq ft facilty? Maybe the city will turn the old 39th street site into another homeless shelter.
As I have been saying. Building without planning is what is ruining LIC. Oh, I forgot the STUPID, USELESS BQX Trolley. Excuse me on that.
Agreed, when you gave greedy luxury developers lots more power by voting one into our nation’s highest office, you contributed greatly to what’s ruining LIC. Thanks for being the problem.
The FAKE MRLIC wrote the OCT. 20, 12:52 pm post on bowling alleys.
For those upset by these buildings and the ‘ruining’ of the area think how the original residents felt back in 1997 when they rezoned lic and started this boom. For them I feel but everyone since has come here knowing what lic is and what it will become, there is no closing the door behind you here, there is still a lot more to come.
I find it humorous that you think the “original” residents were the ones here in the 90’s.
Arr you talking about the indigenous peoples we stole this land from? Just checking on how far back your gatekeeping extends.
OMG! I’ll bet you’re the life of the party.
Are there any plans for a bowling alley? I can’t believe DumBlasio repealed the law that says every new building must include low-income bowling.
What a horror. I want to know how “affordable” those apartments will really be. A Shake Shack? Please. Not what our community needs, a chain restaurant, when so many local mom & pop stores are being driven out of business by rising rents. And the topper? This is PUBLICLY-OWNED LAND. Why was a for-profit developer awarded this contract? Oh right, DeBlasio got 52% of his campaign contributions from real estate developers. We need to stop this in its tracks.
Personally, I would welcome a Shake Shack. I know many people who think that OUR community does want a Shake Shack. It’s not McDonalds. Danny Meyer has great restaurants, the quality is good and it is a New York City born business. My kids love their hot dogs.
Robot gentrifer
Stay on your side of the creek, brainwashed hipster.
Just what side of the creek am I on JVB’s dingleberry?
I also love how these NYC developers try to win people over to support their gargantuan Bladerunner-esque buildings by throwing in a few square feet of space for public art to gaze at while you much on your chain hamburger. That’s what passes for culture in this city these days.
Do you get paid to complain?
Wonderful News! Love Progress. Our cities are meant to grow and prosper. If these developers flood the market with hundreds or thousands of new units it will assist in keeping rents and sale prices down. Thanks TFC. Future tenant!
Do you work for TFC. You sure do not live over here.
Way to take a beautiful, thriving neighborhood and destroy it with overcrowding and hideous new stacks. I will root for Mother Nature to greet them. School- absolutely. We do NOT need to cram more people in this area. Remember to vote against deBasio this election.
This area does not have any buses or stop signs or trash cans now. 29,000 more people living here?? Really? Anything to sell the view of the city right? Really? Stop the building!!!!!!!!
Yes there are busses
One…
Q103 5 long blocks away..no bus on center ave…50 thousand people all gave to walk 5 blocks to the 7 or the one MTA bus
For whom – the raving lunatic racist Dietl or the Trump-loving, cut business taxes, ‘more pro-development than DeBlasio’ Republican? No thanks.
Typical. Elected officials signed off on this bait and switch. Shame on them. Shame on the EDC. Shame on LIC Partnership. Shame on Mayor deBlasio. They’re holding us hostage with schools and other community necessities.
and shame on JVB also – don’t ever forget him more money in their pockets –
That’s a long walk to the subway station. Are any new transit improvements included in this plan? These stories always focus on the number of new units and space but don’t detail what additional infrastructure is going to be provided to support the continued burgeoning growth in the neighborhood.
TFC offers shuttle buses to #7 Train
For their tenants only…MTA should be pushed to gave the Q103 bus come down Borden ave to pick up people as it turns right onto Center and proceed up to 48th then back to vernon and on to the F train. The 7 cannot handle 5000 more people a day
Unbelievable that with all the billions and billions that have thrown around in LIC, including rich handouts to private developers, no one is discussing the need to provide new modern transit infrastructure for the area. No, in NYC the best you can hope for — if you are really lucky — is a shitty bus route. Honestly, WTF is going on?
They’re going to push the useless BQX trolley even more now.
What’s going on? JVB doesn’t give one fuck about LIC. That’s what’s going on.
No room for a few more thousand on the 7 train.it is at capacity during rush hours and suffers from delayed trains as is…further the little bitty shuttle vans are only for TFC tennants. The MTA could at least expand the Q103 BUS from Vernon ave to go down Vernon to Center ave and back up 48th proceeding to the F train on Vernon.
So the people getting affordable housing need a new subway line built for them? Lol
We’ve had tens of thousands of new residents, workers, students and visitors added to the neighborhood in the past decade or so, and not one single added transit improvement. Transit benefits everyone. You live in NYC and you don’t understand this? What a palooka.
seriously, like a gorgeous waterfront view that most upper middle class can’t even afford at full price isn’t enough.
How ridiculous and resentful you two are. Subways are for everyone. That’s how the city functions. You add new people, you add service. There’s no income based assessment here. Sounds like you’d be happier in the ‘burbs.
said nothing about the subways. The 7 is what it is, with no plans to ease the struggle of the am commute. Us native NY-ers (no burbs for me tyvm) have learned to adapt, and leave home earlier to make it to work on time. It’s just mind-boggling how “affordable” housing seems to get the best locations, in addition to price breaks on rent, while people who have managed to make a decent living have to pay 1.5x+ for the same benefit. It’s almost a penalty for doing well for yourself (unless you are one of those rich kids gaming the system, living in the affordable units, and renting out your condo).
Your a special kinda stupid aren’t you!