Durst Starts Leasing Units in Its 71-Story Long Island City Apartment Complex

The Durst Organization/Giles Ashford

Nov. 18, 2021 By Christian Murray

The Durst Organization announced Thursday that it has started leasing units in its 71-story luxury building that has recently gone up in Queens Plaza.

The development, which is located adjacent to the historic Clock Tower at 29-27 Queens Plaza North, features 928 apartments, with its market-rate units renting for between $2,950 and $6,000 a month.

The building, called Sven, is the second-tallest building in Queens—with the Skyline Tower being the tallest—and offers residents views of the Manhattan skyline and surrounding boroughs. The building, which has a unique curved shape façade, wraps around the historic Clock Tower.

Rental prices for market rate units (Durst)

The development is close to the E/M/R subway lines at Queens Plaza and the 7/N/W lines at Queensboro Plaza, and near the Court Square transit hub.

There are 670 market rate units that are now available to lease, while 288 units have been set aside as income-restricted. Durst is handling leasing on the market rate units in-house.

A lottery for the 288 income restricted/affordable housing units has yet to take place—with the NYC Housing Preservation & Development still to announce when it will start taking applications.

All units, whether market rate or income restricted, will feature high-end amenities.

“Sven offers residents the best of healthy, sustainable living along with the top amenities in one of the most highly anticipated buildings to hit the market this year,” said Jonathan (Jody) Durst, president of The Durst Organization.

The Durst Organization/Giles Ashford

The apartments, according to Durst, are outfitted with modern stainless-steel appliances and high-end design features, including European countertops, flooring and cabinetry; high-end washer and dryers; floor-to-ceiling double-pane windows for unobstructed views, energy efficiency, and sound insulation; blackout shades in all bedrooms; and programmable thermal systems, giving residents control of the climate in their home.

The building also comes with 50,000 square feet of amenities, including a landscaped terrace with an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center, complete with individual studios for yoga, pilates and boxing.

The Durst Organization/Giles Ashford

Sven’s amenity floors feature a chef’s catering kitchen, private dining room for entertaining, screening room, poker lounge, game room, multisport simulator, children’s playroom, bi-level library, conference center and multiple co-working spaces. The building is also pet-friendly.

The Durst Organization is creating a half-acre public park in front of Sven, designed by Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects to add green space for both residents and the community.

In addition, more than 700 square feet of roof space at Sven is covered in vegetation, beautifying shared outdoor spaces while also reducing water runoff.

All residences are equipped with high-performance, water-efficient kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Sven also features energy-efficient lighting throughout the building and reflective pavers on the building’s exterior to reduce heat island effect. Interior finish materials such as the carpet, paints, and insulation are selectively sourced to minimize off-gassing of harmful chemicals.

The Durst Organization/Giles Ashford

Apartments, meanwhile, are heated and cooled with individual energy-efficient vertical fan coil units. App-controlled Smart thermostats will help residents optimize the comfort and efficiency of their apartment.

The tower centers around the historic, landmarked 1927 Clock Tower building, which has undergone extensive façade restoration.

The Clock Tower will be used for offices, with retail space on the ground floor.