Thursday, September 19, 2013

Rego Park mall to expand into housing

From The Real Deal:

Vornado Realty Trust has filed plans with the Department of Buildings for a 314-unit residential building above its Rego Park shopping mall in Queens, according to filings spotted by The Real Deal. The 24-story, 287,113-square-foot building addition, which sources said would be a rental complex, is set to be designed by SLCE Architects, the filings show.

The Rego Park rental units will be added atop an existing shopping center at 61-35 Junction Boulevard just off the Long Island Expressway. The 610,000-square-foot center, known as Rego Park II, is anchored by a 145,000-square-foot Costco, a 135,000-square-foot Century 21 clothing store and a 133,000-square-foot Kohl’s, according to a Vornado regulatory filing.

The proposed development will cost between $100 million and $120 million, Vornado projected in a regulatory filing late last year, when it initially informed investors of the provisional plan for the project. Vornado is building the project on behalf of a subsidiary, the real estate investment trust Alexander’s.

At that time, the company said the plans were still up in the air. “There can be no assurance that the project will commence, or if commenced, be completed on schedule or within budget,” it said in a
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Now, it appears the trust is moving ahead with the project.

Vornado declined to comment on the DOB filing via a spokesperson.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty dumb idea if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

That area has become an overly congested and noisy dump .who would want to live there with all of those seedy looking shoppers at the Rego Mall?

Anonymous said...

Just what Rego Park needs.

Anonymous said...

I don't suppose it will be affordable housing, as was supposed to be built in the original plans...

Anonymous said...

Thjat's great! Having the LIE as a next door neighbor is absolutely enthralling.

Unknown said...

part of the DEAL (for the shopping center) was improvements to subway--when are they planned? Rego Park subway is in real need of up grading--Handicapped access would be wonder--but just a general clean up (the old, now abondoned floral shop is a pig sty) the whole place is dirty and grimy. Lets here what Vornado is planning to do to improve the area (more residents & congestion is not an improvement)

Anonymous said...

Rego Park does need more people and so does Whitestone. Why don't all of you who are now disgusted with Rego Park move over to the all new Valonia Development being built on the waters of the East River, albeit on contaminated land, in once beautiful Whitestone. C'mon over! Lets play Deck Chairs on the Titanic New Yorkers.

Bnc626 said...

Just what Queens needs, ANOTHER luxury apartment/coop building that noone can afford!! Do you know how many foreclosed condos and coops there is now already? or how many apartments there are out there where the rent is WAY TOO HIGH?

Anonymous said...

I wonder what type of element this development will bring to the neighborhood. Do you ever notice the trash living in the Gardens since they removed their restrictive covenants ? More garbage from 3rd world nations. The 112 Precinct is already working with half of the officers they had 10 years ago. And with Melinda in office, it will just be more of this type of overdevelopment. God help us.

Anonymous said...

The Gardens covenants are still in place.

Anonymous said...

"Gottlieb noted that at one time local restrictive covenants forbade the sale of homes to Jewish people, African-Americans and those considered to be part of the lower middle classes. But that is no longer the case as a varied of mix of races and ethnicities can now be found residing in the multi-million dollar homes."

Anonymous said...

.who would want to live there with all of those seedy looking shoppers at the Rego Mall?
----------------------

Immigrants who don't know any better.

Anonymous said...

This goes back to the 1970s....

Anonymous said...

I couldn't be lower income? That would be impossible wouldn't it? Anyway, I think if people don't mind living above those stores with all that congestion, with the expressway next door, then so be it. Personally the only way it would affect me is if it were to attract seedy people to the area.

Anonymous said...

when an area is already at a breaking point due to congestion, of course what you do is add additional stacked personal residences to the mix...the metropolis of Ridley Scott's BladeRunner comes to mind...

Anonymous said...

"Do you know how many foreclosed condos and coops there is now already?"

No why don't you tell us? Or just continue to make something sound like a problem without backing it up with any facts.

Anonymous said...

There are five foreclosed condoms and three coops. Enough is enough already!

Anonymous said...

Seedy shoppers? I've only been to the Century 21 a few times but I'm not sure what you mean by seedy.

Anonymous said...

Do you know how many foreclosed condos and coops there is now ? What are talking about ? Houses and apartments are being sold in few hours around here and you are talking foreclosure and empty apartment