Monday, October 14, 2024

Twin Towers of Yes

 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b9ffe0f1137a680c2c08250/5bc308b8-9b07-4087-9ba6-edcfeca267d3/Skyscraper+1.png?format=2500w

 Queens Eagle

A major developer has plans to build two nearly 50-story towers in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Central Queens – but locals want no part of it.

Marx Development Group aims to construct a two-tower complex, which will be as high as 47-stories – or 572-feet tall – between Parsons Boulevard and Park Avenue in the generally low-density, suburban-eque community of Kew Gardens Hills.

While the project is still missing some needed permits, according to Department of Buildings documents, the dual-tower skyscraper is an as-of-right project and can be constructed without a potentially lengthy rezoning process.

However, locals and elected officials in the neighborhood nonetheless want the project halted.

The lot for the building is nestled amongst several low-density blocks, characterized by two- to three-story apartment buildings. It is directly between an assisted living facility, which the developer also owns; an office building, which houses the office of Assemblymember Sam Berger; and the NYPD’s 107th Precinct.

The majority of the area is listed as an R6 zone, according to the Department of City planning.

DCP said that the plans, as they were outlined as of Thursday, would not require the developer to undergo any kind of rezoning process, a potentially lengthy procedure that would require approval from the local community board, borough president and City Council.

The lot has long been owned by MDG subsidiary Atria Builders LLC, which is headed by CEO David Marx, and the company has been working to file permits for the building since 2019.

Currently, according to the Department of Buildings, the tower’s construction is not fully approved, and is missing a few documents. Mainly, the application is missing what is called a zoning diagram, a document that proves the builders plan to use the building solely for its allowed zoning use – in this case, residential use.

However, the developer has approved permits to do preliminary ground work at the site, which is currently ongoing.

But as work began on the lot, so too did local opposition.

Negative community response to the building began to pick up when housing outlet New York YIMBY published an article on Oct. 2, reporting that the owners are beginning the development process.

New York YIMBY also reported that the structure would bring 800 units over the property’s 1.1 million square feet, and around 27,000 square feet for community facility space.

It is currently unclear if – or how much – affordable housing the building would include.

It is scheduled to be completed by 2028.

“It will be a disaster,” said Sorolle Idels, a local Jewish leader and community board member. “It's a congested area, making it unbelievably more congested…This is a big fat mess.”

Idels said that even though the developers were not required to come before the community board to pitch the project, she believes they should have at least given them a heads up giving the project’s size and scale.

“This absolutely went under the radar with no input from the community board or the community,” she said. “No one discussed it with anybody, and that's not right. How do you build a skyscraper and not get the community input?”

City Councilmember Jim Gennaro said that while the project is still in its preliminary stages, he wants to work with the developer to make sure community concerns are addressed.

“My job is to bring the community and the developer together to work out common sense accommodations, common sense mitigations, work on people's concerns and expect some consideration and some acquiescence to the community's concern,” Gennaro told the Eagle.

“I think it's in the developer's best interest to be neighborly and be attentive to community concerns,” he added. “Nothing has been approved by the DOB as of this date, but we're not going to wait. We're going to get out there and we're going to mix it up.”

 

11 comments:

Cav said...

This is grotesque and utterly unnecessary. This is motivated by pure greed of developers, corporate landlords, and most disgusting of all, pandering politicians who are supposed to be public employees looking after the best interests of their constituents of which and whom they couldn't care less.

Despite all their pretty lies and manufactured crises, they want nothing more than to re-monetize existing properties, realizing huge gains by building up and what the people of the community and how it will affect their quality of life be damned. All this talk about "affordable housing" (affordable to who exactly?) is just a red herring, another pretty lie. It must be stopped.

The solution is obvious to anyone with a functional brain: Vote politicians who allow this building rampage out and demand voter ID and that illegal aliens absolutely not be allowed to vote even in local elections. Lest I forget, have the mayor rescind the sanctuary city executive order as there is no such law that can be found.

Donald Cavaioli

Anonymous said...

Staten Island
Civics United
SICU
IS HAVING A MASSIVE
RALLY AGAINST MAYOR
ADAMS (CITY OF YES)
PROPOSAL TO DESTROY
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
HYLAN BLVD & TYSENS LANE, SATURDAY
OCTOBER 19, 2024, AT 12:00 PM
BRING SIGNS, FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LET YOUR
NEIGHBOR KNOW HOW THIS (CoY) WILL
DESTROY OUR CITY!!!

Anonymous said...

Kew Gardens Hills is the perfect place for this. Isn't this the neighborhood where they sell stolen Palestinian homes to Zionist Americans?
Build baby build!

KG2V said...

Gad, every day, I watch the news from the city, and I'm so glad I bugged out in December. Still in the state (boo) but about as far as you can get from NYC

Anonymous said...

How is a 47 story building allowed in an R6 zoning and without any community or council member input? I can understand maybe 10 stories in that location, but 47 stories? Thats insane. That does not belong in that area.

Anonymous said...

Marx Development Group. Lol, perfectly appropriate for this corrupt, Marxist city.

Anonymous said...

Community Boards or local civics should be looking at the existing zoning across their districts IN ADVANCE of this stuff and trying to change the zoning (fat chance) or at least, highlight how non-contextual it is. Expose Gennaro or whomever to take a public position on the inappropriate zoning in place and get them to work with DCP to change it. If it's currently zoned R6... well it sucks but it's also as of right.

Anonymous said...

Another rant from an unhinged right wing nut.

Anonymous said...

“My job is to bring the community and the developer together to work out common sense accommodations, common sense mitigations, work on people's concerns and expect some consideration and some acquiescence to the community's concern," "Councilman" and chronic office seeker Jim Gennarro.
I Call major league bullshit on Gennarro's comment: His job is to reflect and advocate for his constituency, not some developer campaign donor.
He has never done that. He's been living on the public teat so long he forgets who his employer actually is.

Anonymous said...

They look great. However, some of the locals might claim that land as theirs because some Bronze Age fairy tale character told them it was.

Friend from Queens NY said...

How much went into pols pockets?

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