Paris Hotel expanding

As seen from the Long Island Expressway. An expansion of the Paris Hotel. It doesn't seem like they're gaining all that much rentable space. Kind of surprised this place is still in business but there you go. Draw your own conclusions.

The Frankenhouse of Maspeth

"Hey Crappie please add this to your monster houses that are swallowing up Queens. This used to be a nice house till they started making "little" alterations all of which were legal according to the DOB.

Jay Ave. and 66 Street Maspeth."

Before:


Hmmm... these plans were approved on February 29th of this year. That was an awful fast construction job! And some nice violations as well.

Middle Village project looking much better

Well here's some good news for a change. The project on 80th Street in Middle Village was not looking all that good when it was stalled last year.

But it's looking pretty good these days, and it's going to match the original building well. It's even sporting a new trim which looks fab.

Ozone Park half house

Here's half of a house that I stumbled across on 103rd Street in Ozone Park, just north of 101st Ave.

Well that excavation looks kind of unstable.

It seems that the DOB & FDNY agree.

This was supposed to be an enlargement.

But it became more of a nightmare.

F'ed up on Fitchett

They want to build a McMansion here but the plans were rejected.



And then there's what's directly across the street...

The plans were revoked and it's been sitting in this condition for 2 years.

The neighbors must love it.

Behold the most beautiful yard you've ever seen!

You may remember this post from 2014 regarding the property located on 60th Drive in Maspeth. I was told at the time to wait until the owner was done because it would be the nicest yard we've ever seen. Well, here you go. That's a humdinger of a horizontal enlargement.

It's a good thing I'm getting my allergy shots what with all that green on the property!

How many garages does one family need?

Owner of f*cked up Flushing house speaks

From the Queens Chronicle:

[Eddie] Peralta told the Queens Chronicle all is not as it seems.

He adamantly denied that he intends to enlarge the house.

As for why the siding and roof were removed, he said the previous owner put layer upon layer on without removing the first piece and he feared the roof was about to collapse, later showing pictures to a Chronicle reporter that apparently proved his claim. He is in the process of submitting those plans to the DOB now, he said, and intends on going back to work if those plans are approved.

Why no construction fence? He only needs one if new construction is occurring, something he denies is happening.

At least two people don’t buy Peralta’s story.

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said the pictures he’s seen of the house show something more than “minor renovations” going on.

“If that’s the case,” Avella said of Peralta’s claim the roof came off for safety reasons, “then he has to reamend the permit and get a different one.”

Paul Graziano, an urban planner who has raised questions about the house, said the removal of the roof is “not a minor alteration.

“That is a major alteration,” the Flushing resident continued, adding he, too, believes that if the homeowner does not intend to enlarge, he should file different permits.

That's some alteration!

You may recall this Middle Village house from a November 2013 post entitled "Expanding the Farmhouse". I promised to follow up on this "alt-2" project when the final product was revealed. Well, here goes:

Interesting alcove above the front door. It's purpose? Dunno.

Yes, I can see how this would be classified as a minor alteration.

Expanding the farmhouse

I don't know anything about the history of this house other than it has that "classic farmhouse" look to it, albeit one that could use a facelift. It is located at 69-33 66th Road in Middle Village. I became concerned this past weekend when I saw that the windows had been removed and there was a construction fence around it, especially considering that another house could probably fit into that side yard.

But it turns out that the house is being horizontally enlarged, not demolished.

I'll follow up when the final product is unveiled.