Astoria, Real Estate
Jun 13, 2014

Demolition for Vernon Tower Approved

It probably seems obvious, but before you can build a new building on a piece of property, the old building must fall. So goes the fate of the little one-story (…)

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It probably seems obvious, but before you can build a new building on a piece of property, the old building must fall. So goes the fate of the little one-story structure at 31-43 Vernon, that used to be home to Harold H. Anthony, a company that supplied building materials. The demolition application was approved yesterday, and the building will be deconstructed by hand. I love the terracotta roofing tiles, and apparently some green tiles of this sort are quite valuable (I learned that at Kinship Coffee).

harold-anthony-demolition-building-green-terracotta-tile-astoria-queens

From September 2013. Via Google Maps.

Maybe some of those tiles will be donated to Build It Green or something. Bummer about the great street art on this wall and the Vernon Blvd wall (I passed it on my walk home last weekend from Socrates Sculpture Park) that will no doubt be destroyed in the process of building the new development.

The building that will be built on this property is something called Vernon Tower. Curbed wrote about this 6-story development in April:

Designed by PACS Architecture and developed by Michael Heletz of Vernon Tower LLC, the “tower,” located across the street from Socrates Sculpture Park, will contain 79 units in its 66,300 square feet, according to recently filed Department of Building permits. However, the architects’ website says that it will have 105 units, and that they will be a mixture of studio, one-, and two-bedroom units. Construction is set to begin this spring.

Here’s one of the renderings for the building.

31-43-vernon-boulevard-astoria-queens

The views on the upper floors will probably be pretty awesome, since the only thing between them and the view is Socrates Sculpture Park, which is about as low-rise as it can get.

Astoria Building Calling Itself a ‘Tower,’ For Some Reason [Curbed]

About Meg Cotner

Meg Cotner was trained as a harpsichordist and now works as a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of "Food Lovers' Guide to Queens," and is a skilled and avid home cook, baker, and preserver.

One Comment

BrianaM

I’m over hearing how new nondescript “luxury” housing is being approved for construction. I get it, along with the new restaurants and bars coming up in the neighborhood we have to deal with new housing development that the average New Yorker can’t afford. Thanks.

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