Real Estate Roundup, Almost Fall Edition

We thought we’d pass on some Astoria and LIC real estate news that you may or may not have encountered recently. And if we mention something you already know about, here’s a chance for another round of cheers or jeers toward the real estate forces at work in this town.

35-10 Astoria Blvd

Did you know a new building is planned for Astoria Blvd near 35th Street? That’s right, it’s one door down and across the street from the 114th Precinct, known for their “creative” parking practices in the area (like parking on the sidewalk). YIMBY is our source for news of a new 7-story mixed-use building (what is with new 7-story buildings in this town?) right on noisy Astoria Blvd. It would bring 36 units, a dance studio on the ground floor, and 13 parking spaces.

Hallets Point Update

The Dursts have persevered with this project, thanks to the 421-A tax exemption project getting new life (“Affordable New York”) from Governor Cuomo. The first building in the Hallets Point development is planned for a Summer 2018 debut, which really isn’t that long from now, all things considered. According to Curbed, “At least 81 of those units will be affordable to families earning between 40 and 50 percent of the AMI, but overall pricing for the rentals has not yet been released.” Would you apply for one?

The Real Deal also interviewed “real estate mogul” Douglas Durst, which you can read here.

50 Condo Units Coming To Western 27th Avenue

The DOB shows paperwork has been filed to build a 7-story mixed use building at 3-11 27th Avenue. This is on the peninsula in western Astoria that is getting so much attention these days, thanks to the Astoria Ferry, Hallets Point, and Astoria Cove. The building would contain 37,940 square feet of residential space, 7,991 square feet of retail and a 12,656 square foot community facility (day care, outpatient medical care). And shocker—they plan 50 parking spaces for this building. This is a RARE OCCURENCE. It’s almost like you need special glasses to look at it (yes, there’s still time to make eclipse jokes).

In order to do this they’ll have to raze a single story commercial building that is home to a food market, deli, and a few other stores. Here’s hoping there will be good replacements for them (maybe one of those supermarkets they talk about in the other new developments coming to the area).

5 Pointz Replacement Update

LIC’s beloved 5 Pointz (RIP), whitewashed in the middle of the night in November 2013, is dead. In its place will be yet another couple of towers in the neighborhood, and progress on the development is moving along. The Court Square Blog stopped by earlier this month, and at that point in time one of the buildings stood at 40 stories, the other at 20 stories. There will be 1,150 apartments (223 “affordable”) by the time the buildings are built and reach their 48- and 41-story heights.

Here are some renderings for the interiors, and Wolkoffs’ designer incorporates graffiti art into the communal areas. More:

“The lobby has an ‘engraved graffiti logo’ in the reception area along with soaring ceilings and a few walls adorned with artwork. The towers will offer a gallery with 14-foot ceilings, large columns, floor-to-ceiling windows that welcome in plenty of natural light, and more graffiti. Plans also call for nearly 40,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground and cellar floors along with 20 artists’ studios.”

Goodwill to the neighborhood or shamelessly capitalizing on what 5 Pointz was? You decide.

Here’s a $1.75 Million Condo for Sale in LIC

The NY Times poked its nose into LIC again (we already hear the grumbling) and showed off a super pricey one-bedroom condo in the Arris Lofts building. Would you pay $1,775,000 (+ reduced taxes) for “a one-bedroom, two-bath condo with soaring 15-foot ceilings in a former industrial building”?

LIC Is the Fastest Growing Nabe in NYC

NY Mag takes a look at LIC and declares it “the country’s fastest-growing neighborhood.“ They had these gems to share. NB: The Hayden (43-25 Hunter Street, across from CUNY School of Law, among other things) is a new luxury building that opened earlier this year. First, you can “look sexy” at the Hayden:

“Like most of the big buildings going up, Hayden is a self-contained young-professional-lifestyle citadel equipped with, as Elghanayan puts it, ‘knock-your-socks-off amenities,’ including a pristine indoor basketball court. One of the other roof decks is supposed to be just for yoga, another for coffee. And this one is for? ‘Hanging out, lounging, looking sexy,’ he says, gesturing to the wall along the north side, which hinges open to reveal a screen for outdoor movie nights. “Actually, you do all these marketing renderings showing people lounging: Oh, you look so hot. But it actually does look like that when people are here.”

And then there’s this:

Haiwen Lu, 31, public relations
“I told my broker that I wanted a luxury building in FiDi. He said, ‘I have something great in Long Island City.’ I said, ‘No, thanks, let’s go to FiDi.’ But after I saw the Hayden, I applied on the spot. I lived in Hell’s Kitchen before and often joke to my friends that to upgrade my lifestyle, I downgraded my neighborhood.”