Astoria, Astoria Arrivals, Neighborhood, News, Real Estate
Mar 02, 2020

There Are Two Very Big Changes Coming to the Northern End of Astoria

Since there are two noteworthy changes that have recently been announced for the northern end of Astoria—down toward 20th Ave, between 37th and 45th St…at the East River/Luyster Creek/Bowery Bay—we (…)

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A screenshot of the lot in question from Google Maps.

Since there are two noteworthy changes that have recently been announced for the northern end of Astoria—down toward 20th Ave, between 37th and 45th St…at the East River/Luyster Creek/Bowery Bay—we decided to combine them into one post.

First, back in the summer we reported news of Robert De Niro‘s real estate development company Wildflower LTD potentially coming to Astoria. Wildflower is led by Adam Gordon and Matt Dicker, and Robert De Niro is a partner along with his son Raphael De Niro and his business partner Jane Rosenthal. They were interested in acquiring a 5.25 acre lot at 87 19th Ave from Steinway & Sons piano factory, which they hoped to turn into a film studio with pre-production and post-production offices.

Well, according to the New York real estate news website The Real Deal, the deal has officially closed as of February 20 for $71.6 million. They are said to start on the foundations for the gigantic film production studio and offices this summer. And, as Adam Gordan told The Real Deal, movies will be shot at the studio as soon as two years from now.

Steinway only sold about half their land in the deal; they will still own 5.75 acres (presumably, the piano factory will function as usual). The Bjarke Ingels Group will design the studio, which will apparently clock in at a massive 650,000 square feet. Astoria, of course, has a rich history in the film history, especially with production studios. Kaufman Astoria Studios has been a part of community in some form since 1920, and is one of the few major studios in all of NYC.

Second, the Department of Sanitation is hoping to relocate a large garbage truck garage from 21st Street to Vernon Boulevard at 31-11 20th Ave (only a few blocks from the new De Niro space). They will spend $131 million to relocate the garage, which apparently is more of a long-term solution as opposed to simply redoing the current location, which officials say is “dilapidated and overcrowded,” according to Patch.com. The Queens Community Board 1 voted and approved the new location, so now the proposal will be reviewed by the Queens borough president, and then will make its way to the City Planning Commission to next steps.

So, Robert De Niro and garbage trucks…two things you wouldn’t think would ever go together, but here we are!

2 Comments

Michael Boylan

The NYDS garage should have been relocated to this area decades ago.

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