The Falchi Building in Long Island City may be getting greener.
According to the Department of City Planning, the city agency has filed an application for a chair certification to construct a hydroponic greenhouse on the rooftop of the Falchi Building, located at 31-00 47th Ave. Penny Lee, a city planner, made the announcement at a Community Board 2 meeting on Thursday.
The greenhouse would collect rainwater and funnel it into aquariums of fish that would then clean the water used to grow plants. A hydroponic greenhouse uses mineral nutrient solutions in water, instead of soil, to grow plants.
Lee said that the application is necessary since adding the rooftop would increase the structure’s level of non-compliance with building codes. The building was constructed before current zoning went into effect and is considered overbuilt. Adding this greenhouse would make the building bigger and therefore, a Chair’s certification provision was established to allow commercial greenhouses, Lee said.
This application will be referred to the community board for comments, which will then be submitted to the Chairperson of the City Planning Commission for approval. Lee will present it at the CB 2 Land Use Committee Meeting on Nov. 18.
The Courier reached out to Jamestown, owner of the Falchi Building, and is awaiting comment.
