By Bill Parry
A Flushing-based developer is planning to transform the Long Island City skyline in a gigantic way. Chris Jiashu Xu has filed plans to build a 964-foot, 79-story residential tower that will dwarf the Citigroup building, which has been the tallest in Queens since it opened in 1990.
The project, known as the Court Square City View Tower, would go up at 23-15 44th Drive, next to the CUNY School of Law across the street from 1 Court Square. Plans filed by Xu indicate the 778,000-square-foot building with 774 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail space is scheduled to begin construction in 2017. The plans were filed as an as of right project, meaning it does not have to go through the public review process, which is what occurred with a different project last week.
Community Board 2 voted down a plan to develop the Paragon Paint building on Vernon Boulevard Feb. 2. Simon Baron Development and CRE Development had applied for a variance that would have allowed them to build a 28-story tower as well as 13-story and eight-story buildings containing 344 apartments.
CB2’s rejection of the plan is advisory. A decision is now awaited from the Board of Standards and Appeals.
“We focused a great deal on the Paragon project,” CB2 Chairman Patrick O’Brien said. “We have a right to voice our opinion and be heard on the record.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
