The land near the historic Steinway Mansion in Astoria is on its way toward becoming a set of commercial buildings.
A total of 11 two-story commercial buildings dubbed Steinway Park are currently being constructed on the land that houses the landmarked property. According to George Margaronis of Pinnacle Realty, the brokerage firm responsible for each sale, the units will run from 3,600 square feet to 5,400 square feet.
The ground floor of the buildings will house warehouses featuring 16- and 17-foot ceilings, a drive-in door and options for a passenger elevator. Office space will be constructed on the second floor, and owners will have the option to combine adjacent units.
The address for each building will range from 18-21 41st St. to 18-42 42nd St., and prices are set from $1,800,000 to $2,310,000.
Margaronis said three of the buildings have already been purchased by local buyers or investors. Each unit is also registered in the Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program, which offers a 25-year tax abatement for buyers.
“In a world where commercial space has just been shrinking, this is great to have something different,” Margaronis said.
According to Margaronis, the buildings are ideal for contractors, architect firms and engineering firms and creative media companies.
He also added that each unit will probably “be spoken for rather quickly” and that the warehouses are not traditional warehouse blocks but also include more intricate “architectural details.”
The Steinway Mansion, a New York City landmark, was sold in 2014 after the death of owner Michael Halberian in 2010. It was first purchased by the Steinway family in 1870 and used as a summer home. The Steinway & Sons piano factory, which is still operational, was built a few blocks away. The Halberian family purchased the mansion in 1920.
In 2013, Steinway & Sons; the Queens Economic Development Corporation; local officials and historians formed The Friends of Steinway Mansion to preserve the mansion and the land around it.
The group proposed alternative uses for the 27-room mansion, located at 18-33 41st St., including museum space or a teaching and learning center for small concerts and workshops, said Bob Singleton, coalition founder and executive director of the Greater Astoria Historical Society in a previous interview.
The group could not raise the millions of dollars needed to purchase the house and to conduct maintenance, restoration and conversion into a public facility.
