The skyline along Queens Boulevard in Woodside will get taller if the city approves a rezoning to allow developers to build two residential towers spanning 14 and 17 stories.
Madison Realty Capital is planning to build two towers at 69-02 Queens Blvd., a former gas station and car wash, the Commercial Observer first reported. In order to construct the project, Madison Realty Capital will have to rezone several lots.
According to plans filed with the Department of City Planning, the half-a-million-square-foot project would include 561 residential units and 5,600 square feet of retail. Of the 561 apartments, 169 would be considered affordable and priced at 80 percent Area Median Income (AMI). The project would also include a 242-spot parking lot.
The project site spans six lots but so far, Madison Realty Capital only owns two sites, the Commercial Observer reported. The developers might be waiting to purchase the remaining sites until the zoning is approved.
While half the sites are zoned to allow residential construction because of a rezoning in 2006, the other half of the site is zoned for low-rise industrial use. The developers would have to go through a Unified Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and the plan would have to be approved by Community Board 2, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, the City Council and the City Planning Commission.
Madison Realty Capital is also seeking a permit to build an even taller building. Currently, there is a 140-foot limit on residential buildings and developers are looking to build up to 180 feet.
If the rezoning is not approved, the developers can still build two towers spanning 11 stories and 12 stories with 289 stories, of which 58 would be affordable. The parking lot would hold 149 vehicles with 14,160 square feet of retail space and 10,940 square feet of community facility space.
According to Yimby, construction is slated to last about 22 months and the site has been partially demolished. The project is expected to be completed by 2020.
