52-02 Van Dam (Google)
Nov. 26. 2018 By Laura Hanrahan
One of New York City’s biggest hotel developers, Sam Chang, has his eye on Long Island City for his next big project.
Chang filed plans today with the Department of Buildings for a 14-story, 283-room hotel at 52-02 Van Dam St., just one block from the Fairfield Inn Motel, currently being used as a homeless shelter.
The new hotel, which will total 81,706 square feet, will replace an existing one-story industrial building on the property. The development will feature a restaurant, bar, rooftop terrace and 35 underground parking spots.
The developer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This will be Chang’s second hotel proposal in Long Island City this year. In May, he filed plans for a 324-room hotel at 38-39 9th St.
The Van Dam Street hotel would go up in a light manufacturing zone. The filing comes at a time when hotel development in manufacturing zones is the subject of debate in the city council.
The City Council is expected to vote in favor a zoning text amendment in coming weeks that would make it tougher for developers to build hotels in manufacturing zones. Under the proposal, developers would have to get their plans approved via a public review process like a rezoning. This development, however, would not be subject to that requirement given the date of the filing.
