Construction work has recently topped out on a 23-story mixed-use building being built at 45-40 Vernon Blvd. in Long Island City.
The building, known as the Paragon, is expected to be 262 feet tall and to span 192,500 square feet when completed. It will have 226 housing units, as well as commercial space on the lower level.
The construction crews at the site have begun to frame out the lower levels of the structure with metal studs and yellow insulation boards.
Before construction of the new building began, the previous structure at 45-40 Vernon Blvd., the Paragon Paint Building, was demolished in October 2024. However, the old building was repurposed into the podium of the new structure being built. The new building is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.
Additional planned features of the construction project include a public plaza north of the property with raised concrete garden beds, trees and seating areas. Outdoor space comprises approximately 20% of the development site. This public plaza will also provide Queens residents with the only form of access to the Anable Basin from Vernon Boulevard.
Archimaera designed the mixed-use building being made at 45-40 Vernon Blvd. The structure is being developed by ZD Jasper, which acquired the assemblage from Quadrum Global, Baron Property Group and Simon Development for $47 million in the spring of 2025 in a deal brokered by JLL.
In 2013, Quadrum Global, Baron Property Group and Simon Development invested $14.6 million into converting and expanding the former Paragon Paint Building into a mixed-use complex. This previous concept called for a 28-story structure with 296 housing units. Those plans were announced in 2015 and SHoP Architects was tasked with designing the building. However, community opposition led to the scope of work being revised in 2022 to the current configuration.
Additionally, the previous developers invested another $13 million into remediating the site under the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program. This remediation involved clearing the contaminated soil, treating the groundwater and replacing the timber bulkhead/seawall along the Anable Basin.
The Court Square-23rd Street subway station, which provides service for the E and M trains, and the 21st Street subway station, which provides service for the G train, are the nearest train stations to 45-40 Vernon Blvd. There are also bus stops in the area for the Q67, Q103 and B32 lines. The Long Island City Ferry is also nearby.
Some of the other notable features within close proximity to the property include MoMA PS1, the Queens Public Library at Hunters Point, Gantry Plaza State Park and the Murray Playground.
