Perkins Eastman Architects via Department of City Planning
April 10, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
A two-tower complex with over 500 residential units could be making its way to Queens Boulevard in Woodside.
The large-scale development, put forth by Madison Realty Capital, would see a 17 and a 14 story building at 69-02 Queens Boulevard housing 561 units combined, according to filings with the Department of City Planning.
Over 425,000 square feet would be allowed to the residential portion of the complex, which includes 392 market rate apartments and 169 affordable units. The site would also see 5,640 square feet of commercial space.
The development would also include parking for 242 cars, and an open space between the two towers at ground level featuring picnic tables, table tennis, a putting green, and a sand lounge for residents.
Perkins Eastman Architects via Department of City Planning
Madison Realty Capital filed a rezoning application with the city on March 29 for a special permit that would allow for one of the buildings to rise above the current limit of 140 feet and 14 stories. The additional height, should the city approve after undergoing a lengthy public process, would require the developer to set aside 30 percent of the planned units to households making 80 percent of the Area Median Income, or about $62,000 annually for a family of three.
The City Planning Commission said in their Statement of Findings that the site plan will preserve access to light and air for the neighborhood and create a visual buffer between the nearby Long Island Rail Road and other homes.
“The careful architectural and planning choices reflected in the design will integrate the development site into the surrounding area and create a benchmark for future developments along Queens Boulevard and within the surrounding area,” reads a portion of the commission’s findings.
In addition, the city found that the project would not have an adverse impact in areas like air quality and open space in its environmental review, dated April 6.
The project needs to go through the ULURP process to be built as planned, which includes review and approval by Community Board 2, the Queens Borough President, and eventually the City Council.
Madison Realty Capital has looked to bring a large-scale development to the site for several years, with a 2016 report announcing the firm’s plans to buy nearly all the properties on the block bordered by 69th and 70th Streets.
The company has acquired two of the five lots needed for their development, records show, including the former Gulf Oil gas station site at the corner of 69th Street and Queens Boulevard, now vacant land.
The firm filed demolition permits for a one-story building, once the site of a Mexican restaurant and next to the former gas station, in February.
Aerial view of the project site (Perkins Eastman Architects via DCP)
