A skyscraper in Kew Gardens Hills? A developer wants to try it
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An early rendering of what is planned to be a nearly 50-story apartment complex in the residential Kew Gardens Hills neighborhood. Photo via Atria Builders LLC
By Ryan Schwach
A major developer has plans to build two nearly 50-story towers in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Central Queens – but locals want no part of it.
Marx Development Group aims to construct a two-tower complex, which will be as high as 47-stories – or 572-feet tall – between Parsons Boulevard and Park Avenue in the generally low-density, suburban-eque community of Kew Gardens Hills.
While the project is still missing some needed permits, according to Department of Buildings documents, the dual-tower skyscraper is an as-of-right project and can be constructed without a potentially lengthy rezoning process.
However, locals and elected officials in the neighborhood nonetheless want the project halted.
The lot for the building is nestled amongst several low-density blocks, characterized by two- to three-story apartment buildings. It is directly between an assisted living facility, which the developer also owns; an office building, which houses the office of Assemblymember Sam Berger; and the NYPD’s 107th Precinct.
The majority of the area is listed as an R6 zone, according to the Department of City planning.
DCP said that the plans, as they were outlined as of Thursday, would not require the developer to undergo any kind of rezoning process, a potentially lengthy procedure that would require approval from the local community board, borough president and City Council.
The lot has long been owned by MDG subsidiary Atria Builders LLC, which is headed by CEO David Marx, and the company has been working to file permits for the building since 2019.
Currently, according to the Department of Buildings, the tower’s construction is not fully approved, and is missing a few documents. Mainly, the application is missing what is called a zoning diagram, a document that proves the builders plan to use the building solely for its allowed zoning use – in this case, residential use.
However, the developer has approved permits to do preliminary ground work at the site, which is currently ongoing.
But as work began on the lot, so too did local opposition.
Negative community response to the building began to pick up when housing outlet New York YIMBY published an article on Oct. 2, reporting that the owners are beginning the development process.
New York YIMBY also reported that the structure would bring 800 units over the property’s 1.1 million square feet, and around 27,000 square feet for community facility space.
It is currently unclear if – or how much – affordable housing the building would include.
It is scheduled to be completed by 2028.
“It will be a disaster,” said Sorolle Idels, a local Jewish leader and community board member. “It's a congested area, making it unbelievably more congested…This is a big fat mess.”
Idels said that even though the developers were not required to come before the community board to pitch the project, she believes they should have at least given them a heads up giving the project’s size and scale.
“This absolutely went under the radar with no input from the community board or the community,” she said. “No one discussed it with anybody, and that's not right. How do you build a skyscraper and not get the community input?”
City Councilmember Jim Gennaro said that while the project is still in its preliminary stages, he wants to work with the developer to make sure community concerns are addressed.
“My job is to bring the community and the developer together to work out common sense accommodations, common sense mitigations, work on people's concerns and expect some consideration and some acquiescence to the community's concern,” Gennaro told the Eagle.
“I think it's in the developer's best interest to be neighborly and be attentive to community concerns,” he added. “Nothing has been approved by the DOB as of this date, but we're not going to wait. We're going to get out there and we're going to mix it up.”
The block in Kew Gardens Hill where a developer wants to put two towers higher than 500 feet. Screenshot via Google Maps
According to DOB records, neighbors are already complaining about the limited work the developers are doing now at the site.
Going back to April, there have been 13 complaints, many about the construction causing the shaking of neighboring homes.
“Excavation is causing the entire building to shake like an earthquake,” a complaint filed in September said. “In our apartment we feel shaking, pictures are falling off the wall and cracks are appearing around the windows, air conditioning and walls.”
One recent complaint – related to a safety manager not being on site – led to a stop work order at the site that lasted six days.
All but one of the complaints are considered resolved by DOB.
The developer did not respond to a request for comment.
Gadi Ashoori, the developer’s representative listed on their DOB filings, declined to comment when contacted by the Eagle.
