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Eleven-Story Building Planned to go up by 30th Avenue Train Station; Zoning Change Needed

A developer has filed plans to rezone 30-02 Newtown Avenue where Finkelstein Inc. tire shop is located (GMaps)

Dec. 30, 2020 By Christian Murray

A developer has filed plans to rezone a property in Astoria in order to build an 11-story, 102-unit building near the 30th Avenue train station.

Lynest Associates, a Queens-based company, filed an application to rezone 30-02 Newtown Ave. in March and the plans were certified by the Dept. of City Planning on Dec. 14 to start the public review process.

The plans call for a 140,000 square foot building that would include 8,400 square feet of ground floor retail space and a 99-seat black box theater that would be occupied by the Astoria Performing Arts Center. The plans also call for 30 parking spaces below ground.

Development Site (Department of City Planning)

The project would include 31 “affordable” housing units, as required by the City under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.

The development site, which is approximately 15,500 square feet, is currently occupied by three interconnected two-story commercial buildings, which would all be demolished.

The buildings are home to a tire repair shop, a warehouse and offices. The project site has frontage along 30th Street, Newtown Avenue and 31st Street.

The 102-unit development is expected to occupied by about 240 residents, according to City Planning projections.

The application involves a zoning change from C4-4A to C4-4D. The change would essentially increase the permitted residential FAR from 4.6 to 7.20 and the community facility FAR from 4.0 to 6.50, respectively.

The permissible building height would increase to 145 feet, up from the existing limit of 95 feet if certain conditions are met.

The plans are about to go before Community Board 1 for review since the proposal involves a rezoning. The board is required to hold a public hearing before issuing an advisory opinion on the project and whether a zoning change should be permitted.

The plans will then go to the Queens Borough President’s office for another advisory opinion, before going to the City Planning Commission and then the city council for a binding vote.

The developer, according to City Planning filings, aims to start construction in 2022 and complete the project in 2024.

Looking south from the intersection of Newtown Avenue
and 31st Street. (DCP)

email the author: news@queenspost.com

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