Dec. 1, 2015 By Christian Murray
Another Queens Boulevard building is likely to be bulldozed.
The building that goes from 39-11 to 39-19 Queens Blvd is expected to become rubble, according to documents that were filed with the Dept. of Buildings this summer.
The building owner, Jerry Kahen, filed for demolition permits in July. He could not be reached for comment.
Kahen, who has developed buildings in Queens and Manhattan, bought the property under the corporate name Corona Group in 2008.
He has yet to file plans for a new building.
Community Board 2 noted in its December newsletter that the property is scheduled to be demolished, although it didn’t provide a firm date.
Many small businesses have struggled to survive in Kahen’s Queens Blvd building, since the location isn’t as well trafficked as other parts of Sunnyside. Former tenants included Dragon Puffz (a hookah lounge), Verdecchio Pizzeria and Chikuran Japanese Restaurant.
Xio Lounge, a night club, had occupied 39-19 Queens Blvd for about 3 years but was repossessed last year for failing to pay its rent. Many neighboring residents complained that its patrons would walk into their back courtyards to smoke pot and engage in lewd acts.
The 39-11 to 39-19 Queens Blvd. parcel was upzoned when the Sunnyside-Woodside rezoning went into effect after being approved by the City Council in 2011.
Prior to the rezoning, the property had been zoned an R5, which limited the height to 40 feet (up to four stories) and only permitted developers to build structures 1.25 times the size of the site area (click for old zoning map).
With the rezoning, the site was designated an R7A, lifting the maximum height to 80 feet (up to eight stories) and allowing developers to build 4 times the size of the lot area (click for current zoning map).
This dramatic upzoning applied to buildings on Queens Blvd from 39th Place through to 41st Street (2.5 blocks).
Parcel is now zoned R7A
Former zoning R5
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23 Comments
i see they dont even let me mention the words Reddingtons steak house. Can someone please tell me why being it was at one time the beginning of class that later carried on thanks to Lily Gavin keeping class on the boulevard. Reddingtons was bulldozed and made a 99 cents store and they tell me i cant post i said that already. Really its bad enough for the lack of respect of a once reputable place and a family that earned it. Do not disrespect me further. I have enough of the Reddington blood in me to move mountains if need be. There are alot of wrongs that people are not even aware of and alot of corruption and alot of things that people are just not aware of like why are alll the dime savings banks of williamsburg disappearing, Did they take down pj horgans or did they the dime and many other places close. expecially the legandary center movie theater.. Too bad you never could get your hands on the once coventry first called popcorn it was shut and has remained land that nobody can touch, Some people value and respect those who deserve it and others simply value what is goinng to make them richer and could care less about the people who live here and pay a fortune. let the orientals take over and make a 99cent store well im sure petes grill was glad no competition and their prices are way too high for little or no real class. Cant even find documentation or photos of my family place Reddingtons steak house same for the brau hall. both known reputable places as was sun luck sunnyside the only info i founnd was pictures of cop cars outside. and of Reddingtons politicians standing with an order to close and destroy.not one word of reputable history. I like my family tells no lies and Ive been around for 60 years. you learn alot in that amount of time. I feel so for businesses and for the people who live here as far as their ability to live securely without losing what they have.
This block has always been crap, lets get some worthwhile businesses in there up and running already. So many other places get shut down and stay shut down. Nearly 20 years for that spot next to Dazies.
Pure Greed.
Sorry misspelled lol REDDINGTONS STEAKHIUS3
The White House…Good riddance we were 15 years old drinking and fighting on a regular basis back in 70’s and 80’s..I remember after a fight destroyed the dj booth and cops finally got fed up and pad locked the place. The rest of your list were all decent reputable establishments.
So Mac was a delinquent jerk as a kid too. Not much has changed, I see.
I was devastated when they tore down my family’s business originally a First class red rope reputable business owned by and called Reddintons steak house which was sold after Mickey Reddington passed away son of long time reputable bar owner Michael Reddington my great grandfather. It turned hands over to LA casa Madrid which too was reputable but due to the last owners not carrying the reputation on and thus the place was demolished right nexr to Petes grill I had to watch them gut the place where my Uncle Mickey told me Was my palace. my palace is now a 99 cent store I recall meeting many infamous well know people including Jackie Gleason who grew up and performed at Budd lake in his younger days with my dad and others in talent contests. I was very young but not a day goes by I can understand why. Changes sometimes are not good and there are many fond memories of many of those places like Betty’s on the corner of 44th 48th ave corner celtics. The white house The airline club and many more even the pan am hotel which will no doubt be gutted PJs hirgans the dime white tower so many places. The worst disrespect was the funeral home bergans which is now a mosque I am not predudice to anyone but that was disrespectful to do as we have visited deceased loved ones there and now we can’t even enter as we are not a part of that religion. the catholic church is open to all. Just my opinion of his the city has hurt me and I’m sure others by their decisions. I know Reddingtons was demolished by court order I wonder if the courts also turned it over to the owners as a 99cent store. I understand the establishment was the scene of someones death due to the last owner not complying with safety measures and proper management of a club but did that mean it was not worthy of staying and reopening after all it was by the hard work and quality workmanship of my own family it stood proudly with its once reputable wooden door with brass fixtures and work personally done by NY family to be nothing but top quality and class.
Why dont they put a Italian restaurant there
that is right at the end of civilization, so a luxury building would not go over well….there is nothing close by….unless they jack up the rent $500 a month for the side that has manhattan views, and until the car wash gets demolished and another 8 story building goes there.
Hemsin was a real loss! Loved that place! Why can’t they do something with that empty eyesore next to Dazie’s?
Hemsin was a real loss. Loved that place! Why can’t they do something with that empty eyesore next to Dazie’s?
Agree. Hemsin the Turkish spot was the only viable / good business there – and that’s been gone for years. The others were a rotating cast of bad or mediocre joints. I am sad to see Horgans and the movie theater go. This building, not so much. Get ready for this to happen up and down queens blvd wherever there is a low rise nonresidential building. More constituents packed on the 7 train for all our wonderful politicians!
Tear all this shit down and rebuild high high high. It’s on the way now and it ain’t stopping. Take these old piece of shit coops with it too.
yeah you must be one of the aholes that cant afford manhattan or williamsburg how bout getting rid of the shit people that have moved into the neighborhood – smug you can read it in your post!
Just knock the buildings down already. Stop leaving abandoned stores. It’s killing the neighborhood. Just do something already.
Given that the building is only about 15 or so years old, it was a complete failure. The large majority of businesses that opened in there were poorly thought out. Verdecchio was the exception, though I have always preferred Sunnyside Pizza.
The big loss several years ago was Hemsin. Once that was gone, this strip was gone.
now it nothing but trashy crap…. the whole damn block. good riddance!!!
we need an in-n-out burger….
Because the rent they paid wasn’t a good return on the landlord’s investment.
@K2 $0.00 for 8 months is greater than any amount of rent being paid. Do even waste our time you’re beyond stupid.
Gee, unintelligible crap spewing out of Mac. What else is new?
Bullhockey!!! The “landlord” owns this property for how long?
Verdecchio pizza had a thriving business with decent food at good prices. It was run by a very nice family all very nice young men. They told me months ago they were being forced to close for demolition. I can’t understand what the rush was to put these guys out of business was…