Photo: QueensPost
Jan. 7, 2015 By Christian Murray
Another big building is coming to Sunnyside/Woodside.
A 7-story building is likely to go up on 50th Street and Queens Blvd—next to Boston Market, according to Department of Building records.
The owner of the property, Ronald Ji, has filed plans with the Building Department to erect a seven story 31 unit building.
The property had been occupied by N.E.M. Electronics.
The development represents further change to that stretch of Queens Blvd.
A 7-story 29-unit buildings is being developed at 51-27 Queens Blvd, where the VFM Post 2813 was located until January 2014.
Furthermore, in February 2014, a 66-unit building located at 52-05 Queens Boulevard was completed. Apartments at that building– called Icon 52— start at $1,500 per month. The units range in size from 403 square feet to 806 square feet.
Icon 52
New development site, former location of VFW Post
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39 Comments
for all of this building that is going up — look to our counselman Jimmy he is all in favor of this — but wait not where he lives at all
Bks37 has it right. For many of us long term residents, it is not about disliking development per se, but the long term affects. Transportation cannot handle a surge in population – the 7 is over capacity as it is. And the demolition of many long term commercial properties to build residential buildings (along with the lovely BID status that has proven not to be successful) has driven commercial rents up as well. Which is all well and fine if you have businesses coming in to fill them. But long term staples like the old Post Coffee shop,April Glass, the pharmacy on 40th have been out for months with no sign of a new tenant. So we get new buildings, a flood of new residents who don’t actually patronize Sunnyside businesses, empty commercial real estate, and we’ve seen a rise in crime unlike ever before.
As I said, I completely understand the need for development. But this is a community, and a little forethought into how this is being planned would be nice. And I don’t know that pushing out long term Sunnyside residents who actually put money back into the community in favor of new ones who spend their money elsewhere can be fined as progress.
from 69th Street and up there are alot of new buildings and alot of them are not even rented out — go see for yourself — 🙂
From 69th Street up!?!?! That is not Sunnyside! Totally different neighborhood
pretty nuts how quickly apartment buildings are being built. 3 blocks in sunnyside are being demolished to bring in apartments and another building in front of skillman ave park is being finished. hopefully these buildings are in fact affordable, living in near 100 year old apartment buildings sucks.
Whether the buildings are aesthetically pleasing is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things. The major issue associated with the recent residential development in Sunnyside / Woodside is the allocation of resources. Even with current school construction projects, the current population will fill these schools. The #7 train is already bursting at the seams during rush hour. The 108th precinct, which stretches from the river to Jackson Heights, has almost no presence in our neighborhood right now.
It is easier to change zoning laws than to fund the consequences of those changes.
Good point.
So rent the space and open one!!
I vote for a Johnny Rockets burger joint in that spot
Is anyone having trouble posting comments?
Just walked the Blvd, its a disaster, every second shop is closed, it is sad.
7 stories is a “big building”? Almost all the apartment buildings in Sunnyside are 6 stories.
huh huh…huh…he said erect…huh huhh..
lmao!
angela, I think the issue with some of the buildings along QB had to do with the developer not being able to get a certificate of occupancy.
The Icon 52 on 52nd street was fully rented very, very quickly.
6 weeks actually: http://sunnysidepost.com/2014/04/15/icon-52-rents-out-in-six-weeks/
What makes you think these new buildings wouldn’t rent out just as quick?
NEM Electronics is a real store? Always looks closed to me every time I drive by that stretch of the blvd.
and when they build all of these buildings 9 out of 10 times they are not rented — look along queens boulevard and you will see
Show me vacant new buildings in sunnyside??? You don’t know what you are talking about
you are getting your news from the wrong sources
The buiding you are talking about I know of… its actually a really badly run condo that never got CO. Icon 52 is not doing badly at all.
Icon 52 was full within a week of opening.
But… But… But I JUST moved in to Icon 52 with a great view paying $3,000 for a one bedroom with cheap new ammenities and walls!
Sucker.
Good that’s ugly too
7?? thats it? these developers clearly have no idea how many hipsters want to call sunnyside home, gotta make it at least 15!
excellent, we need more development in Sunnyside.
Are they really getting that much for a 400sq ft apt!!
I honestly have to ask what you think 400sf studios in new development buildings run for in NYC. $1300 is pretty typical for a nice, clean studio in an older building in Sunnyside/Woodside. 1 beds are around $1500+ in the area. $1500 for a studio is not incredibly high in one of the few new buildings in the neighborhood.
How about 1,800 for small one beds. You’re out of touch.
$1500+ means $1500 is starting price for a 1 bed and it goes up from there. Which it is.
What the?? Who is developing all these buildings??? damn they are ugly. Hope it stays above 52nd!
I don’t disagree that they are ugly. Development is inevitable, but I absolutely think we all should be involved in what the neighborhood should physically look like going forward. No, its not going to all be the beautiful art deco and pre-wars but it also doesn’t all have to look like ugly boxes.
Allowing ugly developments without argument is one of the reasons my beloved Queens is considered the “ugly” borough of NYC.
If you want to have a say in what it looks like than buy the land and build the building yourself. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is not economically feasible to build they way they did pre-war plus the zoning laws are different which is why you see many newer building looking like boxes. I don’t think of Queens as Ugly, too bad you do.
Well said Sir.
Actually, it doesn’t work that way – that’s what community boards are for. And the reason for boxes is because of cheapness, not feasibility. It’s absolutely economically feasible to not only build ugly buildings. How do I know this? Because I work in new development properties.
Queens is famously ugly because of its reliance on post war zoning laws. The pretty parts of the borough are all pre-war. And now in 2015, zoning should be looking at post-post war. Not rely on outdated zoning concepts from 1955. Which is why people should get more involved in their community boards.
Perhaps we should have some say in the drapes you choose for your windows. Do you own a home? How would you like to be told what color you can paint it?
That’s really a silly comment. I’ve never heard that. The Bronx is probably uglier. Can anyone make a comment that makes sense?
How have you not? Everyone I know who is Queens born makes jokes about the ugliness of Queens. It’s part of the weird charm that IS Queens.
But at least for me its one of those things sort of like complaining how annoying your kid sister is, but then being pissed off when someone else says something about your kid sister. Like I, or any other Qns people can make jokes about it. But god forbid you don’t live in Qns and joke about its ugliness, I may have to backhand you 🙂
I don’t know who you everybody is but I have lived in astoria then Sunnyside for 30 plus years and I do not think of either as ugly. If I did think it was so ugly I would move!