Plan To Convert Astoria Factory To Apartments Aired
by john toscano

Artist’s rendition above shows proposed complex that would sit on site of Eagle Electric building at right.

For about 70 years, an Eagle Electric Company building in Astoria across the street from Astoria Park has stood forlornly, the only industrial building in an otherwise predominantly residential enclave.

But that all may be changing as the Astoria-based Pistilli Realty Group has announced plans to construct a residential development to be called the Riverview Apartments to replace the large, box-like structure.

Plans call for the Eagle Electric facility, which was used as a factory and warehouse, to be gutted and rebuilt as the first six floors of a nine-story, 181-unit co-operative apartment development, including a small row of retail stores.

Describing the plans last week, Joseph Pistilli, chief executive officer of the firm, said underground parking would accommodate every tenant and prevent creating on-street parking problems.

The top three stories would be set back from the front of the building line and tapered upwards to diminish the appearance of height. "It would look like an attic to calm any community concerns that the building is too tall," Pistilli explained.

The building will be bordered by 19th and 21st Streets and 24th Avenue and 23rd Terrace. Apartments on the 19th Street side will have views not only of Astoria Park, which lies across the street from the building, but also of the East River and the Triboro and Hell Gate Bridges.

The entrance to the building will be on 24th Avenue. The outside of the original building will be stucco, but the added floors will have a slate-like exterior, Pistilli said.

The retail stores will be set back about 50 feet from 21st Street. They will be topped by some apartments and on the roof of that section of housing will be "a sky park," Pistilli explained, with trees and outdoor furniture for the use of all the tenants as a place to relax.

Pistilli said parking spaces would be provided in the retail area and it was planned to have "a major bank and other professional type occupants that will not generate traffic or disturb the community."

Apartments will range from studios to three-bedroom units. Prices for the co-ops would range from about $90,000 to $275,000. Pistilli said he hoped monthly maintenance fees would" be kept low."

The Pistilli Realty group, located at 37-08 28th Ave., Astoria, is owned in partnership by Joseph Pistilli, 47, his father, Michael, 69, and brother, Anthony, 43, who is the president of the Group. The firm owns and manages real estate throughout the metropolitan area. Michael Pistilli is a long-time Astoria resident who raised his family in Astoria. The elder Pistilli, by an odd coincidence, once worked in the Eagle Electric building which he and his sons now propose to transform into apartments.

Pistilli Realty recently acquired the landmark Long Island Savings Bank building at 35-01 30th Ave., Astoria, and is renovating and expanding it, but retaining its landmark architectural design.

Joseph Pistilli recently founded the First Central Savings Bank at 19-19 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Whitestone.

The realty firm took a long-term lease on the Eagle Electric building from the Electric Realty Company in Brooklyn, an official of the firm said. He said the building was built "probably around 1930" and was owned by another company before Eagle Electric acquired it.

Eagle Electric has been based in the Astoria/Long Island City area for many years. It was recently acquired by Cooper Industries and still has some factories in this area.

The building plan has been presented informally to the zoning committee of Community Board 1 and to the 19th Street Block Association, a homeowner’s group living near the project site.

The zoning committee presentation was closed to the public, but sources on the panel said it was received favorably and would probably win approval from the full board down the road.

A member of the Queens City Planning Commission, Penny Lee, raised some question at the meeting about a rezoning change that is to be requested by the developers.

Next Tuesday, Pistilli will make a presentation of the plan to the Astoria Civic Association, whose executive chairman is City Council Speaker Peter Vallone.

An announcement mailed to ACA members stated, "It would benefit the community and especially the residents directly adjacent to the unused plant to be present at this informal presentation."

Vallone will preside at the meeting, which is to be held at Riccardo’s Caterers, 21-01 24th Ave., directly across the street from the proposed development.

The presentation to the CB 1 zoning committee was made by Philip Agusta, the architect for the apartment development. Agusta explained that the sponsors will be seeking a zoning change which, if granted, will qualify the builder to benefit from two tax abatement incentives offered by the city.

Pistilli said that his firm was seeking full abatement benefits available from the city so that savings can be passed along to future tenants in the form of lower maintenance charges for the apartments.

Although the zoning change would permit the builder to build a 13-story building, Pistilli said it was decided to build only nine stories because he felt it was more appropriate for the community. The zoning change must be approved by the City Planning Commission, City Council and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

According to Debbie Riga, president of the 19th Street homeowner’s group, her feeling was that those at the zoning committee meeting "found Mr. Pistilli’s presentation acceptable." She said there may have been "some skepticism" going into the meeting, but "once he came and showed his plan, that disappeared and everyone seemed to like the idea."

Riga said the members were also pleased that Pistilli had no plans to bring any fast-food type businesses into the retail portion of the development.

Riga said she and others in her group agreed with Pistilli that the proposed development will "improve property values in the neighborhood" and provide good housing for the children of people who worked in the former Eagle Electric building.