Former Lumberyard To Become Residences

Crews are tearing down a long-shuttered building that housed a lumberyard at 32nd Street and Astoria Boulevard to make room for a sprawling residential development at the site.

Construction crews will start work this month on a 39,000-square-foot, 25-unit residential complex that will boast underground parking for 13 vehicles and a 4,000-square foot, ground-floor community center, Lawrence Ross, Besen Associates development representative, said.

The six-story structure will feature six studio units, 15 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units, Ross said.

Area residents said the neighborhood is one of the best places to live in Queens.

"We live just a few blocks from the local [114th] police precinct, so there are always cops in the neighborhood," 33rd Street resident Demetrios Poulos said. "We're pretty close to Astoria Park. That's good for the kids, especially in the summer. This is probably one of the best places to live."

Local homeowners were pleased to learn that the site will be transformed into residential units.

"The business that was at that location was a constant source of irritation," said a homeowner on 32nd Street. "Trucks and commercial vehicles blocking sidewalks - it was a traffic mess. It's good to hear that we won't be losing parking spaces to another business."

Developers said they expect the new units will be completed by the summer of 2008.