A vacant warehouse at 30-30 Northern Blvd. is undergoing partial demolition to make way for the development of a seven-story, 270,000-square-foot commercial complex scheduled for completion by May 2013.Courtesy Alma RealtyDevelopment in the Dutch Kills neighborhood in Long Island City is reaching new heights.
A vacant, decaying warehouse at 30-30 Northern Blvd. is undergoing partial demolition to make way for the development of a seven-story, 270,000-square-foot commercial complex scheduled for completion by May 2013.
Developer Alma Realty is planning to add two stories to the existing building, along with a rooftop terrace and a “green theme” that will qualify the site as eco-friendly Gold-LEED certified, an Alma spokesperson said.
The development is just one of a series of “rescues” designed by Alma over the last decade. The firm has a history of turning blighted buildings into structurally safe neighborhood showcases that attract businesses and bring new jobs to the area.
Alma purchased a blighted commercial building on 33rd Street and 37th Avenue in the mid-1990s and turned it into City View – a six-story commercial complex with indoor parking.
Alma officials will soon cut a ribbon to open a new residential/retail complex that runs from 32nd to 31st Streets in Dutch Kills – marking the first residential development to be completed in the area since new zoning went into effect.
An Alma spokesperson told the Gazette that company officials are currently searching for tenants to fill the building especially tech firms that would bring a new excitement to the area.
Alma purchased the site from developer Edward J. Minskoff Equities in 2011 after the firm backed out of plans to build a 19-story, 900-room tower with dormitory beds at the site for use by graduate students.
Minskoff called off plans for the development after the city failed to act on a request to change zoning at the site from manufacturing to dormitory use.
Alma is planning to build a university campus on a portion of the property, a towering structure that will feature classrooms, an ampitheater space and a museum. Officials hope the university complex will be up and running within five years, the spokesperson said.
Dutch Kills Civic Association President Gerald Walsh welcomed the developments and thanked Alma officials for their faith in the growth of the neighborhood.
“These developments will bring new life into the area,” Walsh said. “This is terrific. We need residential and retail development in Dutch Kills.”