There’s not exactly a shortage of new developments in Long Island City, but while it is easy enough to find a place with a dog-grooming center or 42-foot rock climbing wall, YIMBY points out that a good family-sized unit is hard to find.
But GDC Properties is hoping to change that with a new batch of 38 two-family townhouses in Hunters Point, appealing—they hope—to renters in search of multi-bedroom units with easy commutes zoned for “solid city schools.”
“Our approach is to appeal to a pretty targeted niche of young families who want to take advantage of easy access to employment centers in Manhattan and Brooklyn,” GDC co-chairman Adam Ginsburg told YIMBY. “People who have a couple of kids and need three bedrooms have few options, especially if they’re renters, within reasonable striking distance of Manhattan.”
The development, the first large-scale project to feature townhouses in the neighborhood in half a century, will occupy part of the block between 45th Road, 11th Street, 46th Avenue, and 21st Street, which, Ginsburg says, is part of its family-friendly charm. There’s a recently-renovated park across the street, several subway lines are just around the corner at Court Square (with more a little further at Queensboro Plaza), and some of those “solid” schools are planning to expand.
Built surrounding a gated, internal courtyard, each of the four-story homes will be divided into two rentals: the lower duplexes will offer finished basements and private backyards, while the upper duplexes get an extra “penthouse level” with a roof deck with an Astroturf faux-lawn. Most of the units are three bedrooms (though some have two), and range from 1,900 to 2,300 square feet. The rent, Ginsburg said, will hover around $7,000.
And while GDC told YIMBY it’s not impossible they’d consider selling the homes in the future, they’re building with the intention of holding on for the long haul. “We think they could be very desirable to the for-sale market, if they convert to condominium,” he said. “But that’s not our intention.”
One might argue that, given the desirability of the area, a low-density low-rise development is a sub-optimal use of space, but YIMBY explains that the site, like much of Hunters Point, is “rather tightly zoned.” At 55 feet, the four-story homes are about as tall and as dense as allowed for the block.
The project, envisioned by Newman Design Architects, broke ground last fall and is set to wrap up by the end of 2017.
