The 10 biggest new project filings in NYC

Four of the top 5 projects filed in December are in Long Island City

TF Cornerstone President Frederick Elghanayan with 2-10 54th Avenue and 55-01 Second Street in Long Island City (Google Maps)
TF Cornerstone President Frederick Elghanayan with 2-10 54th Avenue and 55-01 Second Street in Long Island City (Google Maps)

Opponents chased Amazon’s proposed second headquarters away from Long Island City, but that hasn’t stopped a wave of new projects from coming to the neighborhood.

Of the 10 biggest new building applications filed in December, four were for parcels in the Queens neighborhood. Three of those were for projects linked to the Elghanayan family’s companies, TF Cornerstone and Rockrose. If approved, these three projects would together generate nearly 1,700 residential units.

The remaining applications covered new projects in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx. Here’s the full list:

1. 2-10 54th Avenue, Queens

TF Cornerstone filed an application to build a 812-unit apartment tower on 54th Avenue in Long Island City. The firm purchased the one-acre site, along with an adjacent one at 55-01 Second Street, in November 2018. SLCE Architects is the architect of record for the proposed 39-story tower.

2. 23-20 Borden Avenue, Queens

Innovo Property Group filed an application to build a five-story, 680,000-square-foot building, consisting of three stories of industrial use and two stories of studio and accessory space, on this site near Long Island Expressway. The developer purchased the 4.7-acre site for $75 million in January 2019. KSS Architects is the architect of record.

3. 55-01 Second Street, Queens

TF Cornerstone also filed an application for a 34-story, 575-unit apartment building on a site adjacent to 2-10 54th Avenue in Long Island City. In addition to 485,000 square feet of residential space, the proposed building would have 14,000 square feet of commercial space. SLCE Architects is also the architect of record.

4. 1515 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn

LCOR filed an application to build a 26-story, 322-unit mixed-income apartment building on a site one block from the Coney Island boardwalk. The developer, which is majority-owned by the California State Teachers Retirement System, has signed a 99-year ground lease to gain control of the nearly full-block parking lot on Surf Avenue. Anthony Tortora, LCOR’s senior vice president, told The Real Deal that up to 30 percent of the apartments would be designated as affordable. Studio V Architecture is the architect of record.

5. 43-14 Queens Avenue, Queens

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Rockrose Development, led by Henry and Justin Elghanayan, filed an application to construct a 19-story, 301-unit residential building in Long Island City. According to the application, the proposed building also includes about 4,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, according to Crain’s. SLCE Architects is the architect of record.

6. 203 Newport Street, Brooklyn

The Bridge, a New York City-based nonprofit advocating for mental health and housing solutions, filed an application to build a seven-story mixed-use building in Brownsville. Plans call for 174 apartments, about 39,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 2,500 square feet for a community facility. Think Architecture & Design is the architect of record.

7. 2226 Third Avenue, Manhattan

Real Estate Equities Corporation, a New York City-based real estate development firm headed by Brandon Miller and Mark Seigel, filed an application to build a 10-story mixed-use building on a lot in East Harlem. The developer signed a 99-year ground lease agreement with the property owner Khedouri Associates to control the site. The proposed building features total 98,000 square feet of community facility and 36,500 square feet of commercial area. DXA Studio Architecture is the architect of record.

8. 2919 West 16th Street, Brooklyn

LCOR filed another application in Coney Island, this one for a 16-story mixed-use building with 139 apartments and about 1,500 square feet of commercial space. SLCE Architects is the architect of record.

9. 1245 Edward L. Grant Highway, Bronx

Mark Stagg’s Stagg Group filed an application to construct a 12-story, 121-unit residential building in Highbridge. About 30 percent of its units would be affordable, and a third of those would be set aside for formerly homeless people, Crain’s reported. Marin Architects is the architect of record.

10. 4778 Broadway, Manhattan

Jorge Madruga’s MADDD Equities filed an application to construct an eight-story building on a quarter-acre site in Inwood. Most of the 75,000-square-foot building would be dedicated to a community facility, with about 19,000 square feet dedicated to commercial space. Aufgang Architects is the architect of record.

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