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Old Posted Aug 20, 2015, 6:19 PM
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chris08876 chris08876 is offline
NYC/NJ/Miami-Dade
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Riverview Estates Fairway (PA)
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Smile NEW YORK | 44-02 Vernon Boulevard | FT | FLOORS (1 mil sq-ft)

Big development (with bridge to Roosevelt Island) pitched for LIC

Quote:
A group of investors led by Rudolph Giuliani's former chief of staff is proposing a multimillion-square-foot development near the Queens waterfront — a mixed-use project that would include a pedestrian bridge connecting Long Island City to Roosevelt Island, POLITICO New York has learned.

Three sources briefed on the plan described it as the brainchild of Bruce Teitelbaum, who has quietly been presenting it to people in recent months.

Teitelbaum hopes to build a mostly residential tower comprising at least one million square feet on a vacant lot north of 44th Drive, along the north side of the Queensboro Bridge. The site, at 44-02 Vernon Boulevard, is currently owned by Vernon Realty Holding, L.L.C. according to public records; it is zoned for residential use and takes up 128,332 square feet on one lot and 84,338 square feet on another adjoining lot.

But Teitelbaum is likely to apply for a rezoning, and possibly try to purchase an adjacent lot owned by the city, to expand the project's footprint. The more ambitious plan would entail a host of other amenities, including open space, affordable housing and possibly a public school and a hotel, the sources said.

The bridge is envisioned as something akin to the High Line — a path for pedestrians and cyclists with views of Manhattan's skyline and space to sit and unwind. On the Roosevelt Island side it would land near the site of Cornell Tech, the applied sciences school that will dominate the south end of the island.

"Part of the presentation includes renderings for an iconic bridge that connects the new, under-development campus on Roosevelt Island to Queens, which would hopefully attract more economic activity," one source said.

"We are intrigued by the idea of connecting the campus and Roosevelt Island to Queens," said Meghan French, a spokeswoman for Cornell Tech. "It's exciting that the campus is sparking ideas like this. We expect to be an active player in Queens economic development and look forward to learning more and discussing the proposal with other stakeholders."

In his pitches, Teitelbaum has relied on the appeal of connecting the increasingly popular waterfront area of Queens to the new graduate school, the sources said.

South of the vacant site in Queens is a 90,400-square-foot parcel owned by the city Department of Education, where a warehouse-style building stands. D.O.E. uses some of the space, and Teitelbaum, according to two people he briefed, hopes to buy the land to extend his project.

Teitelbaum is in talks with SHoP Architects, which has designed many projects throughout the city, such as the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn.
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http://www.capitalnewyork.com/articl...nd-pitched-lic
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