■REAL ESTATE BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com I @LiamLaGuerre Talk of Sunnyside yards mega development chugging along Proposals to redevelop the massive Sunnyside Yards are building up steam after decades of discussion as more key players in the rail yard’s future are weighing in with some specific ideas for what can be built there. Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan was the latest to express her ideas about what to do with the massive 160-acre rail yard. Nolan said upgrading the existing community must be considered first when developing the rail yard, referring to an ambitious plan by former Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff and SHoP Architects to build a massive convention center and housing complex over the site. Developing the Sunnyside Yards has historically been a touchy subject — one that began heating up recently after then Community Board 2 Chair Joseph Conley introduced the idea to conduct a publicly-funded feasibility study to figure out what could be done with the yards, which was first reported by The Courier in October. Last month Doctoroff penned an editorial in the New York Times about his plan, which includes moving the 1.8-millionsquare foot Jacob Javits Convention Center over the rail yards and expanding it to 3.1 million square feet, while also creating 14,000 new housing units — 50 percent of which would be set aside as affordable — and adding an office and retail complex and public green spaces. But Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer has not stood behind the plan, and instead voiced concern for current residents. “What we need is more green space. We need a lot more schools, we need more school buildings, already based on the number of kids we have today, and not including any new kids,” Van Bramer said. “We need better transportation options — the 7 train is already over capacity. And yes we need affordable housing and we are very supportive of more affordable housing being built, but it can’t come at the expense of the quality of life that the people experience in the neighborhood today.” Many of his constituents have opposed development of the yards. A petition against a development project at the site started by locals following the Doctoroff editorial has garnered about 250 signatures. But industry experts seem to think not using the land would be a waste. “I think that Sunnyside Yards represents an enormous opportunity for Queens and for the city and one that is certainly worth exploring more closely,” said former city Economic Development Corporation President Seth Pinsky, who is now a vice president at RXR Realty. “The big challenge will be to figure out how to get the right mix of uses. It’s too big an opportunity to ignore.” Rendering of Sunnyside yards 17-STORY HOTEL PLANNED TO BE BUILT OVER LIC PARKING FACILITY With about 20 new hotels in five years, it’s easy to see that Long Island City has become a hot hotel neighborhood in the city. Now, the burgeoning neighborhood is set to double the number of new hotels with nearly 20 more hotels planned, according to information from business advocacy organization LIC Partnership. A construction permit to begin work on one of the new hotels was filed with the Buildings Department on Christmas Eve. Anthony Pecora, president of Forte Italia LLC, filed permits to construct a 17-story hotel with 243 rooms at 41-08 Crescent St. The hotel will have nearly 150,000 square feet of space, and there will be a 127-space enclosed parking garage. Dan Ionescu Architects is designing the building. Forte Italia acquired the site in 1998, according to property records. The site is currently a parking facility. This development falls in line with the trend of transforming parking garages into major developments, much like recent plans for other projects filed throughout the city. Last month, the owner of the parking garage at 30-17 40th Ave. in Long Island City also filed permits with the Department of Buildings to construct a new 10-story mixed-use residential and commercial tower on the site of the lot. Photo courtesy of Scott Bintner/PropertyShark
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