FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com APRIL 23, 2015 • REAL ESTATE • THE QUEENS COURIER 53 Restaurant Bourbon Street expanding and adding rooftop BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com @LiamLaGuerre Things are getting heated at Cajun-style restaurant Bourbon Street in Bayside. Construction is in full swing to add a rooftop bar and a 125-seat second fl oor party room and to renovate the bistro’s façade to give it more of a southern fl air in tune with its namesake street in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Restaurant representatives said the plan is to complete the rooftop bar and new second fl oor, which was home to a learning center, by this summer so patrons can experience something fresh on Bell Boulevard. “Everybody likes to be outside, especially real estate after the winter we’ve just had,” owner Mark Boccia said. “You could see the Throgs Neck Bridge in the distance, you could see the Manhattan skyline in the distance, and the roof is above pretty much every other roof in Bayside, so you’ll get a whole different atmosphere. It’s almost like you’re not on Bell Boulevard.” The approximately 2,000-square-foot rooftop area will have outdoor seating, serve eight to 10 beers on tap and include a raw seafood bar. Wrought iron railing, like those in New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, will be added to the rooftop and terraces on the second fl oor. The project, designed by CD Architect Studio, also includes new signage and awnings over the terraces with New Orleans colors: purple, yellow and green. A new vestibule and wider entrance has been completed and a new staircase from the ground fl oor was recently added for easy access to the second level. Large window doors are planned for the ground fl oor, and to make sure the now-three-level eatery is handicap accessible, a new elevator that leads to upper fl oors is being installed. While all this construction is going on, the ground fl oor bar and restaurant will remain open. Boccia also owns Austin’s Ale & Steak House in Forest Hills, which added an outdoor patio space last year. He believes that the transformation of Bourbon Street is necessary to compete with other businesses on Bell Boulevard and throughout the emerging borough. “There are just so many places to go to in Queens now, whereas in the past it didn’t matter, Bell Boulevard was the thing,” Boccia said. “Brooklyn’s totally popped up and emerged, now it’s Queens’ turn. So if you want to be competitive in Bayside, you have to make change.” Rendering via Bourbon Street More condos coming to feed LIC’s needs Rendering courtesy of Modern Spaces BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com/@LiamLaGuerre Not long after starting marketing for the newest condo building in Long Island City, real estate brokerage fi rm Modern Spaces announced on April 16 that it will soon begin marketing yet another condo in the hot neighborhood. Liv @ Murray Park North, which is located at 11-35 45th Ave., will begin sales in June, feeding the growing demand for condos in LIC. The project by George Xu, owner of Century Development, offers a mix of 39 luxury studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments in six fl oors. Prices will start around $400,000 in the Raymond Chan Architects-designed building, and residents can expect to start moving in by the end of the year. “This new condo project further indicates that demand for permanent homes here continues to be high,” said Eric Benaim, Modern Spaces founder and CEO. “People not only want to be in Long Island City, but they want to put down roots here.” The units at Liv @ Murray Park North will have luxury fi nishes such as hardwood fl ooring and electric radiant heated fl oors. Bathrooms will have porcelain tiles and kitchens will feature top brandname appliances. The building will have a range of amenities, including bike storage, free Wi-Fi in common areas, a fi tness center, a social lounge in the lobby and a common rooftop. Also, parking will be available for residents. Liv @ Murray Park North will be the fi rst in a series of buildings by Century Development, which will include Liv @ Hart Street and Liv @ Murray Park South.
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