Another Astoria Rezoning Would Build Apartments On Low-Rise Block

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A 35-unit apartment building with a handful of affordable homes would be built on a low-rise block in Western Astoria under a proposed rezoning — the latest in a series of such plans that have been filed in the neighborhood in recent weeks.

This rezoning, which appeared Thursday on the City Planning Department website, would pave the way for a five-story apartment building to be constructed at 31-17 12th St., between 31st Drive and 31st Avenue, a block east of Socrates Sculpture Park.

It would replace a two-story home, a one-story stone etching facility, a small studio currently home to the photography business Faceless Studios, and a parking lot, according to planning documents.

The project would require a zoning change in order to upgrade the block's existing low-density scheme to a more medium-density level, comparable to rowhouse neighborhoods like Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

The developers, identified only as 31-17-19 IZ LLC, are also asking the city to put the rezoning area under the umbrella of the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program, which would give them a tax break in exchange for creating affordable apartments — either nine or 12 in total, depending which MIH scheme is chosen.

A 15-car parking lot would occupy the rear of the building, plus 18 bicycle parking spaces in the cellar. It would take about 14 months to build, with construction wrapping up by 2025 if the rezoning is approved.

Meanwhile, a second lot right next door to the build site could also see new development if the rezoning passes. Now home to three small homes, it could be redeveloped into a 17-unit apartment building, according to the plans — which remain hypothetical since the next-door site is not owned by the LLC pushing the rezoning.

Like all rezonings, this one will need to move through the monthslong ULURP review process, which will entail stops at Community Board 1, the Queens Borough President's office and the City Planning Commission ahead of a final vote by the City Council.

This plan comes days after the filing of another Astoria rezoning, which would transform two blocks at the intersection of 31st Avenue and Newtown Road by adding dozens of new apartments. A number of other residential projects are also underway in the once-industrial area of Western Astoria, which is now teeming with development.