Astoria's 3-Tower Halletts North Project Gets Borough President's OK

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A proposal to build three high-rise apartment towers on an empty stretch of the Halletts Point peninsula got a thumbs-up from the Queens Borough President last month, putting it on a path to eventual approval by the city.

Known as Halletts North, the rezoning would involve three towers standing 23, 31 and 34 stories tall, containing more than 1,300 apartments — including around 335 affordable units. The lot, on the north side of Halletts Point, was vacant and heavily polluted from its former life as a manufacturing site before developers "Astoria Owners LLC" purchased it in 2013 and began cleaning it up.

In April, the project got a favorable vote from Community Board 1, whose members largely voiced support for the new housing and revitalization of the waterfront area — in stark contrast to the skepticism that has met other Astoria rezonings like Innovation QNS.

Borough President Donovan Richards, whose office had 30 days to review Halletts North after the board's vote, formally recommended on May 23 that it be approved — albeit with a few conditions.

Richards urged the developers to "commit to exploring deeper levels" of affordability for its below-market units, which are slated to be available to those making as little as 60 percent of the area median income. (Richards suggested going as low as 30 percent.)

Other suggestions include creating "easy-to-read signage and wayfinding" in the neighborhood and on the waterfront, knocking on neighbors' doors to discuss the project, and making improvements to nearby Triboro Park and the NYCHA Astoria Houses.

The development, first unveiled last year, will also include a public waterfront promenade, retail space, a 525-car garage and 700 bike-parking spaces, and space for local nonprofits like Urban Upbound.

It's not to be confused with two separate, already-approved projects that will also help reshape the peninsula: the Durst Organization's seven-building Halletts Point development and the four-building Astoria Cove project a few blocks east, which are in various stages of construction after years of delays.

At the April community board hearing, representatives for the developers touted the project's benefits, noting that they had switched to a different, cheaper affordable housing scheme in response to feedback from residents. The below-market apartments will include one-bedrooms renting for as low as $756, and will remain affordable in perpetuity.

Other recent changes to the proposal include the addition of a public overlook platform that will stretch above the East River, with an open, grate-like surface giving visitors "A strong connection to the water," according to landscape architect Ken Smith.

To guard against the effects of climate change, the project will entail raising the peninsula's coastline by about nine feet. If the rezoning were not approved, architect Jay Valgora has said the owners would likely develop the site into a last-mile warehouse akin to an Amazon distribution center, since the existing zoning allows for only industrial use.

Some board members have raised concerns about the project's affordability, fearing it would contribute to raised rents around the neighborhood. One board member, Evie Hantzopolous, said in April that she feared the optics of a "white and wealthy development" going up near the Astoria Houses, whose residents could likely afford few of the new apartments.

Ultimately, most board members voted to approve the rezoning. That result stands in contrast with nearby Astoria Cove, which was rejected by CB1 in 2014 before ultimately passing; and with Innovation QNS, which appears likely to face a disapproval vote in the coming weeks.

Now, Halletts North will be reviewed by the City Planning Commission. A yes-vote there would send it to the City Council, which would likely hold a final vote in late summer.

Related coverage:

• Astoria Board OKs 1,300-Unit, 3-Tower Halletts North Development
• SEE: Plans Revealed For 'Halletts North' Development In Astoria
• Astoria's Huge Halletts Point Development Inches Forward, Plans Show
• Huge Astoria Cove Development Stirs To Life After Yearslong Delay