New Apartment Building Coming To Broadway In Astoria, Plans Show

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A five-story apartment development may soon replace a low-rise building that has stood on an Astoria corner for nearly a century, according to newly filed plans.

The 16-unit apartment building would be built at 37-18 Broadway, currently the site of a two-story building that includes the KJ Astoria Fruits & Vegetable bodega, a shuttered beauty salon, and the former Loria & Associates law office.

Benny Loria, an attorney at the firm, is the listed owner behind the new development. City records show Loria acquired the existing building in 2016, and the firm now lists its address as 18-33 41st St.: the site of the Steinway Mansion, which is owned by Loria's brother, Philip.

Salvatore Lucchese, who bought the Steinway Mansion along with Philip Loria in 2014, is also listed on the application for the new Broadway building. The duo sparked a neighborhood controversy around seven years ago by constructing a series of warehouses around the picturesque mansion, chopping down dozens of trees in the process.

No demolition plans have been filed yet for the existing building, which was built in 1925. Benny Loria did not immediately respond to emailed questions about the project, such as when work would begin.

The new building will be designed by Gerald Caliendo Architects, featuring a 2,000-square-foot retail space on the ground floor and exterior parking for five cars, according to the plans. The apartments would average out to roughly 795 square feet each.