Apartment Building Will Ruin Utopia, Queens Residents Fear

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — An apartment building is going to ruin Utopia, Auburndale residents say.

Developers have city permission to build a three-story apartment complex on Utopia Parkway and 37th Avenue, much to the chagrin of residents who cherish the block's single-family homes and Tudor-style duplexes.

"The city is all too willing to diminish the quality of life for hard working people in the outer boroughs," wrote a commenter in a private neighborhood Facebook group.

Added another, the building will "look like a sore thumb."

The three-unit Auburndale complex will stand 40 feet tall and feature a backyard and two parking spots, records show.

City records name the owner as Rong Chen of NYDC GROUP LLC and estimate the job will cost about $920,550.

The Department of Buildings issued a signed work order for the new building on Feb. 8, city records show.

News of the development angered neighbors of the Bayside, Queens Facebook group, most of whom contended that the apartment building would worsen neighborhood problems such as a short supply of parking spaces.

"People already have trouble visiting," one commenter said.

Arguments over new construction are not new for neighbors in Bayside. Locals often push back against new apartments and schools alike on the basis of area overcrowding.