Disputed Forest Hills Building Could Include More Local Requests

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A controversial Forest Hills development will aim to include some project elements long-sought by community members, representatives told the City Council this week.

The luxury building, slated for a triangular patch of land at 98-81 Queens Boulevard, will try to prioritize union labor during construction and keep preservation and the environment in mind with its design, Eric Palatnik, the developer's counsel, said at a Wednesday zoning committee meeting — touching on several project conditions that neighbors have asked for in the past.

"Since we had our preliminary discussions we've come a long way," said City Council Member Lynn Schulman Wednesday, alluding to her ongoing efforts to adjust the 15-story building to neighbors' as-yet-unaddressed specifications, including equitable labor and design requests.

In response to pushback, Palatnik said that the developer, Trylon LLC, will employ at least 30 percent minority and women-owned businesses during construction and agreed to speak with labor unions (it already made a deal with 32BJ, he said).

As for its design, Trylon LLC is "interested in pursing" LEED Gold or Platinum Standard certification, and will pay homage to the building's past history with an exterior clock and lobby imagery, according to Palatnik.

"We're eager to work with the community... if they'd like to see more there," he said of design preservation efforts, which have been a major sticking point for thousands of neighbors.

These conditions have been among the sources of conflict between community members and the developer regarding the proposed luxury building.

In January, Schulman helped broker a deal with the developer to bring lower income affordable housing to the building.

Its initial proposal spurred backlash from the Community Board and Borough President, both of whom voted against the building on the basis that it didn't offer enough truly affordable housing.

Now, instead of setting aside income-restricted units for households earning 80 percent of the area's median income (AMI) on average, the developer will build units for families making 60 percent AMI on average, Palatnik confirmed on Wednesday.

As planned, 36 of the building's 144-units will be income restricted, with 16 set aside at 40 percent AMI, 10 set aside at 60 percent AMI, and 10 set aside at 100 percent AMI (in order to maintain the average 60 percent AMI standard, Palatnik said).

Wednesday's committee meeting is the latest step in the city's land-use-review process, which culminates in a forthcoming vote by the City Council.

That vote typically falls in line with the vote of the member who represents the district; Schulman hasn't gone as far as saying that she supports the project, but spoke about it favorably (again) on Wednesday.

"I'm pleased that we've made some progress, the most substantial of which is the agreement to add deeper affordable housing opportunities to the project," she said.

"I want to thank you again for the good faith you put into this," she told the developer at the end of the hearing.

Related Article: Disputed Luxury Building To Include More Deeply Affordable Units