Film/TV Studio Breaks Ground in Queens

New $22 million Kaufman Astoria Studios underway. Also, architects chosen to design new NYPL project in Manhattan.

Kaufman Astoria Studios Breaks Ground

Kaufman Astoria Studios recently broke ground on Stage K—a new $22 million film and television production studio in Astoria, Queens.

Stage K was designed by international architects Janson Design Group, and features an 18,000-sq-ft sound stage for film and television productions along with 22,000-sq-ft of support space for dressing rooms, offices, prop rooms, makeup rooms and a carpentry shop.

Kaufman Astoria Studios recently broke ground on Stage K—a new $22 million film and television production studio in Astoria, Queens—which features an 18,000-sq-ft sound stage for film and television productions along with 22,000-sq-ft of support space for dressing rooms, offices, prop rooms, makeup rooms and a carpentry shop. (Rendering courtesy of Janson Design Group).

“The new 40,000-sq-ft stage and support space secures Kaufman Astoria Studios as the preeminent choice of facilities for production companies,” said Kaufman Astoria Studios President Hal Rosenbluth. “It compliments everything we’ve constructed to date and is another chapter in realizing our vision for the studio as a complete complex.”

When completed in summer 2009, the new studio is expected to create 400 new independent production-related jobs through film or television production companies leasing space within the studio.

“The importance of diversifying our economy is more obvious today than ever, and continued investments in New York City’s entertainment industry is one of ways we’ve been doing it,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who attended the groundbreaking event. “Our . . . film and television production industry generates $5 billion a year in economic activity and supports 100,000 jobs. The $22 million expansion of Kaufman Astoria Studios will greatly bolster our efforts to grow the industry by providing much needed studio space.”

In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting created the Made in NY incentive program, providing a tax credit to qualified productions that shoot in New York City. Since 2002, there has been a 92 percent increase in shooting days in the city, according to the Mayor’s office.

The $22 million project will be financed through a $5 million grant from the City administered through a funding agreement with New York City Economic Development Corporation, and $2 million in grant and loan assistance from the Empire State Development Corporation, according to the Mayor’s office.

Kaufman Astoria Studios was previously known as Paramount Studios, before all operations were moved to California. In 1942 the U.S. Army used the building to produce military training films until the 1970’s. Subsequently, the Studio site was dedicated as an American Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior. Real estate developer George Kaufman gained control of the facility in 1980, which then became Kaufman Astoria Studios.

Supportive Housing Constructed in Park Slope

A new housing development—575 Fifth Avenue—in the South Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn is progressing on construction.

The 5-story building will include 49 studio apartments and provide social services the elderly, the formerly homeless and young adults out of foster care. On the ground floor, 2,900 sq ft will be devoted to office and community space for supportive services and activities for the residents. The supportive services offered will be run by Center for Urban and Community Services. Also included in the project are 1,200 sq ft of street level retail and a landscaped courtyard designed by Saratoga Associates of New York.

A supportive housing development at 575 Fifth Avenue in the South Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn is striving for LEED Gold certification. The 5-story building will include 49 studio apartments and provide social services for the elderly, the formerly homeless and young adults out of foster care. (Photo courtesy of Amie Gross Architects).

The 31,500-sq-ft supportive affordable housing development will be one of the first green publicly-funded buildings in Brooklyn, according to Amie Gross Architects of New York, and will be striving for LEED Gold certification. “It will also be will be one of the first low-income and lower cost properties to receive this rating,” said Amie Gross, president of Amie Gross Architects.

Construction materials contributing to sustainability include those locally produced and manufactured from recycled or recyclable materials. The interiors feature bamboo, terrazzo, and recycled vinyl flooring, low VOC paints and energy-efficient heating, lighting and appliances. A green roof is also included in the design.

According to the architects, one of the main design criteria was to create a project that both responded to its surroundings and achieved a level of sustainability that will allow owners/developers Fifth Avenue Committee of Brooklyn to greatly reduce operating costs and contribute to the good health of the building’s residents.

The building occupies a corner lot and will be constructed as an L-shaped structure using cost-effective, tradition-reflecting materials. “The building, and particularly the corner, will be clad in oversized brick in various textures and clay colors creating a modern reference back to the terra cotta so often used in Brooklyn,” said Gross.

In lieu terra cotta, the design called for a masonry product that resembles terra cotta; not to replicate it, but more to refer to it, said Gross. “I wanted to use materials that had a historical context but are more reasonably priced and for the amount we are using here, [terra cotta] is prohibitive.”

“The [South Park Slope] neighborhood was very much an inspiration for our work,” explained Gross. “There is a great tradition particularly in this area of Brooklyn to accentuate the intersection of the Street and Avenue that is created in corner buildings. We chose to honor this tradition by placing the community spaces of 575 Fifth at the corner allowing for a different treatment than the rest of the building.”

C&A General Contracting Corporation of Queens—a company formed between Crescent Street Construction Corp and A. Aleem Construction Inc. for the project—broke ground in October and will complete the project in the winter of 2010.

Subway Rehab Underway

Granite Construction Northeast Incorporated of Tarrytown, New York has recently been awarded a $161 million project by the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The subway rehabilitation project involves restructuring five stations at Avenues H, J, M, Kings Highway and Newkirk along the Brighton “B” Line in Brooklyn.

Platform areas, foundations, floors, windscreens, canopies, stairs, control areas, lighting and drainage systems will all be reconstructed.

Granite declined to comment “for security reasons,” according to a company spokesperson.

The project began in November 2008 and the anticipated completion date is January 2012.

Architects Selected for Library Project

Foster + Partners, a London-based international architecture firm, has recently been selected to design The New York Public Library's building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan.

The new the central library is part of a $1 billion plan announced last March to restructure the New York Public Library system, which will feature new reading rooms with open shelf circulating collections.

“The New York Public Library is a magnificent building with a powerful civic presence, both locally and internationally,” said Norman Foster of Foster + Partners.

“Our approach to its transformation is led by an enormous respect for the historic building, combined with a clear vision for future change. In particular, we aim to celebrate the Library’s public spaces and strong social agenda. We seek to achieve the right balance between history and technology; between access-for-all and scholarship.

The project involves remodeling the existing building to better respond to the demand of being a large research facility as well as to add additional space for the new Circulating Library. The Library will also offer improved exhibition spaces, computers and full wireless access, meeting rooms, program venues and a café.

The creation of the new central library is expected to result in a threefold increase in use of the building, to an estimated 3.5 million visitors annually, according to a Library spokesperson.

“Norman Foster’s understanding of the Library, his personal enthusiasm for the project, the professionalism of his team and the portfolio of striking and innovative designs he has created around the world convinced us that Foster + Partners is exactly the right firm to help us create a new central library for New York City,” said New York Public Library President Paul LeClerc. “We were particularly impressed by the work he has completed in other historic buildings where he has been sensitive to tradition while finding brilliant, unexpected ways to use space and unite old and new.”

The building originally opened in 1911 and currently houses the Library’s research collections in Humanities and Social Sciences, including general reference material and rare special collections.

During construction, the general research collection will be moved from the original 1911 stacks in the main building to the Library’s existing reservoir of high-density shelving beneath Bryant Park, according to a Library spokesperson.

Foster + Partners was chosen from more than thirty firms who submitted design proposals. The architects are currently in the design phase, which is expected to take place through the end of 2010. Construction is anticipated to begin shortly thereafter in 2011.

New Park for Roosevelt Island

Construction on a new park on Roosevelt Island, which has been in the works since 1973, will finally begin this year.

The 4-acre Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of the Island will be constructed with monolithic granite columns closely spaced to appear as walls. The park will consist of an entry, garden, promenade, forecourt, sculpture court and plaza.

A new company, The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park LLC as a subsidiary of developers the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, has recently been formed to undertake the construction for park project.

Construction on Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, which has been in the works since 1973, will finally begin this year. The 4-acre park will consist of an entry, garden, promenade, forecourt, sculpture court and plaza. (Courtesy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute-Christopher Shelley, 2007 and Amiaga Photographers, Inc.)

“With the formation of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park LLC, we can now move forward to complete our fundraising efforts and finalize the updated construction drawings to build the Park,” explained William vanden Heuvel, founder and chair emeritus of FERI. “When completed, the Park will . . . will be an important new open space and cultural contribution to our city.”

Four Freedoms Park was designed by architect Louis Kahn, who was commissioned in 1972, and will be built posthumously. It is the last structure designed by Kahn, and will be the only Kahn design in New York, according to FERI.

“The City’s financial crisis prevented the project from going forward,” said a spokesperson for Four Freedoms Park, LLC. “Though a series of governmental and financial obstacles prevented it from being realized at its inception, renewed interest and support for the project has made its construction now achievable.”

To facilitate construction, FDR Four Freedoms Park LLC, has launched a tree campaign.

The Park will contain 150 Little Leaf Linden trees creating two allées on the east and west sides of the great lawn. Each tree will be associated with a significant milestone of FDR’s administration, such as the Minimum Wage Act, Social Security Act, the G.I. Bill, or aspects of Franklin Roosevelt’s life and legacy, according to FERI.

“Each tree will make its own individual contribution to the Park,” said vanden Heuvel. “The trees, which will eventually grow to a height of 40 feet, will add a new landscaped vision to the areas surrounding the Island.”

The Four Freedoms Park project will be completed over three phases throughout 2009 by FJ Sciame Construction Company of New York.

DOB Releases New Elevator Requirements

New regulations for elevator inspections are now effective. A new filing process and adherence to more stringent inspections are required by the New York City Department of Buildings.

An inspection report must now be filed with DOB every year for each device. The inspection report must be signed by four individuals: building owner, approved agency director performing the test, approved agency inspector who witnessed the test, and the

approved agency director of inspector who witnessed the test. The signed report must be filed within 45 days of the date of the inspection. If a defect is found, the applicant has 45 days from the date the inspection report is filed to correct it, and then must file an “Affirmation of Correction” within 15 days, according to DOB.

Additionally, there are three new inspection requirements. First, building owners must now conduct an annual basic, no load, test and a full load inspection test every five years. Second, inspections/ must be performed by an approved agency and witnessed by another approved agency not affiliated with the test performer. Last, all passenger elevators must have an updated maintenance log and maintenance contractor record readily available upon request, according to DOB.

The inspection regulations apply to all newly installed or existing devices: passenger elevators (electric or hydraulic) freight elevators; sidewalk elevators, escalators/moving walks, private residential elevators, dumbwaiters, material lifts, vertical reciprocating conveyors and elevators used for construction, according to DOB.

These new requirements, which went into effect January 1, 2009, are part of the new NYC Construction Codes that were launched last July.

New Bridge in North Bergen

Work is progressing on the NJ TRANSIT bridge construction to relieve intersection congestion in North Bergen, New Jersey.

The new bridge will separate 69th Street from an existing six-track freight railroad corridor operated by CSX Transportation and the New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad. The bridge will carry vehicle traffic and accommodate future NJ TRANSIT service on the Northern Branch.

“We worked closely with the Department of Transportation in order to provide better access for people getting to job and shopping locations in the area,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles. “For NJ TRANSIT, this will be particularly important when future passenger rail service on the Northern Branch is introduced.”

The new structure is will eliminate the at-grade crossing, which causes traffic delays because of the freight movement, according to NJ TRANSIT.

“The 69th Street bridge will improve the quality of life for North Bergen and area residents by providing much-needed relief from traffic congestion, while enhancing safety for both drivers and railroad operations,” said State Senator and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco.

Additional project improvements include roadway and drainage reconstruction within the area; construction of temporary bypass roads; a retaining wall addition curb, sidewalk and driveway reconstruction; and installation of traffic signs at two intersections.

The project broke ground in October 2008 and is expected to be completed by 2011.

East Harlem Welcomes Mixed-Income Building

Project teams recently broke ground on East Harlem’s newest mixed-income residential building—Tapestry, at 124th and Second Avenue in New York.

The 12-story, 185-unit apartment building is being developed by Jonathan Rose Companies, LLC, and constructed by Lettire Construction, both of New York.

East Harlem’s newest mixed-income residential building—Tapestry, a 12-story, 185-unit apartment building—is on schedule for a May 2010 completion. (Rendering courtesy of ArcXchange).

Tapestry will feature studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments rented at market rate, middle-income and low-income rates. Amenities will include underground parking for 120 vehicles, a gym, accessible green roofs, outdoor patio, doorman, concierge, a media room/children’s playroom, bike storage, in-unit laundry in select apartments and a community laundry room. Additionally, 8,000-sq-ft of retail will be included on the ground floor.

Designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP and MHG Architects PC, both of New York, Tapestry will strive for LEED Silver certification by including high-efficiency mechanical systems, green roofs, Energy Star-rated appliances and lighting fixtures, including motion sensors, low- or no-VOC paints and primers, healthy floor and wall coverings as well as recycled content materials.

The $67.5 million project includes a financing package for the land acquisition and construction through tax exempt bonds from the New York City Housing Development Corporation, permanent credit enhancement, and construction credit enhancement.

“Tapestry represents a true weaving together of economic, social and environmental responsibility that features unprecedented excellence in design for a mixed-income project,” said Jonathan Rose, president of the Jonathan Rose Companies. “This project reflects Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC in action. It is another example of our firm’s dedication to repairing the fabric of urban neighborhoods though green, transit-oriented development, and truly is a Tapestry.”

The project is part of the 125th Street River to River Rezoning, a multi-city agency rezoning effort to create retail, entertainment and more affordable housing for Harlem residents.

“This project has been a long time in the making,” said Nicholas Lettire, president of Lettire Construction. “We have assembled a top quality design team and believe that this development will be part of a new and exciting gateway to Manhattan and the emergence of a vibrant new community.”

The project is currently on schedule for a May 2010 completion.

More Condos Underway in West Chelsea

A new residential condominium at 456 West 19th Street is currently progressing on construction.

When completed in early 2010, the project will be a 12-story, 56,000-sq-ft building with duplex residences featuring custom windows, double-height living rooms and open floor plans.

The new condominiums at 456 West 19th Street will have a hand-laid black brick façade, to reflect the neighborhood’s classic industrial architecture. (Rendering courtesy of Tamarkin Co.)

The façade will be constructed with black brick, to reflect the neighborhood’s classic industrial architecture, according to project architect and developer Cary Tamarkin of Tamarkin Co. of New York.

The condominiums will feature one- to three-bedrooms, and include four duplex penthouse apartments located on the top four floors featuring fireplaces and private terraces.

“I have always been inspired by the architecture of the artists’ studio buildings of the early twentieth century—both the aesthetic and the lifestyle—and for a long time I have wanted to do a building just like this one,” said Tamarkin. “Finally, I have found the right site in the right neighborhood at the right time. Being a part of The High Line and the dynamic new West Chelsea is very exciting to me.”

Amenities will include a lobby with concrete floors, displaying original works from photographer Bart Michiels, a 24-hour doorman, landscaped garden, bicycle room, personal storage rooms, Verizon FIOS and two high-speed elevators.

The building is also striving for LEED certification by using low-VOC construction materials, filtered air and water in every apartment, individual climate controls, FSC certified cabinetry and wide plank white oak flooring, as well as energy-efficient UV-blocking glass.

General contractor T.J. Nickel & Associates of Ronkonkoma, New York, broke ground in August 2007 and the project is currently on schedule.

More Affordable Housing Planned for NY

Five affordable housing developments are currently in the works in Harlem and Brooklyn.

A two-building full renovation in Central Harlem at 161-163 West 131st Street between Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevards has been planned. The $1.104 million project involves renovating the second and third floors’ five apartments. The owners, Christ Temple Baptist Church, combined the first floor and basement of each building in 2005 to create space for the church and a community facility, which will also be renovated. The developer is 161-163 West 131st Street HDFC Inc., a not-for-profit entity in New York.

A $9.2 million gut rehabilitation of two seven-story buildings in the Hamilton Heights section of Harlem is also in process. The renovation involves reconfiguring the space into 37 units—24 one-bedroom and 13 two-bedroom residences. The developer is Housing Development Fund Corporation, which is sponsored by the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board.

Malcolm Shabazz Development Corporation will renovate a six-story building located at 2512 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard to include 15 limited equity co-ops—two studios, six one-bedrooms, four two-bedrooms and three three-bedrooms—and two commercial spaces. The renovation is a $4.5 million project.

A $2.2 million rehabilitation of a five-story building located at 131 East 101st Street in Harlem is planned. The 10-unit project is also sponsored by UHAB and will be converted into HDFC co-ops upon completion.

A complete rehabilitation of two vacant and one partially-occupied residential building in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn is also planned. The $4.7 million project is located at 2516 Newkirk Avenue, 561 Rogers Avenue and 2506 Albemarle Road, and will include 25 new rental apartments for low- and moderate-income families. The developer, Nayelli Partners of New York, will relocate the 12 existing tenants during construction. After completion, the three buildings will contain one single-bedroom apartment, 18 two-bedroom apartments and six three-bedroom units.

The Community Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit mortgage lender in New York, provided loans for all the affordable housing developments.