Long Island City Tower Will Be Tallest Residential Skyscraper in NYC Outside of Manhattan

December 5, 2014

The tallest residential building in the outer boroughs is underway, and no, it’s not going to be in boomtown Brooklyn, but rather along the rapidly evolving corridor of Queens Plaza in Long Island City. 42-12 28th Street will soar 57 stories from an 18,000-square-foot lot and will contain 447 luxury rental units. At its 635-foot projected height, it will be just 20 feet shy of the current outer borough tallest, One Court Square (the “Citi” building).

Recently posted images on Goldstein Hill & West‘s revamped website reveal some new aspects of the project, including its ground-level street frontage and an “extensive” amenity package to include a swimming pool directly linked to an outdoor roof deck.

Long Island City, Queens, Goldstein Hill & West, Court Square, Queens Plaza, Queensboro, 59th Street, LIC, Sunnyside Railyard, Astoria, skyscrapers, high-rise, nyc developmentAerial renderings via CityRealty

Long Island City, Queens, Goldstein Hill & West, Court Square, Queens Plaza, Queensboro, 59th Street, LIC, Sunnyside Railyard, Astoria, skyscrapers, high-rise, nyc development

The tower will be Heatherwood Communities‘ second ground-up undertaking in the neighborhood. Their slick and beautifully blue rental 27 on 27th anchors the southwest corner of the same block and opened back in 2013. It’s not surprising that they’re smitten with this location; the new tower at 42-12 28th Street is just one block southwest of Dutch Kills Green, a park-like roadway/pedestrian/bicycle improvement project finished in 2012, and directly across from the Queensboro Plaza subway station that can shuttle residents to Midtown in less than 10 minutes.

Long Island City, Queens, Goldstein Hill & West, Court Square, Queens Plaza, Queensboro, 59th Street, LIC, Sunnyside Railyard, Astoria, skyscrapers, high-rise, nyc development

The building rises logically in a series of well-proportioned setbacks from south to north and is clad in a blue reflective skin composed of offset alternating patterns; not unlike One57‘s pixelated facades. Strategically placed balconies on the south and west elevations will be sure to capture sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline (at least until the next tower comes along).

Long Island City, Queens, Goldstein Hill & West, Court Square, Queens Plaza, Queensboro, 59th Street, LIC, Sunnyside Railyard, Astoria, skyscrapers, high-rise, nyc development

Is the title of tallest outer-borough residential building significant? Probably not. By Manhattan standards, 635 feet is not even particularly tall. For comparison, 432 Park Avenue, the tallest building in the western hemisphere, is 1,396 feet high, more than double 42-12 28th Street’s height. To further dampen this tower’s record book significance, there are three even taller buildings planned in Downtown Brooklyn that are set to open shortly after. But for now, this Long Island City building can gloat all it wants.

[42-28 28th Street on CityRealty]

Renderings via Goldstein Hill & West; Aerial views via CityRealty

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