The former soccer field at Our Lady of the Angelus Catholic Academy slated to be developed (Google)
Aug. 12, 2019 By Christian Murray
Plans have been filed for a 21-story, 261-unit apartment building in Rego Park on a vacant lot next to the now-shuttered Our Lady of the Angelus Catholic Academy.
The plans, filed Aug. 6, call for a 143 feet tall building at 98-10 63rd Rd. that will include about 177,000 square feet designated for apartments, with the average unit measuring at about 675 square feet. The development will include 19,000 square feet for community facilities and 156 enclosed parking spaces.
The site was the former soccer field used by the academy. It is one block from the Rego Center Mall and a 5-minute walk to the 63 Drive-Rego Park subway station, serviced by the M and R trains.
Kenney Liu, a Flushing-based developer, is listed as the owner. He bought the lot from the Church of Our Lady of the Angelus for $30 million in January, according to City records.
Our Lady of the Angelus Catholic Academy closed in June 2018 after mounting debt and declining enrollment.
Liu is unlikely to need a zoning variance to complete the project, since the site is located in a R7 zone that caters to high-density residential buildings, according to a City Department of Planning spokesman.
The property is surrounded by several other high-rise apartment buildings.
Liu has several developments in Flushing. He is also behind a 55,000 square foot condo development that was recently completed at 97-45 63rd Drive.
9 Comments
Is this developer going to improve the community? Or just make his money from Rego Park? Will the 63rd Drive subway be improved with elevators, escalators, will the pigeon’s droppings that encase the subway entrance near Wiggles finally be cleaned up? Take a look at the Briarwood E/F renovated with exterior park-like seating, elevators, digital train signs. Rego Park needs a community focused park just like Forest Hills has MacDonald Park. Now we need Council member Karen Koslowitz to speak up and advocate for Rego Park
It will be 2 years, at least, of constant banging, street closures, dust and inconvenience followed by frenzied search for parking of those who don’t get a parking space in the building … Subway station at 63rd and trains overcrowded even more … welcome to once quiet and pleasant Rego Park ))
The city is already overcrowded. People that stay here or move to NYC and talk about how amazing it is must be mentally insane
Those numbers seem like mostly studio apartments or really small one bedrooms. These plans need much more review by the city boards that are handing out these permits so freely. Elmhurst is already a mess with too much construction that is chocking the neighborhood. It’s over developed. It’s happened in Brooklyn and now these developers are trying to do it to it in Queens. Our neighborhoods in Queens are prime real estate because there is aesthetic value and balance of space. I’m seeing none of that in this building boom that is happening to fill every open space possible. We need more community oversight and pressure on the city officials that are giving out these permits.
Nobody needs big anymore we downsized from 5 rooms in sunnyside to 3 when we moved Who needs book cases filled with books cd’s dvd’s even VHS….who needs a big china cabinet if you are not entertaining every week? The Digital revolution even made me sell off 5000+ of my 6000 LP vinyl record collection and 2000 cd’s years ago.. when i was a mobile dj…..so 3 rooms laid out correctly is enough for 2 people…..hint the kitchen must be big enough to hold a 4 person table aka eat in kitchen…
A shame that this plot couldn’t be turned into a park considering how it’s already a grass field….
So, plans for the building call for it to 143 feet tall, with 21 floors. Someone please do the math. Does the developer seriously intend most of the floors to be just 6 to 7 feet high???
Yetyou still don’t have enough low income housing Mr lui please remember if you use public money you must have low income unit the public is watching
The DOB website says it will have a perimeter wall height of 260 feet. The 143′ building height was probably an error entering data into the system.