On the former site of a Ford dealership, the future Eastern Emerald Hotel (formerly the LaGuardia Airport Convention Center project) is off to a less than auspicious start: A small crack in the street by the site, which already had a stop work order in place, turned into a 30-foot-wide, 40-foot-deep sinkhole that sent debris flying into passing and parked cars on Friday afternoon. Gas and water lines ruptured, and PIX 11 notes that traffic disruptions are not expected to be resolved any time soon.
According to approved building plans, upon completion, the full-block, 12-story building will include hotel, retail, and accessory commercial space. Additionally, it will be LEED Gold certified and intelligently built with a 4G high-speed data network.
Approved zoning diagram on file for 112-15 Northern Boulevard
Back in 2013, the developers, Fleet Financial Group initially planned a $200 million, 25-story convention center for the site. However, those plans have since been scaled back. According to a Queens Tribune article from 2015, Fleet's president Richard Xia, announced that plans were being scaled back and were looking to build a 12- to 14-story hotel instead that would be called the Eastern Emerald Hotel. Permits on file show there will be 322 parking spaces, 206 hotel rooms, some office space on lower floors, and a community center on the ground floor.
Previous renderings of the shelved convention center and hotel (images below) show a large, glassy building with soaring ceilings and a large, triangular notch in the middle to act as an atrium. Developer touted its excellent proximity to LaGuardia Airport, Citi Field, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and major city highways.
Previous renderings of the shelved convention center and hotel (images below) show a large, glassy building with soaring ceilings and a large, triangular notch in the middle to act as an atrium. Developer touted its excellent proximity to LaGuardia Airport, Citi Field, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and major city highways.
All renderings of LaGuardia Airport Convention Center via Fleet Financial Group
Atrium detail
Street view of LaGuardia Airport Convention Center and a road without a sinkhole
Aerial rendering of LaGuardia Airport Convention Center
Nightime rendering
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