A groundbreaking 2004 residential plan in Long Island City has yet to actually break ground, but we have an in-depth look at the pending project from Peter Poon Architects called River East, a multi-tower development on 44th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard in the continuously evolving neighborhood. The project was to be developed by Brent Carrier's Vernon Realty Holdings and was first announced in 2004. To make way for the development, the East River Tennis Club was demolished, and the project would have brought 1,100 pioneering studio to three-bedroom condominium units to the then-derelict LIC waterfront. After filing permits in the summer of 2008, the project unraveled at the onset of the financial downturn and fell into a maelstrom of controversy. No new permits have been filed since, and the site remains a vacant dirt lot.
Designed in collaboration with the Walker Group, the project was set to span 1.2 million square feet, featuring two glass condominium towers and four 8-story low-rise buildings. The four shorter buildings would host 14 townhouses and lofts, as well as 20,000 square feet of retail space. River East would also have two acres of open space and underground parking. A full public waterfront esplanade designed by landscape architect Ken Smith was set to top off the development. His creation included a trio of ivy billboards, created as a green tribute to LIC’s many billboards.
PPA’s renderings reveal stone and glass towers with special cutaway corners allowing for balconies and terraces. The development would host a generous outdoor dining area, a 10,000-square-foot fitness center, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and a café. A rooftop recreation spaces would feature a tennis court, a volleyball court, miniature golf, and private gardens.
No announcements have been made of when the plan will restart but the same massing of twin towers fronted by mid-rises is present in NYC City Planning drawings of the future LIC waterfront.
Contributing Writer
Katy Cornell
Katy Cornell is a Long Island native with a passion for writing about real estate in the big city. She recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in English and is a frequent contributor to CityRealty's Market Insight and NYC real estate blog 6sqft.
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
