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New Apartments Planned at Former Uncle George's Space

By Jeanmarie Evelly | April 2, 2015 12:39pm | Updated on April 7, 2015 9:32pm
 A rendering of the future development at 33-19 Broadway, the former Uncle George's restaurant space.
A rendering of the future development at 33-19 Broadway, the former Uncle George's restaurant space.
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DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

ASTORIA — Big changes are underway for the building that once housed Uncle George's Greek Tavern, a popular neighborhood eatery that's sat empty since it closed two years ago.

The owner of the property at 33-19 Broadway is planning to add a fourth floor to the three-story building and expand the second and third floors to construct extra apartments, according to plans filed with the Department of Buildings.

A partial demolition permit was issued in December to remove partitions in the basement and first three floors, according to DOB records.

The building will still have space for a restaurant on its first floor, according to the plans, which also calls for a sidewalk cafe. There will be five apartments on the floors above. The Queens Gazette first reported the changes.

It was not clear if Uncle George's would return to the spot.

The site is covered by scaffolding, and a rendering posted on the exterior shows a first floor restaurant with glass-enclosed seating on Broadway and 34th Street, similar to how it was set up at Uncle George's.

The apartments above the restaurant space have large wrap-around windows, according to the rendering, which says construction is expected to finish in the spring of 2016.

Uncle George's had been in the neighborhood for decades before it closed in 2013, according to a Daily News story at the time.

The current owner of the building, Arvanitis Family LLC, did not immediately return emails seeking comment on its plan.