JACKSON HEIGHTS — Officials filed permits last week to build the neighborhood's newest elementary school, complete with a rooftop playground, on the site of White Castle's former regional office.
The new school, P.S. 398Q, will house 476 students from pre-K to fifth grade at 69-01 34th Ave., according to Purcell Architects.
News of the recently filed permits was first reported by New York YIMBY.
The new school was announced last May after the Department of Education's School Construction Authority purchased the site for $6.3 million, records show.
White Castle had sold the land months beforehand to a developer for $5.135 million.
Kenrick Ou, director of real estate services for the SCA, said last May that City Councilman Danny Dromm had notified the authority about the land.
"What's driving this is need," said Ou, noting that District 30 is the second most overcrowded in the city.
The five-story, 65,000-square-foot building is influenced by the architecture throughout Jackson Heights — something the designers called a "challenge" since they wanted to pay homage to the neighborhood's history.
They posted a video with renderings of the school on their website.
The school will feature an enclosed, 4,000-square-foot rooftop playground, a music room, a guidance suite and special arts classroom, according to Purcell Architects.
Demolition permits for the site were filed in January, and the new building permits were filed late last week. The project is awaiting approval from the city, records show.
Officials said the school is scheduled to open by September 2019.
