QUEENS — A developer wants to build an 8-story luxury office building on a site near MacDonald Park in Forest Hills that currently houses a restaurant and several stores — even though some of the current merchants said they weren't aware of the plans.
RJ Capital Holdings has already filed plans with the Department of Buildings to demolish the current single-story structure at 107-02 through 107-16 Queens Blvd., which includes Caffe Biu Bella, Party World, a dry cleaners and other stores, according to Michael Abramov, a principal at the company.
Abramov said that the project, which was first reported by Forest Hills Post, is still in the early stages of planning.
According to the company's website, the 136,000-square-foot new building would feature retail space on the ground floor, a 240-space parking garage in the basement as well as on the second floor and office space on the remaining floors. The fourth floor would also include a roof terrace.
Several tenants at the location said Wednesday they were not aware of the plans and that their leases expire in 2021. But according to the company's website, the developer is planning to complete the new building on the corner of 70th Avenue and the Queens Boulevard service road by the first quarter of 2019.
Frank Gulluscio, district manager at Community Board 6, and Forest Hills Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz's office said Wednesday they were also surprised to hear about the planned development.
The company, which city records show purchased the property in August for $21.1 million, has not yet filed any paperwork for the new building.
