Long Island City's Skyline Tower to be Tallest, and Across from Amazon
The Skyline Tower, a 67-story condo building under construction in Long Island City, ended the year on a very high note. In addition to being named 6sqft’s 2018 Building of the Year, the Hill West Architects-designed, 778-foot-tall tower became the first in Queens to pass $1 billion in total sell out. Plus, the property, which developer United Construction & Development Group first filed plans for in 2016, sits across the street from One Court Square, where Amazon is leasing one million square feet of office space before the company moves to its new HQ2 complex along the waterfront. On Wednesday, new renderings of Skyline Tower were released, showing off the interiors, views, and new subway entrance at the future tallest tower in Queens.
In November, Amazon announced its plan to bring its second headquarters to Long Island City, in the waterfront area known as Anable Basin. In exchange for creating at least 25,000 jobs, Amazon is expected to receive nearly $3 billion in tax incentives and grants from the city and state.
Interest in real estate in the Queens neighborhood dramatically surged following the online tech giant’s announcement. As 6sqft reported just two days after the HQ2 news, searches for residential apartments in Long Island City jumped 281 percent compared to daily averages before the announcement.
Since news broke of Amazon’s move, about 700 people have expressed interest in buying a condo at the 802-unit building before sales have even officially launched, according to Modern Spaces, a real estate agency specializing in the area. And the building isn’t finished yet; construction is expected to be completed in two phases in 2021 and 2022.
Amazon employees will start moving to One Court Square, known as the Citigroup Building, this year. The 680-foot-tall building will offer the company over one million square feet in office space.
William Xu, vice president of United Construction & Development Group and nephew of founder Jiashu Xu, told the New York Times, who first reported the new images: “Never in our wildest dreams did we think Amazon would come to Queens, and Long Island City, and just down the block from us. It’s pretty surreal.”
The property, located at 23-14 44th Drive, sits next to the elevated 7 subway line and the CUNY School of Law, from which the developer bought air rights. About $16 million has been committed for a new entrance to the Court Square subway station, which serves the E, M, G, and 7 lines, at the base of the building.
Inside, with interiors designed by Whitehall Interiors, condos boast floor-to-ceiling windows, modern appliances, and marble-adorned bathrooms with soaking tubs. Nearly 20 percent of the condos will have private, outdoor terraces.
Residents can enjoy a swath of amenities, including a 75-foot heated indoor pool with spa-like facilities, two resident lounges, a fitness center and yoga studio, children’s playroom, storage for 400 or more bikes, a laundry room, and private parking.
