Kramer Levin Secures Zoning Variance on Behalf of Quadrum Global for Construction of 21-Story Residential and Commercial Building on LIC Waterfront

On March 13, 2023, Kramer Levin secured a zoning variance for Quadrum Global from the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals for the construction of a 21-story residential building with ground floor commercial use located at 45-40 Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens. The proposed project will contain approximately 192,500 square feet of floor area and 202 residential units and will provide approximately 13,800 square feet of publicly-accessible open space, including public access to Anable Basin for the first time from Vernon Boulevard. A four-story industrial building on the property, formerly occupied by the Paragon Paint and Varnish Corporation, will be restored and incorporated into the project. Environmental contamination on the property resulting from its historic industrial use was remediated under the NYS Brownfield Cleanup Program. In addition to allowing residential use in a manufacturing zoning district, the variance waives building height, residential floor plate size, and setback from the shore public walkway. The floor area allowed by the variance is equal to more than 2.5 times the size of a complying manufacturing or commercial development.

The Kramer Levin team was led by Land Use counsel Gary R. Tarnoff, planning and development specialist Jeff Mulligan, and Environmental special counsel Toni L. Finger.