ODA Architecture’s luxury building designs dot major cities all over the world. With an emphasis on the people that will live in their structures and integration between nature and manmade, the firm’s residential designs represent the standard to which many Long Island and NYC locals want when it comes to sustainability and environmental friendliness. 

In Long Island City, one of their latest ventures, the Rabsky Bevel LIC at 42-20 27th Street, is in the process of laying its last bricks, representing a little over four years of labor to bring ODA’s vision to life. 

What Was the Timeline for this Project?

Developed for the residential development firm, the Rabsky Group, the story of Bevel LIC began some years ago when initial plans were revealed in 2016 for a smaller structure than what it ultimately became, first approved as a 99-unit, mixed-use building that would eventually grow to 202 units. It was originally slated for completion in 2018. 

News of this project did not often break, save for when things went wrong, including an incident in 2017 where a floor collapse injured six laborers. By the end of 2019, construction had advanced far enough that the owners began to lease apartments, and full completion has likely been awaiting the full reopening of construction after the first outbreak of COVID-19 shut down all but non-essential projects. In early June, work finally began to wrap up, with the final touches forthcoming in the coming weeks. 

Bevel LIC at a Glance

As before, the finished Bevel LIC represents a much larger building than its initial plans had hoped for. With 99 units and 15 stories, it was intended as a mixed-use building that would include retail space on the ground floor and residential space in the upper floors. 

The finished project would be far grander, but it appears that retail space has been replaced with tenants-only luxury amenities. 

Features include: 

• 18 stories, with 202 residential units, ranging from studios to two-bedrooms, priced from $2,400 to $4,200 per month
• Wooden floors and floor-to-ceiling windows in units, with interiors by Durukan Design.
• A courtyard with full landscaping
• Amenities like bicycle storage, a children’s room, cinema, fitness center, and a private library

Among essential construction projects that have continued to chug along throughout the pandemic, the redesign of LaGuardia’s Terminal B has managed to remain on schedule with few delays, thanks in part to lower traffic, and is now complete. Part of a larger revitalization plan for the airport launched in 2015 by Gov. Cuomo, the arrivals and departures hall was unveiled last week, giving travelers a picture of what the future holds in store for LaGuardia as a whole when the final bricks are in place sometime in 2021. 

The finish line, though still a year away, reflects years of effort to update and improve the airport, once openly criticized for its lack of cleanliness and desperate need of a facelift.  

What Has Been the Timeline for LaGuardia’s Transformation?

Plans for a full rebuild were around as early as 2010, when Christopher Ward, director of the Port Authority, brought in consultants to look into fully demolishing and rebuilding the entire site to something modern and up to date. The proposed project would cost about $2.5 billion, and proposals would continue in the coming years. 

The initial plan included bringing in a private company to fund the operation. Still, in 2015, Governor Cuomo announced the state would be overseeing this project, which had an original budget of $4 billion but has now grown to almost $8 billion. Phase One began in 2016. Private airlines started to invest in 2017, in time for Phase Two to begin. 

Each stage of construction has been gradual, with multiple changes, including moving the entire facility approximately 600 feet closer to the Grand Central Parkway, an eco-friendly build, and new parking garages. The only major parts of the airport that do not appear to have needed changing were the runways. 

LaGuarida Airport and Terminal B: A Picture of Progress

LaGuardia’s Terminal B and its plans and progress have been an ongoing part of the project since at least 2011, starting with a complete demolition during Phase One. With its recent reopening, we have a clearer idea of what the new and final LaGuardia will resemble as a whole:

• Once viewed as small and cramped, the new terminal provides a spacious airport—incidentally safer for social distancing. The new terminal gives us a preview of this with four stories and about 850,000 square feet of space.
• With 16 security lanes, 75 check-in kiosks and at least 5 additional gates, there is more room for travelers to get where they need to go quickly and safely. 
• Multiple new dining and retail spaces are available with far more space than they were allotted before, with famous New York City brands like Tony + Benny’s Authentic Brooklyn Pizza, Think Coffee, Eli’s Essentials by Eli Zabar, and more awaiting new customers. 

The finished space is light and stylish, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting the sun in from every angle and mid-century modern touches to the decor, reflecting years of design, development, and labor. 

What Remains to Be Finished? 

Two significant points reconstruction still remain, as well as multiple other finishing touches. Partnering with Delta Airlines, Terminal C’s renovation is still underway and due to finish in 2021. The Western Concourse, which will house American Airlines, remains a part of Terminal B that is also not yet finished, and slated for a 2021 opening. Seventeen additional gates are also reported to be on their way. The vision of a finished LaGuardia airport appears to be a wide-open space, elbow room, and ease of access while traveling. Laborers continue to work diligently to bring the entire project in on time and under budget.

In Mid-May, the first discussions of a new residential structure to come in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens were heard. BRP Companies expressed an interest in financing Archer Towers, a high-rise multi-family complex, and in the weeks since has listed it as one of their ongoing projects. They shall be partnering with investment firm JLL Capital Markets in order to secure funding to the tune of about $286 million. A previously completed building in the area includes the Crossing, a mixed-use structure directly across from the Jamaica Terminal. 

What Is the Basic Plan Behind the Archer Towers Project? 

Just a few blocks away from its neighbor, the Crossing, Archer Towers will also be a mixed-use project, combining residential and retail spaces within a single structure. Locals can conveniently do all their shopping within steps of their home, or skip to mass transit at the nearby terminal. Many residential projects with a similar intent have been cropping up over the last few years, with many neighborhoods favoring the mixed-use model. 

Other features and amenities (which by themselves will take up about 20,000 square feet)  include: 

• Archer Towers will include 24 stories of space, comprising 540,000 square feet.
• The residential spaces will be rentals with 424 market-rate units and then an additional 181 for mixed-income households. Phase II, to begin in 2021, promises another 400+ apartments, including 120 affordable housing units.
• For fitness and wellness, residents will have an outdoor rooftop, a landscaped backyard space, a basketball court, and a yoga studio. 
• For recreation, residents will have access to a lounge, a playroom for children, a pet spa, and a movie screening room. 

What Does the Road to Completion Look Like?

Demolition on the previous properties on the lot was completed in 2019. Even with delays related to COVID-19, the project was deemed essential, possibly thanks to its leanings toward affordable housing. Delays may continue because of the current effects of the epidemic, even as construction across the state begins to reopen.

Studio V Architecture is behind the design of the building, and early renderings have revealed sleek, modern aesthetics. Without any released data on the pricing for finished apartments, it is clear that more details are forthcoming, including the level of luxury the finished project will feature. 

With 24 stories to raise and then fill, and in the span of two phases, however, the Archer Towers project is promising multiple years of upcoming work for contractors and construction firms associated with it.

With nearly 7,000 active building permits in the New York City area, and more to come as construction begins to resume fully, many are looking to projects delayed to provide needed+

36jobs for a population of laborers eager to get back to work. 

The latest among the newer projects is a set of proposals helmed by Tavros Capital Management and BKSK Architects, with a plan to renovate a row of buildings in the Gansevoort Historic District in Manhattan, better known as the Meatpacking District. 

Given the historical status of the area, much care will be given to preserving much of the area’s original architectural appeal, but the aim is to fully restore the exterior facades and construct new commercial office spaces. The current proposals are under review by New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, with these proceedings expected to finish up in early June.

What Is Known About the Structures to be Renovated?

People passing through the area might recognize the old row houses along the corner of 14th Street and 9th Avenue, the precise locations being 44 to 54 Ninth Avenue and 351 to 355 West 14th Street, all of which were constructed in the early-to-mid-1800s. Painted white, their original exteriors stuccoed over, they stand in somewhat stark contrast to the taller, traditionally-still-brick buildings around them. Retail and restaurant spaces occupy the street and basement levels, with residences taking the upper floors, a prototypical example of the mixed-use features that have grown not just popular but also essential in New York construction of late. 

The plans that Tavros and BKSK have in mind for the area include the following: 

1. Restoration of the exterior to reflect the block’s storied past. This will include a slate roof and facade with red brick.
2. New windows with aluminum casing for improved insulation and better energy savings throughout the buildings.
3. New street-level awnings for wider curb appeal and a unified look.
4. Redesigned retail spaces. This will include exposed brick support beams and skylights.

Restoration, however, is only part of the project. Will New Construction Also Take Place? 

Along with the restoration of the main buildings, Tavros Capital Management and BKSK Architects also propose the construction of a new office space behind these buildings to fill in the remaining gap. Contrasting the classical brick facades of the row houses and even the surrounding buildings, this nine-story structure will emphasize metal rather than brick. However, its interiors will carry the exposed brick supports and skylights of the rest of the complex. Reports suggest it will top out at around 210 feet above street level. It will also feature new balconies and a private terrace on the top floor and a courtyard area. 

With the proposals still under review by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, there are no details regarding when construction would commence or how long it would take — something that is likely to be better predicted by whatever construction companies are tapped to complete the project. The mixture of both interior and exterior restorations, plus an entirely new structure to raise promises a variety of smaller projects to complete as part of the whole, and steady work for the lucky firms that land them. Pending approval, the opening for bids should be soon to follow, because while many permits are active, still more are ready to appear. 

For more information on this project, and other projects, contact CIS Leads.