Jackson Park, located in Long Island City, Queens, New York, consists of three high-rise residential towers, one low-rise amenity building, a one and a half acre south facing green space and a site extensive subterranean service/parking level. The 1,871 rent stabilized apartments are comprised of studio, one, two, three, and four-bedroom units. Amenities include pools, basketball court, and fitness center.
The three towers hold the sidewalk edge with retail. The glass clad towers complement each other and define the south facing green space. At ground level, light filled amenity and social spaces look onto the green space.
Jackson Park’s most important physical context is its relationship to Manhattan. Jackson Park provides modestly priced rental apartments for those working in Manhattan but who cannot or do not want to pay Manhattan prices for housing. Residents access the MTA station from the adjacent sidewalk for a twelve-minute ride to Rockefeller Center.
Even as the iconic Citibank building sat in a lonely, underdeveloped, underutilized landscape, the client understood both the sustainable and economic value of densification of the site. Jackson Park is now a vibrant participant in the urbanization of the Queens / Long Island City community. The physical context in this instance has completely morphed apart from the constant presence of street traffic and the pervasive energy of the rail systems. The once desolate streetscapes of this area of Queens are now distinguished by the bustling sidewalks of a safe and sustainable urban neighborhood.
The site is bordered by Jackson Avenue to the north and the Long Island Railroad Sunnyside Yard to the south, Orchard Street to the west and Queens Boulevard to the east. Amassed from several parcels, the site was incumbered by an existing MTA facility, a de-mapped city street, and layered brown-field conditions. Acquisition of the de-mapped city street optimized site utilization and planning flexibility. The site transformation allowed the buildings to hold the sidewalk and to define the generous south-facing green space. The Long Island Railroad Sunnyside Yard to the south ensures sunlight into the green space for any foreseeable future.
Category:Residential TowersYear:2018Location:Queens, New York, USA Architects:Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects Landscape Architects:HMWhite, LLC.Design Team: Mack Scogin, Merrill Elam, Christian Ayala, and Melissa BoothContractor:Turner Construction Company (Tower A) and Hudson Meridian Construction Group (Tower B1 and Amenity Building)Client: Tishman Speyer Properties, LP.Photographer: Tim Hursley
