On the banks of the East River, across from Midtown Manhattan, Long island City is undergoing a major transformation as the area's industrial past makes way for brand new residential towers. After the old Pepsi-Cola bottling plan was transformed into a dense glassy neighbourhood, developers have turned to the derelict Paragon Paint Factory and the adjacent buildings, situated a few block away at the intersection of Vernon Boulevard and 46th Avenue.

Rendering of the complex seen from the waterfront, image courtesy of SHoP Architects via 6sqft

SHoP Architects recently revealed their vision for the site to be developed by Simon Baron DevelopmentQuadrum Global and CRE Development. Renderings published by 6sqft show three towers wrapping around heritage buildings on the northwest corner of the intersection. While the four-storey warehouse fronting Vernon Boulevard will be retained and incorporated into the development, parts of the existing structures at the back and along 46th Avenue will be demolished to accommodate the new towers. Indeed, as seen in the picture below, the centre of the block will receive a 300-foot, 28-storey glass-covered residential building featuring 296 units. 

Rendering of the complex seen from Vernon Boulevard, image courtesy of SHoP Architects via 6sqft

Further north on Vernon Boulevard, a 14-storey building will replace a series of existing low-rise light industrial facilities. It will be composed of two distinct sections, with a mid-rise copper-toned base supporting a white tower, itself boasting angled windows. Along 46th Avenue, a similar but shorter building — eight stories in height — will transition towards the low-rise built form of the surroundings. All three towers will be steps away from the partially-revamped Anable Basin and waterfront esplanade, part of the Hunters Point redevelopment project. 

The complex will replace industrial buildings, image courtesy of SHoP Architects via 6sqft

No construction start or completion dates have been announced so far for this project. However, you can jump into the conversation about this development on our dedicated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page. You can also visit the Database file dedicated to this complex, featured below.