Developer proposes 21‑story mixed‑use building at 100‑12 Queens Boulevard; neighbors press for recorded design protections

Rachel Loe, a representative of Benninsson Capital Partners Corporation, presented a rezoning application for 100‑12 Queens Boulevard on behalf of the applicant, proposing a mixed‑use development the team called the Francis that would replace one‑story retail with residential, ground‑floor retail and interior loading.

The applicant said the project would add roughly 390 new apartments — including about 100 permanently income‑restricted units under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) framework — and roughly 16,000 square feet of neighborhood‑serving retail, with widened sidewalks and interiorized loading to reduce street impacts. Architect Chris Fogerty said the design pulls the building to the boulevard, places loading inside, and incorporates a planted terrace so neighboring properties would not face a rear wall and, he said, shadows would largely fall on Queens Boulevard rather than to the south.

Why it matters: the proposal would substantially increase housing density at a transit‑rich site near M and R trains and would create a guaranteed share of affordable units for the life of the project, but neighbors say the proposed massing and construction plan could cause lasting harm to adjacent residents and co‑ops.

Neighbors raised repeated concerns during public comment. A Forest Hills resident who spoke at the microphone said the development would “deprive Fontaine residents of natural daylight” and worsen crowding on schools and transit. Marilyn Solar, managing agent and board member of the Fontaine co‑op, said the current design appears as a “behemoth” and urged the borough president to require that any future building be set no closer to the Fontaine than the 55‑foot gap shown in recent renderings and that such protections be recorded as a restrictive declaration against the developer’s property. "We are ready to work with the applicant, but we need meaningful design changes and real recorded commitments that protect the people who already live here," Solar said.

The applicant said it has begun discussions with Fontaine leadership and retail tenants and described commitments in the environmental assessment to mitigate construction impacts: increased perimeter fencing and noise barriers, capped generator noise limits, use of auger drills in place of pile drivers, and truck‑staging controls. Environmental consultant Max Meltzer said several mitigation measures would be written into the EAS and recorded as restrictive declarations against the property.

Supporters also spoke. Nick Arour, a lifelong Queens resident, and representatives of SEIU Local 32BJ and the New York City District Council of Carpenters said the project would create hundreds of homes — one commenter referenced 398 units — about 100 of which would be permanently affordable, plus jobs with prevailing wages. SEIU Local 32BJ's Maria Silva called the developer’s commitment to good jobs "credible" and urged approval.

The hearing produced no formal vote. The applicant and community representatives agreed to continue meetings; the applicant repeated its openness to MIH Option 2 if the community prefers deeper affordability and said it would continue tenant outreach and mitigation planning for construction. The Queensboro President’s Office left the public comment period open for written testimony through the stated deadline.

Next steps: the application remains in the ULURP review process; the Queensboro President’s Office will compile testimony and community conditions and may include recommended conditions when forwarding the application to the next review stage.