as well as a vibrant mix of retail and community-use facilities. Once completed, the project’s seven residential buildings will offer over 2,000 rental apartments, including around 450 affordable housing units.
MICHAEL J. RHEE ’98
Senior Vice President and General Counsel The Durst Organization Halletts Point, a $2.4 million real estate venture that will transform the Queens waterfront, is the project I’m most excited about at this moment. Developed by The Durst Organization, it’s a model of cooperation between the Astoria, Queens community, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and a private developer that should serve as a model for real estate projects across the city. The Hallett’s peninsula is the longtime home of the Astoria Houses, a vibrant, but underserved, NYCHA community. With Halletts Point, The Durst Organization is bringing residents a much-needed supermarket,
18 l ST. JOHN’S LAW MAGAZINE
At 10 Halletts Point, the first of the seven buildings to open, The Durst Organization has created a complex consisting of a 22-story north tower, a 17-story south tower, and approximately 400 apartments. The supermarket offers the community over 23,000 square feet of healthy and affordable food options as part of the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. We’re also completing Halletts Point Building 7, a residential rental building dedicated entirely to affordable housing. The impact of the Halletts Point project is evident in the additional development it has spurred on the peninsula. Prior to our project, with its mix of underutilized warehouses, light manufacturing, and empty lots, the neighborhood was fairly desolate. Today, you can see vacant lots transforming into essential rental housing that will revitalize the community and uplift its residents. I’m extremely proud to have a role in The Durst Organization’s Halletts Point development project. It’s a vital addition to New York City’s built environment, and one that needs to be replicated widely to make our communities and living spaces accessible to all who call this wonderful city home.
