Downtown Jamaica, already in the throes of a development boom, is set to get another residential and retail complex, developers said Wednesday.
The new property, which will be built on a parking lot at 90-02 168th St., will feature more than 300 mixed-income residential units, with 10 percent set aside for artists, and 70,000 square feet of retail, according to The Greater Jamaica Development Corp.
“Our goal for the development of the site is to facilitate a project that addresses the needs of the community, creates jobs and brings activity to the eastern part of the district,” said Hope Knight, president and CEO of GJDC.
The project is scheduled to break ground in the second half of 2018 and be completed about two years after that, according to a spokesman.
The complex is a venture between BRP Cos. and Wharton Properties, which purchased the 500,000-square-foot site from GJDC.
Knight said she was “confident” the group would “create a project that will support the growing population and volume of daily shoppers that is at an all-time high.”
This is not BRP’s first venture into the neighborhood. The company is working on “The Crossing at Jamaica Station,” a $407 million, 773,000-square-foot mixed-use project across from the AirTrain station. The project, slated for completioon in 2019, is expected to have 669 mixed-income housing units, according to GJDC.
“Jamaica is primed to be a premier hub in Queens — combining housing, retail and transportation — and we are pleased to support its continued development with our second Jamaica project,” said BRP co-founder and managing partner Meredith Marshall. “This project will strengthen our relationship and ensure we are developing in Jamaica based on the needs of the community.”
Several national chains have opened in Jamaica over the last 15 years, including The Gap and Old Navy. H & M and Burlington Coat Factory also plan to open in the area.
