![\"clocktower-outline\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/clocktower-outline.jpg?resize=640%2C300&ssl=1\")
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A bunch of big media blogs and papers[1]<\/sup> have employed this dirt outline trope<\/a> you see above. The “hey look we Google Maps Earth smart!” shots are combined with a story about the recent application by “Queens Plaza Park Development, which represents the interests of Property Markets Group and The Hakim Organization[2]<\/sup>,” for building a 77 stories tall residential tower<\/strong>, accommodating 930 units.<\/p>\n The plot\/s (two combined into one outline), at 29-37 41st Avenue, are adjacent to the iconic Bank of Manhattan Building (or more loquaciously the Bank of Manhattan Long Island City Branch Building), vernacularly simply called the LIC Clocktower<\/a> (itself vying for landmark status<\/a>, for fear of being torn down).<\/p>\n A portion of the plots did at one time contain an even smaller bank building<\/a>, but the other plot has been empty as long as I can remember. So it’s mind-boggling to consider, this otherwise always-been-a-dirt-plot<\/a> being suddenly worth millions<\/a> – just for the dirt, which doesn’t include the cost of building the tower!<\/p>\n And wait, did you say 77 STORIES<\/strong>?!?<\/em><\/p>\n The clocktower, resting here since 1927 and historically famed as “the tallest building in Queens” for 63 years until the Citigroup tower (located .4+ miles away) surpassed it in 1990, is only 14 or 15 stories tall, depending on how you measure the ground floor. So when I saw those dirt outlines I thought, “OK, but what would a 77 story building actually look like?”<\/p>\n I’m sure whatever they propose will be full of lots of steel and glass and absolute lack of creativity or character, but I also thought I’d assist the conversation a bit by showing what the clocktower would look like<\/em> if it were 77 stories tall, in context with the surrounding neighborhood structures:<\/p>\n Now that just seems silly!<\/p>\n Of course, even these satellite images are not current. There’s been so much construction in recent months that the plot about 1″ to the left of the clocktower at this scale is a future hotel being built currently – what you see here that is just foundation<\/a> is now some 20+ stories tall (seen in background in video below). So the neighborhood is already scaling up, but 77 stories just seems excessive, even gluttonous.<\/p>\n Furthermore, it’s not exactly a hushless, low-traffic intersection. Here’s a video of an N\/Q train rolling into Queensboro Plaza station. TIP:<\/strong> turn your speakers down:<\/p>\n![\"mon-fuck-strosity_join\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/mon-fuck-strosity_join.jpg?resize=640%2C444&ssl=1\")
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