Always Poised But Never Actually Burgeoning

Saying that Queens Plaza may be in the midst of a renaissance may be premature:

When Metropolitan Life Insurance Company first brokered a 20 year deal in 2001 to move into Long Island City — in exchange for $26.2 million in city tax and energy incentives — it was heralded as a pioneering move sure to bring about a renaissance in the seedy Queens Plaza area. The insurer is now in talks to rent a large block of pricey office space in a building across from Bryant Park in Manhattan, according to a report in Monday’s Crain’s New York Business.

The reported deal is fueling speculation that some or all of the approximately 1,700 employees could be relocated.

. . .

MetLife won’t confirm the move. A spokesperson for the company said Wednesday they would not comment on “speculation in the marketplace.” But Queens leaders are already reacting. Borough President Helen Marshall placed a call to the company’s president and also implored the Mayor’s Office to do what they could to keep MetLife in Queens.

The large brick building on Queens Plaza North, at the base of the Queensboro Bridge, is an old horse drawn carriage and Rolls Royce manufacturing plant, which was renovated in 2001 by the owner, Brause Realty Inc. It is located at a bustling intersection, where several trains pass through both overhead and below ground.

Employees complain that the neighborhood is less than ideal. While there are several small delis, Chinese restaurants, a Quiznos, a Subway and a pizza parlor all within a few blocks, it lacks any upscale dining or outside seating. At least two strip joints are visible from the building’s main entrance.

“I think the neighborhood’s pathetic,” said Liz, a systems administrator for MetLife, who wanted only her first name used.

Other workers out on their lunch breaks complained about the lack of outdoor spots to sit and relax, the lack of shopping and dining, and the prostitutes who come out after dark. Liz added that the neighborhood problems were underscored by the July blackout, when the building lost power and employees were sent home.

“This should be their cue to pack up and leave,” she said, adding that it never would have happened in Manhattan.

Still, Queens Plaza boosters are hopeful:

Despite employee complaints, business and political leaders maintain that the area is poised to burgeon.

Citibank’s second tower is slated to open in a year and a half, the United Nations Federal Credit Union is also set to open in January, and the recently completed Queens Plaza building contains 66 condominiums as well as retail space.

Andrew Ebenstein, president of the Long Island City Business Improvement District, estimates a total of a million square feet of commercial space and 24,000 units of housing will open in the next 18 months.

All this will help the area reach what he terms “critical mass,” the point where retailers and restaurants will begin flocking to the neighborhood and it will take off on its own.

“You’re going to have several thousand people who either live or work in Long Island City who need a place to have lunch or shop,” Ebenstein said.

Councilman Eric Gioia (D Sunnyside) agreed. “It’s pretty clear Long Island City has reached a positive tipping point. We are in the midst of a real economic, residential and cultural boom.” He added that he would love MetLife to stay and share in the growing prosperity.

Location scout: Queens Plaza.