ASTORIA, QUEENS — Two Astoria landmarks will look very different in a few years: the Variety Boys & Girls Club and Socrates Sculpture Parks, both of which detailed plans this week for new developments at their longtime neighborhood homes.
Variety, whose multi-story expansion on its 21st Street home was first approved in 2018, revealed on Tuesday that the project will also contain 229 affordable and supportive housing units, and be fully carbon-neutral.
Socrates, meanwhile, unveiled plans on Wednesday for "The Cubes," a new two-story, 2,640-square-foot building on its riverfront campus that will have space for administrative offices, public programming and arts education.
Variety's new home is still in the design phase, community leaders said in a news conference Tuesday outside the nonprofit's home near 30th Road. Hoping to use an electric battery system and geothermal pumps for heating and cooling, the club submitted a proposal to the state's $40 million "Buildings of Excellence" competition and could receive a grant next year, Variety says.
Meanwhile, Variety has long said that its new home would also include the first-ever planetarium in Queens, and State Sen. Michael Gianaris announced Thursday that he had secured $1 million in state funding for the project.
"If we want our kids to reach for the stars, they must see them first," Gianaris said in a statement. "This project will make science more accessible to the children of our neighborhoods and open their minds to exciting new possibilities for their futures."
Built by Mega Development, the new building would contain 123,000 square feet devoted to the club — including a basketball arena, swimming pool, research laboratory, art studios and more — in addition to the hundreds of apartments. Once built, it will allow Variety to expand its services to reach roughly 16,000 kids compared to 4,000 currently, the organization says.
Variety has not said when it expects construction to begin.
Over at Socrates, officials broke ground Wednesday on the new administrative building, which, in keeping with the park's ethos, will be made from recycled shipping containers.
Funds for the $5.7 million project came from the Queens Borough President's office, the City Council, and a donation from Silvercup Studios founder Stuart Match Suna, according to the city, with construction expected to be done by 2024.
"The new administrative facilities coming to Socrates Sculpture Park, 'The Cubes,' are the culmination of almost 30 years of work and advocacy from the community, and I’m so proud that they’re becoming a reality," said Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue, who attended the groundbreaking along with Borough President Donovan Richards, Councilmember Julie Won, and Socrates executive director Tamsin Dillon.
Besides hosting offices, The Cubes will host indoor programming mainly during the fall and winter months of the school year.
"This project is a game-changer for this unique and special place; part of our plans for a sustainable and a resilient future," Dillon said.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.