LeFrak City in Corona wraps $70M revamp

Five years after renovations began, LeFrak has wrapped up a $70 million revamp at LeFrak City, the firm’s massive, 4,600-unit master-planned community in Corona, Queens.

The revamp of the 1960s complex, a neighborhood of 20 16-story towers that houses roughly 15,000 residents, was masterminded by Rosen Johnson Architects. It includes a laundry list of upgrades like renovated lobbies and corridors; new parking decks and lighting; apartment upgrades; various infrastructure improvements like work on facades, roofs, and boilers; and green initiatives like solar panels.

LeFrak’s outdoor spaces have gotten a tune-up, too, by Matthew Neilsen Landscape Architects. And then there’s a whole new slate of recreational facilities, including a new resident-only pool, a soccer field, tennis court and basketball court, a putting green, ping pong and foosball tables, picnic tables, and playgrounds.

There’s another, more futuristic addition, too, the New York Post reports: a four-foot-tall robot has recently joined the complex’s security team. It’s the first robot in the city with such a gig. (It acts as a roving security camera, but also says hello.)

According to the Post, LeFrak City is 98 percent full owing to standard turnover. Rents range from $1,900 for a one-bedroom to $2,800 for a three-bedroom with a terrace.

• The spotless (and hidden) Queens enclave you always pass — but have never heard of [New York Post]
• Orthodox Jewish Tenants Are Suing LeFrak City [Curbed]