Luxury condos in this NYC neighborhood hold gorgeous — and public — waterfront views hostage

The Queens peninsula’s gorgeous waterfront views are being held hostage by a luxury condominium — which is legally required to share its prime view locations with the public, The Post has learned.

The Allura Waterfront Residences, built on the site of the old Chilton Paint factory in College Point, promised to allow public access to the coastal grandeur as part of an agreement with the city to expand the properties.

But when The Post visited recently, a Modern Tower employee refused entry to a reporter.

A neighborhood activist said locals have previously been blocked from accessing the six-story waterfront development — which has spectacular views of Flushing Bay and the Manhattan skyline.

“We really need to be able to enjoy the East River waterfront that we deserve, especially when there are so many parts of College Point that have industrial uses along the water,” local advocate Katherine Cervino told The Post.

“We’re already so far off our coast, this particular part on the northeast coast is just a treasure.”

In exchange for a variance that would have allowed developers to take more land for a 134-unit condo building, Allura was required to allow members of the public to enjoy more than 17,000 square feet of waterfront property when it was built in 2007. Had gone.

But the property, which includes a fitness center, spa, pool and sundeck, has reportedly been refusing entry for years — and even ignoring orders from the city to reopen to the public Has been, Cervino said.

When The Post stopped by the Waterfront towers at the end of 15th Avenue and 110th Street earlier this month, a reporter was met with a closed gate and a “no trespassing” sign.

An employee at the front desk said that “the government” is not allowing them to open the boardwalk to the public because it does not have enough tree coverage.

“The thing is, it doesn’t look like a normal park,” the employee said. “Residents can go out, but because of the government, the public is different, we have to get approval.”

During a second visit on Wednesday, the same employee reiterated that the beach was closed to the public, but Post was allowed to walk outside and photograph the scene. A reporter was taken in and out.

“Any development that promises a public access route in exchange for being able to develop what they want should be held accountable for keeping it in shape beyond the date the deal is done,” Cervino said. “Where is the accountability?”

Allura did not respond to a request for comment, with a receptionist declining to connect The Post with a property manager.

But the city planning department rejected the front-desk worker’s claims, confirming that the agency has imposed no such restrictions on Allura.

“I can confirm that the DCP did not tell them that the public could not access the shore,” a spokesperson said.

The city parks department issued an updated “Notice of Substantial Closing” to the property in August – which is standard for all privately built waterfront public access areas – as well as ordering that the property be open to all. .

Representatives of the city Department of Buildings and Parks Department said they sent investigators to the property after The Post was denied entry earlier this month.

Two other luxury condo buildings located within about a half-mile of Allura – Skyline Terrace and Soundview Point – made similar deals with the city in exchange for their desired property sizes and locations.

Although they appear to have kept their bargain, coastal shelters have been allowed to fall into disrepair.

During a visit to Skyline Terrace, a luxury condominium at 25th Avenue and 120th Street, The Post found that its two public docks were covered with litter, graffiti and brush. The structures of the expanses appeared loose and unstable, groaning under the weight of human steps.

The rocky shore below was also covered with debris, including eight disused shopping carts, a battered e-bike and an old television.

On a lunch break at a nearby dialysis centre, respiratory therapist Jagdev Basant told The Post that he felt some risk setting foot on the vista.

“You can definitely see the age on them and there’s a huge hole in the back, so I think it’s falling apart but it has good integrity. But eventually it’s going to happen,” he said.

According to the DCP, the city recently sent a notice to Skyline Terrace property owners reminding them of their responsibility to maintain access and maintain the expanses.

A representative of Lovett Management, which oversees the property, said the condo board’s attorney had been in contact with the city, but could not provide any further details.

Meanwhile, visitors to the Soundview Point walkway — which displays a welcoming “Public Waterfront” sign at the base and winds along the College Point reef — have only a few hundred feet before they encounter a section of missing sidewalk. Can cover distance.

DCP confirmed that Soundview Point is solely responsible for shore access and maintenance under an agreement made with the city in 1993, which allowed the owner to extend property lines.

The property owner, Titan Soundview Point LLC, faced two violations by the DOB in recent years: in 2016 for their failure to maintain the walkway and retaining wall near the waterway, and again in 2019.

The Post could not reach representatives of Soundview Point.