EMP Capital Group files plans for 198 units in Astoria

EMP Capital Group filed two new building plans, each with 99 units, for a total of 198 units in Astoria, Queens. The filings show the zoning lot includes five tax lots, including lot 1, which EMP Capital Group purchased for $15.4 million in February 2026.

In the first filing, EMP Capital Group submitted a new building construction project for a 99-unit, 111,492-square-foot residential (R-2) building at 37-09 36th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. The plan was filed on May 12, 2026. It calls for the construction of a 285-foot-tall, 26-story building and was filed with the New York City Department of Buildings under job number Q01388823. The project is described in the filing as: proposed twenty-six (26) story + cellar mixed-use building.. The applicant is the Registered Architect Ralph Kowalcyzk of Issac & Stern Architects, P.C. Elie Pariente of EMP Capital Group submitted the plans.

In the second, EMP Capital Group submitted a new building construction project for a 99-unit, 90,058-square-foot residential (R-2) building at 35-43 37th Street in Astoria, Queens. The plan was filed on May 13, 2026. It calls for the construction of a 285-foot-tall, 26-story building and was filed with the New York City Department of Buildings under job number Q01388824. The project is described in the filing as: proposed twenty-six (26) story + cellar mixed-use building.. The applicant is the Registered Architect Ralph Kowalcyzk of Issac & Stern Architects, P.C. Elie Pariente of EMP Capital Group submitted the plans.

The neighborhood

In Astoria, The bulk, or 36 percent of the 40.2 million square feet of commercial built space are walkup buildings, with elevator buildings next occupying 31 percent of the space. In sales, Astoria has near average sales volume among other neighborhoods with $848 million in sales volume in the last two years and is the 2nd highest in Queens. For development, Astoria has near average amount of major developments among other neighborhoods and is the 5th highest in Queens. It had 2.4 million square feet of commercial and multi-family construction under development in the last two years, which represents 6 percent of the neighborhood’s built space. There were 49 pre-foreclosure suit filed among other development buildings in the past 12 months.

The block

On this tax block, PincusCo has identified the owners of one of the five commercial properties representing 7,020 square feet of the 108,930 square feet. The identified owner is Emp Capital Group.
On the tax block, there were two new building construction projects totaling 201,550 square feet. The largest is a 99-unit, 111,491 square-foot residential (R-2) building submitted by EMP Capital Group and filed by Elie Pariente with plans filed May 12, 2026 and it has not been permitted yet. The second largest is a 99-unit, 90,058 square-foot residential (R-2) building submitted by EMP Capital Group and filed by Elie Pariente with plans filed May 13, 2026 and it has not been permitted yet.

The surrounding

Within a 400-foot radius of 37-09 36 avenue, PincusCo identified three commercial real estate items of interests occurred over the past 24 months.
Of those three items, one was in new building development. It was a new building permit application filed on May 13, 2026 for a 243,359-square-foot residential (R-2) building with 99 residential units at 35-43 37th Street.
One of those three items was a sale which EMP Capital Group bought the 7,020-square-foot, three-unit industrial (E9) on 35-43 37th Street for $15.4 million from Jeffrey Sitomer and Jeff Gruebel on February 19, 2026.
One of those three items was a loan which Dimitrios Pistikos borrowed $6.5 million from Owemanco Mortgage Holding Corporation secured by the 4,600-square-foot, 20-unit rental (C1) on 35-52 Steinway Street and one other property on September 17, 2025.

Direct link to the property ACRIS page
Direct link to the property ACRIS page and link to DOB NOW portal.