The Joffrey Ballet School has inked a 10-year lease for the entire fourth floor, a total of 15,500 sq. ft., at 47-16 Austell Place between Skillman Avenue and 27th Place in Long Island City. The location is very close to Laguardia Community College and extremely convenient to the huge and very slick new community being built at Hunter's Point South on the beautiful waterfront.
The Joffrey Ballet School will be the anchor tenant in what is known as the Zipper Building because it used to be the Waldes Zipper Factory.
The building was purchased by the Vanbarton Group last February for $7.7 million and the owner is in the process of completely renovating the building, including brand new elevators, and plans to make the ground floor retail shops.
Well, this is exciting. It looks like the Joffrey School, currently situated on 6th Avenue in the West Village, could be moving to one of the most exciting developing areas in the city – and there will be no steps to climb to get to the studios!