MTA Will Open 53K-SF Police Training Facility in Long Island City
By Mark Hallum April 4, 2024 1:12 pm
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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has found a new space to train its police officers.
The MTA will sign a 53,381-square-foot lease on the sixth and seventh floors of Alma Realty’s 30-30 Northern Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens, where it will conduct “reality-based situational training” for new MTA Police Department recruits, according to documents.
The state agency agreed to a 15-year lease with rent of $1.9 million for the first five years, $2 million for the next five years and $2.1 million for the last five years of the term, the documents show.
The lease agreement was approved at the MTA’s March board meeting, meaning the lease can soon be officially signed.
When searching for a facility, the MTA was seeking about 56,000 square feet for a centralized training center and was weighing its options between 30-30 Northern Boulevard and 95-25 Queens Boulevard in Rego Park, Queens.
30-30 Northern Boulevard is one of several large buildings sandwiched between Northern Boulevard and Sunnyside Yard, a large train yard used by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. It’s close to the 39th Street station on the MTA’s N and W train lines.
CBRE (CBRE) found the location and negotiated the deal on behalf of the MTA along with David Florio, the MTA’s chief of real estate transactions. It’s unclear who brokered the deal for the landlord. CBRE and Alma Realty did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ultimately, the MTA chose the Long Island City option with Alma Realty agreeing to pay to build out the space for the MTA with the agency paying minimal costs with renovations being completed by CSA Architects, public records show.
It’s not clear how much space the MTA currently uses to train its police officers or if it will be relocating from some of its facilities. In 2016 it opened a 72-acre canine training center in Dutchess County, N.Y.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect that MTA hasn’t signed the lease yet, but the MTA board approved the deal.
Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.
