Definition
One Court Square is a commercial office skyscraper located at 25-45 Court Street in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, New York City, United States.
Overview
Completed in 2009, the tower rises to a roof height of 658 feet (200 m) and comprises 50 stories above ground, making it one of the tallest buildings in the borough of Queens. The building serves primarily as office space, with major tenants that have included Citigroup (which occupied the building’s naming rights and a substantial portion of the office area) and other financial, professional, and technology firms. The structure is part of a broader wave of high‑rise development that transformed Long Island City’s waterfront and industrial landscape into a dense, mixed‑use urban district.
Etymology / Origin
The name “One Court Square” derives from the building’s location adjacent to Court Square, a historic public plaza in Long Island City. The “One” designation follows a common commercial‑real‑estate naming convention used to denote a flagship address (e.g., One World Trade Center). The building has also been referred to as the “Citigroup Tower” due to its anchor tenant’s branding.
Characteristics
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 25‑45 Court Street, Long Island City, Queens, NY 11101 |
| Construction period | Groundbreaking: 2005; Completion: 2009 |
| Developer | Silverstein Properties |
| Architect | Gensler (lead design architect) |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| Height | 658 ft (200 m) roof; 730 ft (222 m) including mechanical penthouse |
| Floors | 50 above‑ground; 4 underground levels for parking and building services |
| Floor area | Approximately 1.8 million sq ft (≈ 167,000 m²) of usable office space |
| Facade | Full‑height glass curtain wall with reflective low‑emissivity glazing; aluminum mullions |
| Construction materials | Reinforced concrete core, steel framing, high‑performance glass |
| Sustainability | Pursued LEED certification; incorporates energy‑efficient HVAC, water‑saving fixtures, and a building‑automation system |
| Primary use | Class‑A office space; ground‑level retail includes a subway entrance and street‑level amenities |
| Transportation access | Direct connection to the Court Square–23rd Street subway station (7, E, M, G lines) and proximity to the Long Island Rail Road’s Long Island City station |
| Notable distinctions | At completion, it was the tallest building in Queens; held that title until surpassed by newer developments such as Skyline Tower (2021). |
Related Topics
- Long Island City – the neighborhood’s rapid residential and commercial development since the early 2000s.
- Skyline of New York City – the collective profile of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx skyscrapers.
- Silverstein Properties – the real‑estate development firm behind One Court Square and other high‑rise projects, including the World Trade Center redevelopment.
- Gensler (architecture firm) – notable for designing numerous high‑rise office towers worldwide.
- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) – a widely used green building rating system; relevant to sustainability features of modern office towers.
- Queens Plaza – a nearby commercial hub that shares a similar pattern of vertical development.
All information presented reflects publicly available data from reputable architectural, real‑estate, and municipal sources.