New permits filed for 3866 Laconia Avenue in Williamsbridge call for a four-story residential building with 24 apartments between East 221st Street and East 222nd Street, just blocks from the Baychester Avenue subway station. The applicant behind the project is Joel Weiner, a name that carries considerable baggage in New York City housing circles.
According to New York YIMBY, the proposed building would rise 55 feet and yield 15,797 square feet of residential space, with an average unit scope of 658 square feet suggesting the residences are likely to be rentals. The concrete-based structure is planned with a penthouse level and 11 open parking spaces, and demolition permits for the single-story structure currently on the site were filed in November 2025. No estimated completion date has been announced. Weiner is listed as the owner behind the applications, and Lester Katz is the architect of record.
A Developer Under Scrutiny
Weiner serves as CEO of Pinnacle Group, a major New York City landlord that placed more than 5,000 rent-stabilized apartments into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2025, a saga that ended with a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge approving a $451 million portfolio sale to Summit Properties in January, according to Multifamily Dive. The bankruptcy drew intense scrutiny from tenant unions and municipal officials over conditions across Weiner's holdings.
That scrutiny reached City Hall directly. The newly inaugurated Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration formally attempted to intervene in the Pinnacle Group bankruptcy proceeding in January, citing approximately 6,500 housing-code violations across more than 5,000 units at Weiner's properties, per City Limits. City officials sought to ensure that any new owner or developer affiliated with Pinnacle would commit to resolving the severe violations before moving forward with other business. Hoodline previously covered a 26-unit filing tied to Weiner in Brooklyn earlier this month.
The Architect's Bronx Track Record
Katz is listed as architect of record for the Laconia Avenue project and a related Liberty Avenue filing.
Neighborhood Context and Housing Pressure
The Laconia Avenue site sits within the NYPD's 47th Precinct, headquartered a few blocks away at 4111 Laconia Avenue, which serves Williamsbridge, Wakefield, Woodlawn, Baychester, Edenwald, and Olinville.
That cost burden helps explain why new infill construction in the district draws close attention over whether units will rent at market rate or carry income restrictions. Recent projects nearby have leaned toward the latter: the 212-unit Wakefield Yards complex at 4641 Furman Avenue opened a housing lottery last year offering units to households earning between 30 and 80 percent of Area Median Income, per 6sqft.
Zoning Context
The City Council approved the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning overhaul in December 2024.
No completion date has been announced for 3866 Laconia Avenue.
