Plaza College expands to 80,000 s/f at Muss Development’s Forest Hills Tower

Queens, NY According to Muss Development LLC, Plaza College has signed a long-term expansion and extension at Forest Hills Tower, the real estate firm’s 375,000 s/f Class A office property, bringing total occupancy to 99%.

Muss Development originally signed a multi-floor lease with Plaza College in Q3 2013, creating a “building-within-a-building” campus for the academic center, providing a separate, dedicated entrance on Queens Blvd., private elevator bank, and exclusive use of the private courtyard in the rear of the building.

Plaza College already occupies floors one through three. With the new transaction it will also occupy the entire 21,068 s/f sixth floor, bringing its total footprint to 80,000 s/f at the property, pending build-out of the new space by the end of Q1 2026.

“We’re proud to expand and extend our relationship with Plaza College as they continue to grow and thrive in Forest Hills Tower,” said Muss Development president Jason Muss. “Their new, long-term commitment underscores the extensive work we’ve put into the property to make it accessible and dynamic for a diversity of tenants.”

Roy Chipkin, of CBRE, represented Plaza College in the new transaction.

Plaza College is a private college founded in 1916 and offers market-relevant Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master’s degrees through its Schools of Allied Health, Business, Court Reporting, Dental Sciences, and Nursing.

“This expansion will accommodate new and exciting programs in the College’s growing School of Graduate Studies focusing on critical healthcare providers and advanced nursing,” said Charles Callahan IV, provost of Plaza College “We are increasing our presence by over 20,000 s/f to support state-of-the-art learning environments, healthcare simulation labs, and dedicated facilities for our growing cohort of master’s students. This investment reflects our commitment to training the next generation of healthcare professionals and includes strategic partnerships with local hospitals to provide them with access to a strong pipeline of highly trained, local talent.”.

Added Callahan: “Our long-term commitment to Forest Hills Tower and the Borough of Queens represents a strategic investment in the future of Plaza College. Since relocating to the building over a decade ago, Muss Development has been an exceptional partner, consistently supporting our mission and growth. Choosing Forest Hills Tower was a pivotal decision to elevate the campus experience for our students, faculty, and staff. The building offers a vibrant academic setting within an urban environment, complemented by beautiful outdoor spaces, excellent highway access, robust mass transit options, and ample on-site parking. The Muss team’s responsive, hands-on approach and deep understanding of our unique needs as an educational institution have made them an invaluable partner. We are excited to continue building on this strong relationship in the years to come.”

The original Plaza College lease marked a shift in leasing strategy at the 17-story Class A office tower located at 118-35 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills. In 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) signed a 200,000 s/f lease there to serve as its regional headquarters in response to Superstorm Sandy, having taken over much of the space previously leased to Jet Blue.

But as FEMA began to slowly give back its space at Forest Hills Tower, Muss changed its leasing strategy to a floor-by-floor approach rather than signing one anchor tenant, with Plaza College the first significant lease under the new approach.

In addition to the E and F subway lines and an express bus at the building’s doorstep, Forest Hills Tower is 17 minutes from midtown Manhattan, 20 minutes from downtown Brooklyn, 11 minutes from JFK International Airport, and 11 minutes from LaGuardia Airport.