138-40 Jewel Avenue, Queens, NY 11367

The 90-unit, 2-story garden/masonette building at 138-40 Jewel Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills, owned by Antonio Rookard, has experienced several significant maintenance issues over the past two years. Most notably, there are currently two open violations related to the building structure itself, including active ECB violations from November 2024 regarding failure to comply with commissioner's orders and building maintenance requirements, with penalties totaling $10,000. These violations were linked to previously hazardous conditions involving the building's structural elements.

The property has a documented history of heating and electrical issues, with a current open complaint from May 2025 regarding lighting problems and a closed April 2025 emergency complaint about lack of building-wide heat/hot water. Additionally, there were multiple complaints in 2023-2024 related to water leaks, mold, and various other maintenance issues requiring HPD inspections. The building's conditions in apartment 3C, documented during an October 2023 inspection, revealed several maintenance concerns including water leaks, mold, and issues with cabinets, ceilings, and floor surfaces, resulting in multiple violations.

Structural concerns were also noted in September 2024 regarding the building's parapet walls and cracks. The property has maintained a consistent record of bedbug reporting compliance, with all recent reports indicating zero infested units between 2021-2024, though there were three instances of annual bedbug reports being filed between April 2024 and October 2024. The building has a long history dating back to 1950 and has been owned by current management for approximately 2-3 years. While the bedbug situation appears well-managed, the more pressing concerns are the recent building violations that remain unresolved and the pattern of heating and water-related issues that have persisted over multiple seasons.