Early Years | 1990's | 2000's

The Early Years of The F&T Group
In 1985, TAFA Development Corporation opened its first office in the United States. At its inception, Michael Lee’s young company focused on building and developing small residential condominiums in the Queens neighborhoods of Flushing, Corona, and Elmhurst. Though these developments were small in size--often totaling no more than six units-- they were immensely successful. In addition, original, small-scale projects provided a training ground for the company’s young professionals, who learned to capitalize on the synergies of controlling all aspects of a development, of becoming a “total development company.” Hence the name “TDC.”

Early Years | 1990's | 2000's

The 1990's at The F&T Group
In the early 1990’s, Michael Lee merged his company with that of Sunny Chiu, a young businessman with similar aspirations. The result was The F&T Group. The two visionary entrepreneurs chose to locate in Flushing, due to the community’s rich history, its openness to immigrants, and its potential for revitalization. Inspired by Flushing’s history as the birthplace of the United Nations, the two businessmen sought to transform it into a major economic, cultural, and residential hub.

During this time, Lee and Chiu began to assemble a team of highly qualified architects, designers, engineers, and builders to study and plan for the emergence of a new Flushing. By the end of the decade, the team had completed a handful of new multi-unit condominiums--which received construction and design awards from the Borough of Queens--along with the new company headquarters, TDC Center in Downtown Flushing.

Early Years | 1990's | 2000's

Year 2000 and Beyond at The F&T Group
With the arrival of the new millennium, The F&T Group began to expand its scope and its regions of activity. Currently, F&T’s reach extends to Manhattan, Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut as well as a significant corporate presence in Shanghai, where the company is pursuing more than 4 million sq. ft. of development opportunities.

At the same time the company was expanding its influence, The F&T Group continued to pursue the revitalization of Flushing. So far this decade, The F&T Group has completed noteworthy Flushing developments including Flushing Mall, Prince Center, and Sanford Tower. The Fall of 2007 will see the completion of Queens Crossing, a 400,000 sq. ft., $110,000,000 mixed use development that will serve as the company’s new international headquarters and has been featured in both Crain’s New York Business and The New York Times.

Most notably, this decade has seen the company enter a new era of development. On July 12, 2005, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that The F&T Group’s TDC Development, in partnership with Rockefeller Group Development Corporation, was awarded the rights to redevelop a five acre municipal parking lot in the heart of downtown Flushing.  An $800 million, 1.8 Million sq. ft. mixed use development in Downtown Flushing centered on a 1 acre public park, Flushing Commons will transform this important community. In Spring 2006, the city of New York announced that TDC was named a finalist in the Willets Point RFP competition for the redevelopment of the 61-acre site adjacent Shea Stadium in Flushing.  This project is likely to encompass some 7.4 million sq. ft. of residential, entertainment, retail, hotel and convention center uses.

Early Years | 1990's | 2000's

The Future of The F&T Group