First housing phase of NYC’s net-zero Far Rockaway development moves forward
Credit: FX Collaborative
The development team behind New York City’s first net-zero community in Far Rockaway has secured $278.8 million for its first phase, which will bring 320 new homes to the neighborhood. On Monday, L+M Development Partners, Urbane Development, and other project stakeholders announced the closing of financing for Arverne East Building D, the first phase of housing of the larger revitalization of a 116-acre oceanfront site in Edgemere into a mixed-use community. Upon completion in 2028, the 355,000-square-foot building will deliver 230 affordable rentals and 90 homes designated for ownership.
The city acquired and cleared the Far Rockaway property for development in the 1970s, but no work was done on the site for roughly 50 years. Construction began in 2021, and completion is expected by 2031.
The project includes several new residential buildings designed with efficient mechanical systems, including a campus-wide geothermal loop for heating and cooling, as well as photovoltaic panels. By incorporating these innovations, the property will fully eliminate the use of fossil fuels, as 6sqft previously reported.
Building D comprises a west wing with 230 apartments, including one super unit, designated for households earning up to 100 percent of the area median income. Thirty-five supportive units for formerly homeless individuals will feature a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts.
The east wing will contain 90 homeownership apartments, including one super unit, for households earning between 80 and 100 percent of the area median income. These units will offer a similar mix of studio-to-three-bedroom layouts.
The affordable units will participate in the Housing Development Corporation and Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) New Construction Finance Program (ELLA), while the homeownership apartments will receive funding through HPD’s Open Door program and the State Homes and Community Renewal Affordable Homeownership Opportunity Program, which will provide $17 million.
Residents will have access to a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational spaces, including a fitness center, a dedicated lobby, a mailroom, a bike room, a roughly 8,000-square-foot community facility, and an additional residential parking lot located west of Beach 38th Street.
Arverne East incorporates climate change–resilient features in response to the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy and the community’s coastal location. To protect against storm surges and flooding, the buildings will be elevated three to eight feet above existing ground level, with all residential and retail spaces, entrances, and exits positioned above the design flood elevation, and the first floor raised to a 500-year flood elevation.
The first floor will contain no residential units, and all first-floor spaces will have a full suite of floodproofing measures to aid in quick recovery during a major storm or flood. The site is also being designed with permeable surfaces to handle floodwaters and bioswale gardens to treat and retain stormwater.
Arverne East also aims to boost neighborhood retail by supporting local businesses, connecting the beach to the 36th Street A subway station, and building the northern half of its retail corridor, which will include roughly 6,800 square feet of commercial space.
“Edgemere has long deserved infrastructure that reconnects this community to its oceanfront and builds resilience after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy,” James Johnson-Piett, principal and CEO of Urbane, said. “Arverne D is an important first step in creating an inclusive, climate-adaptive community where residents can truly thrive.”
“Through quality affordable rental housing, homeownership opportunities, small business investments, and local economic development—all critical keys to community wealth-building—this project creates real pathways to generational wealth for Rockaway families. The sustainable design and net-zero ambitions of the broader Arverne East campus demonstrate what’s possible when we prioritize both environmental and economic resilience.”
Designed by Starr Whitehouse, the Arverne East Nature Preserve is located between Beach 44th Street and Beach 56th Place. As 6sqft previously reported, a winding pathway brings visitors through the landscape of five distinct ecologies: maritime forest, maritime shrubland, maritime grassland, maritime swale, and maritime dunes.
WXY designed the preserve’s 6,000-square-foot welcome center, which includes a community room, a terrace with ocean views, Urban Park Ranger offices, and public restrooms
RELATED:
