100% Affordable Beach Green Dunes II Breaks Ground in The Rockaways, Queens

Beach Green Dunes Phase II has officially broken ground, representing the city’s continued investment to rehabilitate Far Rockaway following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. The development will contain 127 rental units, which will be designated affordable housing for very low, low, and moderate income residents. The project will also contain 3,000 square feet of retail area and a parking structure designed to accommodate 50 motor vehicles.

The total development cost for Beach Green Dunes II is approximately $53.8 million. NYC Council Member Donovan Richards was the primary driving force behind the project which is developed in collaboration by L+M Development Partners, Triangle Equities, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC). Curtis + Ginsburg Architects were sourced as design architects of building.

Full completion is expected by December 2019.

Ocean-Facing Aerial Rendering of Beach Green Dunes Phase II (Credit: Curtis + Ginsburg Architects)

Launched in 2014 by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the “Housing New York 2.0 Plan,” was founded to create and preserve 300,000 units of affordable housing by 2026. In that same year, the Mayor’s “One City: Built to Last,” is a sustainable initiative to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions from New York City buildings by 80% by 2050. Beach Green Dunes encapsulates both of the Mayor’s sustainable and affordable housing initiatives in one cohesive structure, and serves as a testament to the City’s commitment to The Rockaway rehabilitation effort.

The eight-story building will be passive house-certified to help reduce residential energy costs and the long-term, environmental impact of the building. The structure will also be built with resilient design features to prevent flooding and storm damage. Following lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy, these features include permeable paving surfaces surrounding the building that help prevent major flooding, mold-resistant materials throughout all residential areas, as well as ground-floor floodgates and waterproofed walls.

According to a release from project developers, a “Closed Loop Geothermal System” is the central, sustainable aspect of the energy-efficient design, with a heating and cooling system standing for typical boilers and cooling tower equipment. Constant low groundwater temperature enables apartments to be cooled at substantially low cost throughout summer. Additionally, the building will include solar panels on the roof and over the parking area and bioswale gardens at its base to treat and retain storm water.

“The groundbreaking of Beach Green Dunes Phase II signifies the revival of the Edgemere community and the continued investment coming into the Rockaways,” said Council Member Donovan Richards. “With the addition of 127 mixed income affordable units with passive house amenities and ground floor retail space, this is the model of development that the Rockaways deserves and expects to see in the future. I would like to thank HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer, Ron Moelis and the rest of the development team at L+M Development Partners for their continued commitment to the Rockaway community.”

Rear-Facing Aerial Rendering of Beach Green Dunes Phase II (Credit: Curtis + Ginsburg Architects)

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