A new affordable housing project for seniors is now open at 11 Park Drive in Wyandanch Village, a 40-acre master-planned community in Suffolk County, Long Island. Developed in partnership by Albanese Development Corporation and Selfhelp Realty Group, the five-story building features 64 apartments for seniors 62 years and older, all designated for households earning at or below 70 percent area median income (AMI).
11 Park Drive Apartments is the fourth residential building to be completed at Wyandanch Village. Designed by BHC Architects, the façade includes a mix of dark and light gray materials, floor-to-ceiling windows positioned in a standard grid arrangement, and modest cornice detailing.
The building is also designed to accommodate people with mobility issues. Seven apartments are fully adapted to accommodate tenants with physical disabilities and three additional apartments will be fully adapted for residents who are visually or hearing impaired.
“Increasing the supply of quality, affordable housing is a priority across New York, particularly in communities on Long Island,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “We remain focused on creating more housing opportunities like Wyandanch Village that help ensure our senior population is able to remain in the communities they call home while enjoying improved access to transit and the services needed to live independently.”
Evening rendering of 11 Park Drive in Wyandanch Village
Tenant amenities include a shared laundry room, a flexible community and events room, a computer room, a fitness center, and a landscaped outdoor space. On-site services provided by Selfhelp, as part of their Active Services for Aging program, include social services intake and assessments, assistance with benefits and entitlements, mental and physical wellness programs, and social events. The program also provides residents with volunteer opportunities and referrals to community-based resources like home-delivered meals, home care, mental health services, and transportation.
Wyandanch Village is part of a larger revitalization effort called Wyandanch Rising, aimed at addressing long standing issues of poverty, blight, and lack of investment in Wyandanch. The transit-oriented revitalization was named a priority project of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council and began with a community visioning process to informed the design of a pedestrian compatible, mixed-use development with retail, recreational, and open space components revolving around the Wyandanch Long Island Rail Road train station.
Today, over 11 percent of town residents between the ages of 18-64 live below the poverty line.
Funding for the $500 million community includes support from Empire State Development, the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. State financing for 11 Park Drive Apartments included $7.9 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Tax Credits that generated $15 million in equity, and $14.9 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal.
“This type of planned development will serve as a model across New York State for how to build smart, sustainable, and mixed-use communities,” said New York State Homes and Community Renewal commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas. “We thank our local partners and the Albanese Development Corporation for making Wyandanch Village a reality.”
In addition to 11 Park Drive Apartments, two mixed-use, mixed-income buildings with 177 apartments were completed in 2015. A third building with 124 mixed-income apartments opened in late 2019. Today, the village comprises 395 apartments.
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Great to see some Long Island projects being covered on here!
Looking for an apt at Wyandanch village housing
Where do I sign up for it.