Rockaway Firehouse to be developed

The Rockaways are going to get a little greener, with the announcement that the former site of the Rockaway Beach Boulevard Firehouse is set to become the Rockaway Institute for Sustainable Environment.
Two years after the city established a community steering committee to help develop guidelines for the reuse and development of decommissioned firehouse sites, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has selected the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (RWA) to acquire and redevelop the 78-year-old location, at 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard.
NYCEDC and the city’s Department of Housing Development and Preservation, in cooperation with the Department of Cultural Affairs, used those guidelines to craft a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Rockaway Firehouse site.
RWA was selected for this project because its proposal most closely adhered to the criteria of the RFP; the organization’s extensive work with the Rockaway community and its track record for successful programming, say officials.
As a four-year-old environmental advocacy and educational organization that plans to invest approximately $2 million to create the Institute, RWA will make the site the organization’s permanent home.
“I am pleased that the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance has been designated to transform the abandoned firehouse into the Rockaway Institute for Sustainable Environment, a vibrant community center that focuses on the environment and tomorrow’s green jobs,” said Borough President Helen Marshall.
“Just a stone’s throw from both Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, it will be a great community resource that will provide much-needed services for our youth, community space and environmental education, all in a . . . green building,” Marshal said, adding, “I want to thank Mayor Michael Bloomberg and EDC for their partnership with my office and other elected officials and for their commitment to the Rockaways.”
The organization’s proposal for the former firehouse calls for a “great hall” for projects and events; catering facilities; an organic café; classrooms for after school programs and job training; a roof garden and a basement aquaculture center, as well as rental space for other community events.
The proposed project, which maximizes use of the building and surrounding land, will also preserve the character and appearance of the former firehouse, according to RWA officials. A timeframe for the project has not been determined.
“We hope to make the firehouse a beacon for community-based programs and cultural activities that address environmental sustainability and ‘green collar’ job training for people of all ages,” said RWA Executive Director Jeanne DuPont. “This marks a big step forward for the Rockaway community as we plan to partner with many community-based organizations and individuals throughout the redevelopment stage of the firehouse,” she said.
DuPont explained that the $2 million for the project would come from fundraising and perhaps monies allotted by Marshall. She is also looking to the stimulus package for funds.
“Hopefully [it will be] a combination of private and public dollars,” said DuPont.
“What they’re looking to do is exciting and environmentally conscious,” said Jonathan Gaska, District Manager of Community Board 14, who noted the potential for job creation with the project.
Gaska, who was on the panel to select the finalists, told The Courier that RWA had previously done other work on the Rockaway Peninsula.
Currently operating from local schools and other community spaces, RWA’s staff of four serves about 3,000 Rockaway residents and youths annually. Its programs address such issues as habitat conservation, renewable resources and public space.
It provides after school programs for grades K-8; runs “living classroom” programming that revolves around Jamaica Bay; hosts such community events as bike tours, kayaking trips and tours of nature preserves, and sponsors clean-up events.
The redevelopment of the firehouse will allow RWA to expand existing programs and add new initiatives they say, including programming for seniors; green-collar job training; outdoor film screenings and a Saturday farmer’s market.