Affordable housing complexes and economic development projects are on tap for southeast Queens in 2022 as the region recovers from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing lottery launches for Rockaway Village development in Far Rockaway
The affordable housing lottery is underway for the first phase of Rockaway Village apartments. The initial 692 units are available on NYC Housing Connects in three 100% affordable residential buildings in the new complex.
Amenities include pet-friendly policies, an elevator, a children’s playroom, gym, shared laundry room, bike storage lockers, package lockers, recreation room, community center, party room, garage, concierge, on-site resident manager, and numerous outdoor spaces including a children’s playground and landscaped plaza. Units come equipped with state-of-the-art appliances and finishes, air conditioning, dishwashers, hardwood floors and smart controls for heating and cooling.
“We are thrilled to launch the first phase of Rockaway Village which will bring nearly 1,700 units of affordable housing as well as a supermarket, retail stores and community amenities to families in the downtown Far Rockaway community,” said Adam Weinstein, President and CEO of Phipps Houses. “We are committed to building these homes so that many generations of families can stay and grow in their neighborhood.”
Other affordable housing developments moving forward on the Rockaway Peninsula include Edgemere Commons and the Arverne East complex.
JFK redevelopment project moves forward with New Terminal One, expansion of Terminal 4
In mid-December, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the $9.5 billion New Terminal One project at JFK Airport as a game-changer in economic development for a community that has been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new 2.4-million-square-foot, 23-gate, state-of-the-art international terminal will create more than 10,000 total jobs including more than 6,000 union construction jobs. The New Terminal One (NTO) team is committed to local hiring including 30% MWBE participation.
To date, NTO has contracted with 71 MWBE firms and paid them more than $46 million for delivering key engineering, planning and design work and it is engaged with numerous community development initiatives, including ones focused on job opportunities and workforce development programs for local residents, small business outreach and educational programs for area students.
Construction on the terminal will begin in mid-2020, and the first phase, including new arrivals and departures halls and the first set of new gates, is expected to open in 2026.
Two days later, Hochul joined officials from the Port Authority and Delta Airlines on Dec. 15 to break ground on a $1.5 billion expansion and modernization of Terminal 4. The reconstruction will include the expansion and renovation of the Terminal 4 arrivals and departure hall; a major concourse expansion to add 10 new gates; and roadway upgrades to improve access to vehicles.
The Port Authority Board entered into a lease with JFKIAT and Delta that called for the modernization of Terminal 4.
“As a Queens-based business, JFKIAT sees this expansion as an opportunity to revitalize our local economy in the wake of the pandemic, and we are committed to working with our partners to ensure that this world-class initiative benefits the community,” JFKIAT President and CEO Roel Huinink said.
The expansion and upgrade of Terminal 4 is expected to result in more than 1,500 total jobs, including more than 1,000 union construction jobs.
Bartlett Dairy returns to Queens, where it began a half-century ago, bringing much-needed jobs
Bartlett Dairy, a minority-owned, family-run local business, will develop a 54,000-square-foot dairy distribution center on a significant portion of the JFK North Site in 2022. By activating this previously unbuilt, overgrown site along the Nassau expressway, Bartlett Dairy will bring approximately 165 jobs with average wages of $70,000 back to Queens from New Jersey.
Bartlett Dairy, which was originally based in Queens, will become the only milk distribution facility in the city since Elmhurst Dairy shuttered in Jamaica, costing the area nearly 300 jobs.
“We are excited to be returning home to Jamaica. When my father started this company more than 50 years ago, Bartlett Dairy was a small, one-man, one-truck operation,” Bartlett Dairy Inc. President Thomas Malave Jr. said. “Over the years, my brothers and I have worked tirelessly to build upon the opportunity our father provided. It has been astonishing to see the growth that we have been able to achieve. We would not be where we are today, breaking ground on our new headquarters, without the dedication of all of our wonderful employees and the support of the city of New York.”
The project is expected to also create more than 100 union construction jobs. Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson said the Bartlett Dairy facility will provide much-needed economic relief.
“As our communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, jobs like these provide economic stability, enhance the quality of life, and inspire a sense of hope for renewed economic opportunity for families disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in Queens and throughout New York City,” Anderson said.
