First passive building in the Rockaways unveils its affordable apartments

It’s been rough going for Edgemere, a little neighborhood in the Rockaways, ever since Robert Moses tore down the majestic Hotel Lorraine to build a sweet, sweet parking lot in 1941. The place lost its luster after that, and the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy hasn’t exactly helped revive the area.

But this year, 6sqft reports, the city released its Resilient Edgemere Community Planning Initiative, which laid out plans to bring the neighborhood back to life. One of these projects is Beach Green Dunes, a sleek new building designed by Curtis +Ginsberg Architects and constructed to Passive House standards, complete with roof garden, courtyard, fitness center, and, in a nod to Robert Moses, parking.

More importantly, all 100 of the building’s units are earmarked as affordable housing, with studios starting at $653/month (for tenants making between $23,726 and $31,750 a year) and three-bedrooms topping out at $1,597 (for households earning $56,606 to $ 94,590 annually). The lottery opens today, and New Yorkers who meet the eligibility requirements have until February 6th to file their applications, with preference going to folks who are already residents of Queens CB 14.

A partnership between the Bluestone Organization and Triangle Equities, the project—once set to be the largest Passive House in the country (alas)—is designed to “withstand the severe weather conditions of the Rockaways, while incorporating many energy-efficient features,” according to architects Curtis + Ginsberg. That means bio-swales, native plantings, and pervious asphalt, which 6sqft explains, should help retain storm water around both the building itself and the surrounding area.

Want in? The full application is available here.

• Lottery opens for 100 units in Far Rockaway’s new Passive House, from $653/month [6sqft]
• Edgemere, Queens [Forgotten New York]
• Beach Green Dunes [Official]
• Beach Green Dunes [NYC Housing Connect]