L+M Development Partners 2021 Award Finalist “Excellence In Affordable Housing Development”

Beach Green Dunes II is a mixed-use affordable rental housing project located in the Edgemere neighborhood of Far Rockaway, Queens. The eight-story building measures approximately 121,000 square feet and includes 127 fully occupied residential units that are affordable to low- and moderate-income households whose income does not exceed 100 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). The property also includes 49 residential parking spaces (covered and uncovered) on the ground floor; approximately 2,590 square feet of dry flood proofed commercial space – which will soon welcome a healthy cafe and market run by the non-profit The Campaign Against Hunger; secure bicycle storage; and a plaza and landscaped yard for passive recreational use. The 100 percent affordable housing development transformed a vacant city-owned beach-front property into a modern, resilient housing development. Located two blocks away from the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk, the building is designed to integrate resilient and sustainable features to protect against flood risk, optimize energy efficiency, and reduce residents’ utility costs. The building is located in a NYC Flood Zone 1 and thus is raised to exceed flood requirements – including wet and dry flood proofing to prevent flooding and promote quick recovery should it occur. The project employs a closed loop geothermal system for heating and cooling in addition to solar photovoltaic arrays to power common areas. Beach Green Dunes II is certified by the Passive Housing Institute for US standards and exceeds the 2015 Enterprise Green Communities standards. Construction was made possible through the Extremely Low & Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) program of the NYC Housing Development Corporation and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Beach Green Dunes II truly stands as a testament to the successful integration of sustainable construction practices and community-based design.