NEW YORK—Construction has officially commenced on the first phase of the biggest affordable housing project in New York City since the 1970s. When completed phase one will comprise two high-rise buildings, an 1,100-seat school, and a five-acre waterfront park. The school is nearly completed and will be ready to receive students by September.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, public officials, and representatives from the firms involved held a formal groundbreaking at the site on March 4. Bloomberg also announced that the city will issue a request for proposals for the second phase of the project next month.
The Hunter’s Point South Project is at the south end of Long Island City, on the East River waterfront, facing Midtown Manhattan. The future buildings are a five-minute subway ride from Grand Central Terminal via the No. 7 train, which stops two blocks east of the development.
All 925 apartments in the first phase of the project will be permanently affordable to middle-income New Yorkers with rents ranging from $500 to $4,000. The two buildings will be 32 and 37 stories each and contain 17,000 square feet of retail space. When completed, the entire Hunter’s Point South project will include approximately 5,000 housing units and 11 acres of waterfront parkland.
The buildings were designed to withstand up to 2.5 times the water levels of the flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy. Mechanical systems, condensing boilers, and co-generation plants in the buildings will be located on the second floor or higher, while the emergency generators will be located on the roof. All exterior doors will be flood-proof and the building frontage is designed to act as a floodwall.
“The first homes of Hunter’s Point South will be among the first housing units built along our waterfront since Hurricane Sandy and our administration has committed to not simply rebuilding the communities that Sandy hit the hardest but to create a more resilient and sustainable city as well,” said Bloomberg. “Hunter’s Point South will help us do both.”
SHoP Architects and Ismael Leyva Architects designed the two towers. Both are planned to be LEED Silver certified upon completion.
