"When the pandemic hit, some wondered whether empty hotels could become housing. Now, a Hilton near Kennedy Airport in Queens has been converted. I went to see how it turned out. There are 318 apartments. They will rent for at most $1,500 per month for a two-bedroom. More than half are set aside for homeless families, with priority to those who have been in shelters the longest. The building has new electric heating and cooling systems and a host of amenities, including a solarium."
"The conversion took 18 months and cost $167 million. It is the first hotel-to-housing conversion of its kind in New York. It cost about 25 to 30 percent less than building a new complex, according to David Schwartz, a principal at Slate Property Group, one of the developers. Molly Wasow Park, the commissioner of the city's social services department, said she hoped the project would serve as a proof of concept. A second conversion is planned in Midtown Manhattan."
A former Hilton near Kennedy Airport in Queens has been converted into 318 apartments. Two-bedroom units will rent for at most $1,500 per month. More than half of the units are set aside for homeless families, with priority given to those who have been in shelters the longest. The building features new electric heating and cooling systems and amenities including a solarium. The conversion took 18 months and cost $167 million, about 25 to 30 percent less than building a new complex according to a developer. Officials hope the project will serve as a proof of concept, and a second hotel-to-housing conversion is planned in Midtown Manhattan.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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