Park Lane at Sea View will provide 104 rental apartments with unparalleled services resulting in the creation of the first independent senior living community on Staten Island

New Housing Marketplace Plan to Create Affordable Housing for 500,000 New Yorkers is Part of the Bloomberg Administration’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan

June 9, 2009, Staten Island, NY –  Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero, together with Borough President James Molinaro and City Council Minority Leader James S. Oddo, joined the Domain Companies, the Arker Companies and Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty today to celebrate the historic and environmentally friendly restoration of two landmark buildings in Sea View, Staten Island, and to cut the ribbon on Staten Island’s premier independent living community for seniors. Also present at the ribbon-cutting were representatives of New York City’s Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The creation of affordable housing in neighborhoods across New York City is part of the City's Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods. It is estimated that the redevelopment at Sea View created 201 on-site, construction jobs, as well as 135 jobs throughout the five boroughs.

“Today we are celebrating the first historical preservation initiative on Staten Island to use green building practices to create first-class, mixed-income rental housing for seniors,” said HPD Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero. “The development’s success is the result of an unyielding commitment to collaborate across government agencies and with our private and non-profit partners. In doing so, we have advanced our shared mission of creating housing for Staten Island seniors. We are proud to have been a part of this endeavor.”

Park Lane at Sea View, located on the 70-acre campus of Sea View Hospital and Rehabilitation Center and Home, consists of 104 mixed-income rental apartments for seniors. Park Lane was developed as a joint venture between the Domain Companies, the Arker Companies and the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.  The Spanish Mission-style buildings, first constructed nearly 100 years ago as dormitories for nurses who cared for tuberculosis patients, were meticulously restored and modernized under the supervision of the New York City Landmarks Commission, New York State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service.  The new Park Lane will redefine senior living on Staten Island in terms of product quality, residential services and amenities.

“As one of the fastest growing counties in New York State with an increasing senior population, this is indeed welcome news for Staten Island,” said Borough President Molinaro.  “Our seniors have earned the right to live in clean, safe and affordable housing.  The lifelong sacrifices that they have made have given us the quality of life that we all enjoy today.”

Councilman Oddo said, “There were many moments during the seemingly endless meetings in the former Chapel in the basement of City Hall, the Minority Leader's Office, my 250 Broadway Office, and on-site at the Nurses Residence itself when I thought all of our work would not come to fruition and that this project would not get done. But now that it is complete, I can say that all of our time, energy and commitment was worth it, and Staten Island seniors now have one of the best places to live in this borough."  

The project, awarded through a Request for Proposals issued by HPD in cooperation with HHC, received more than $30 million dollars in financing through a variety of resources including housing tax credits, historic tax credits and energy efficiency incentives. An $8 million commitment from Mayor Bloomberg and Council Member Oddo completed the financing package and ultimately enabled the project to proceed.  The financial commitment from the Mayor and Council Member Oddo, along with the assistance received through HPD and HHC, will enable the project to offer extremely affordable rental rates.  Rents at Sea View, which include all utilities, are $807 for a studio, $864-$1,330 for a one-bedroom and $1,036-$1,590 for a two-bedroom.  Fifty percent of the units at Park Lane are reserved for residents making less than 60 percent of the HUD Income Limits (HUDIL) – $32,000 for an individual or $36,800 for a couple – while the other half of the units remain affordable to seniors earning less than 180 percent HUDIL ($96,700 for an individual or $110,520 for a couple).

“This historic renovation provides unprecedented affordable living options to seniors on Staten Island.  Through its successful blending of corporate, nonprofit and government partners, this project offers seniors the opportunity to live in a beautiful, independent and dignified community, at costs they can afford,” said William Rapfogel, Executive Director and CEO of Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.

Park Lane at Sea View offers a unique approach to senior housing on Staten Island as it enables them to design an a la carte service program and pay for the services that they require.  Residents can choose from a variety of service packages including meals, housekeeping and laundry.  In addition, the community offers a full time resident service director and a program of services and activities at no additional charge. 

According to Matt Schwartz, principal of the Domain Companies, Park Lane at Sea View will raise the bar as the highest-quality independent-living rental housing for seniors on Staten Island. “Park Lane represents a new model in senior living for Staten Island and will afford Staten Island seniors with the flexibility to design a housing and service program to fit their individual needs.” 

Set in a beautifully landscaped, park-like setting, Park Lane’s unique architectural features are complimented by beautiful furnishing and artwork throughout the building.   The property features outdoor seating areas, a clubhouse lounge, dining room and kitchen, crafts and activities center, state-of-the-art fitness center, numerous seating and library areas, on-site parking and controlled building access with a concierge and building-wide monitoring system. Resident services include an online community, online rent payment and maintenance requests, a 24-hour service guarantee, a monthly newsletter and more. 

Sea View’s campus was designated a historic district in 1985 by the New York City Landmarks Commission. Throughout the project’s development, the landmark structures were carefully restored to maintain the unique character and history of the campus. The project is also the first completed historic preservation undertaking to qualify for NYSERDA’s program for the creation of new energy-efficient affordable housing, and is eligible to receive nearly $300,000 from NYSERDA for incorporating energy-efficient design features throughout the project.

Centerline Capital Group provided $14.6 million in equity through the syndication of historic and housing tax credits. Bank of America provided $5.2 million in construction financing which will be replaced with a $5.2 permanent loan from Fannie Mae that was arranged by MMA Financial.

“Park Lane at Sea View is an outstanding project that presented new design challenges. Our ultimate goal was to extend our concept beyond this development, taking a more holistic approach by investing in the transformation of Sea View’s campus,” said Alan Arker, principal of the Arker Companies. “We believe the new Park Lane represents and exciting step forward for Sea View and we look forward to playing a counting role in the area’s transformation”. 

"We're happy that we are the site that will offer independent living for the middle class seniors of Staten Island and New York City. This innovative project will allow them to remain here rather than relocating out of state. This is a tribute to the public and private sectors working together," said Angelo Mascia, Executive Director at Sea View Hospital.

The City’s use of Capital Funds is part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s $7.5 billion New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP) to create and preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing. The NHMP is part of the Mayor’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan aimed at bringing New York City through the current economic downturn as quickly as possible. To date, the NHMP has created or preserved over 85,000 units of affordable housing.

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NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)

HPD’s mission is to promote quality housing and viable neighborhoods for New Yorkers. It is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Responsible for implementing Mayor Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan to build and preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing. HPD also actively promotes the preservation of affordable housing through education, outreach, loan programs and enforcement of housing quality standards. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/hpd.

Domain Companies

Founded by Matt Schwartz and Chris Papamichael in 2004, The Domain Companies specializes in mixed-use development and the acquisition, rehabilitation and development of mixed-income housing with a focus on community development and environmentally sustainable design.  Domain has been involved in the new construction and preservation of affordable, middle income and luxury housing, acquisition and repositioning of distressed housing, historic restoration, brownfield redevelopment, seniors and special needs housing, neighborhood retail and office complex development.

Arker Companies

The Arker Companies have been developing properties in the New York area since 1949. The company has built properties that include superior examples of architecture and engineering and others that are historic landmarks. The Arker Companies have well-established relationships with private sector investors, federal, state and local agencies, and not-for-profit organizations.

Since its founding, the firm has created over 3,000 housing units and nearly 1 million square feet of commercial office space. The company’s projects span construction and rehabilitation of affordable multi-family housing, single-family housing, medical office buildings and high-rise office towers among others. 

Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty

Met Council is one of New York’s largest human services agencies, providing 100,000 New Yorkers with critical services in their fight against poverty each year. For 36 years, Met Council has been a defender and advocate for New Yorkers in need, and has raised awareness around the growing problem of Jewish poverty. With services ranging from domestic violence counseling to kosher food pantries to career training, Met Council helps individuals find immediate and lasting solutions to complex problems.  For more information, visit www.metcouncil.org.

New York City’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan

The Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan is a comprehensive strategy to bring New York City through the current economic downturn as fast as possible. It focuses on three major areas: creating jobs for New Yorkers today, implementing a long-term vision for growing the city's economy, and building affordable, attractive neighborhoods in every borough. Taken together, the initiatives that the City has launched to achieve these goals will generate thousands of jobs and put New York City on a path to economic recovery and growth.