Agency requests proposals for Queens senior citizens site

The New York State Housing Finance Agency has issued a request for proposals from developers interested in purchasing a site in Howard Beach, Queens, to develop affordable housing for senior citizens. The site is 3.4 acres at 155-55 Cross Bay Boulevard, and there are currently two structures, totaling 111,000 square feet, on the property. The developer would need to convert these structures into 100 affordable housing units, 80 of them studios or one-bedroom apartments for low- to moderate-income people over age 60, according to a statement issued today by the housing finance agency. The remaining units would be for people supported by the Office of Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities, which operates the site’s current buildings. The site will likely be eligible for some public financing. The minimum price for the site will be determined by an appraisal commissioned by the Dormitory Authority of New York State. Proposals for the site are due by February 27. TRD