Best Address: Arverne by the Sea

For the project to be successful, the Benjamin-Beechwood team had to carefully choose its partners and worked closely with the community to understand its wants and needs.

"Gentrification is not really the way to describe what is taking place today in the Arverne community today," says John Gaska, Community Board 14's district manager, "because that implies that this is the evolution of an older community. In this case, there was really not much left of the physical community."

In some ways, long-time residents' insisting that new development replicate the area's past was a challenge in revitalizing the area, he says.

"In order to move forward, it was important to get the remaining community residents to give up the ghost of old Rockaway — the grand hotels, the seaside resorts. These things were no longer there and no longer practical."

Gaska continues: "The city of New York would have been more than happy to line the seashore with high rises, but we were committed to fighting that scenario. Everyone at the Benjamin-Beechwood organization understood that. The way we saw it, we really had one shot to bring this area back to life. We wanted the developer to be successful; it would make us successful as a community again."

The builder's relationship with the local community is excellent, he says. "They really listened to us and have met every commitment that they've made."

What is the developer doing so well? Gaska has these praises:

• A willingness to make themselves available to community residents to provide information on construction plans and timelines as well as to hear complaints and concerns
• Coordination with the local community board to time street closures and schedule infrastructure improvements to minimize disruptions for residents
• Incorporation of community-building features into the master plan such as a recreation center, a school and play areas
• Creation of jobs through the use of local trades and vendors wherever possible
• Keeping the stakeholders — the community residents — in on the process from start to finish

"The lesson," says Gaska, "is that when you are working in a community it is much easier to get things accomplished when the residents that live there trust and support you."

Even in an urban environment, people still love their cars. That's why Arverne by Sea owner units and even some rental units include attached garages.

"We recognized the fact the homeowners today — even urban dwellers — are very dependent on their automobiles," says architect Peter Cavaluzzi. "We wanted to provide homeowners with a place for their cars without having them dominate the neighborhood streetscape."

The solution was to provide plenty of parking options, including:

• Rear alleys
• Attached garages
• Narrow driveways that encourage homeowners to put their cars in the garage rather than leave them outdoors
• Urban-style mews incorporated into adjoining sides streets, eliminating the need for additional curb cuts
• Shared parking courts

Appliances: Frigidaire

Plumbing fixtures: Kohler

Windows: Andersen

Doors: Therma-Tru

Flooring: Shaw; Dal-Tile; Bruce

HVAC: Goodman

Paints/Stains: Sherwin-Williams

Exterior siding: James Hardie

Roofing: Owens Corning

The rental component to the project makes sense for buyers as well as the community. In fact, Community Board 14, the governing body that overseas local development, was a strong proponent of the two-family home concept, says says John Gaska, who has been district manager for Community Board 14 for more than 20 years.

Both owner and rental residences at Arverne by the Sea feature high-end finishes and open interiors. Ceiling details define the rooms in the best-selling East Hampton model; interior walls would obstruct views.

Other benefits of the owner/rental combination include increasing the affordability for the project, promoting community diversity and attracting a eclectic mix of middle-income buyers to the area.

"The homeowners manage the rental aspect of their property themselves," says Gerry Romski of builder/developer Benjamin-Beechwood. "We would certainly assist our buyers with finding a tenant if they required it, but so far that has not been an issue for us. The demand for the rental units is consistently strong."

As an added bonus, the attached designs also promote architectural variety by providing the opportunity for variation in entry points, rooflines and orientation.