Zara Realty has broken ground on a state-of-the-art, nine-story, 218,000-square foot residential building at 153-10 88th Ave., adjacent to Rufus King Park in Jamaica, Queens, New York. When finished, the $110 million multifamily project will create new market-rate and affordable climate-ready housing.
In the fall, the project, designed by Ismael Leyva Architects and Monadnock Construction, Inc., will begin pouring the foundation, with completion and tenancy in 2023. The energy-efficient building will have 223 units, from studios to two-bedrooms, each with energy-saving appliances. The building will also include a high-efficiency Variable Refrigerant Flow HVAC system that consumes less energy than traditional systems, surpassing 2030 Climate Mobilization Act requirements by 40%.
A key climate change feature is a solar roof capable of producing 69 KW of green, clean energy, equivalent to planting 1,300 trees every year, replacing 13 combustion vehicles with hybrids and taking 282 combustion cars off the road during its lifetime.
The project will set aside 30% of the units as affordable housing, and all tenants will have access to a 169-space valet parking garage with 10-vehicle electric charging stations, a 1,272-square-foot fitness center, 3,167-square-foot tenant recreational space and a 5,449-square-foot roof terrace with gardens and seating areas, as well as storage units and more amenities. Further, to help address neighborhood needs, Zara Realty will also locate 6,480 SqFt of community facility space on the building’s ground floor.
The prime location of the project adds another invaluable amenity — the 11.5-acre Rufus King Park, which sits is within the former estate of Rufus King, one of America’s Founding Fathers.
King was a statesman, signer of the U.S. Constitution, and New York’s first U.S. Senator. An outspoken leader in the anti-slavery movement, King’s family continued to impact this great nation, with his children going on to serve as governor of New York and the Ninth President of Columbia University, a founder of the Cincinnati Law School, and second president of the Erie Railroad, which would connect New York City by rail to the west side of the Hudson, eventually reaching Lake Erie and beyond.
“Manhattan has Central Park, Brooklyn has Prospect Park, and the beautiful and historically significant Rufus King Park is an absolute jewel for the people of Queens,” said Tony Subraj, co-managing partner for Zara Realty. “Our company’s ethos centers on quality, well-located buildings that are a complementary part of the community. This has been a key part of Zara Realty’s success for the past four decades.”
The natural setting of the park offers mature trees, shrubbery, walking pathways and areas for children and families to gather and play. The King Manor Museum, a part of the National Register of Historic Places, also hosts a citizenship ceremony each year for the swearing in of naturalized U.S. citizens.
“Like many, our family emigrated to Queens and this community is our home. The symbolism of investing in a major project adjacent to this historical colonial manor house and impeccable park setting, illustrates our unwavering confidence in Jamaica as a great place to live and work,” said Amir Sobhraj, co-managing partner for Zara Realty. “Since the mid-1700s, this location has been at the center of this community and this city, and critical to the building of a great nation. Zara Realty’s focus is on providing high-quality affordable housing as foundational for the strength of our neighborhoods.”
The project is financed by Arbor Realty SR Inc.
