Future residents and member’s of NYCHA’s Ingersoll Association attended a community meeting last night at the Ingersoll Community Center to voice their concerns and pose questions to the developers and NYCHA officials about a proposed senior center with a strong LBGT component.
The project is the Brooklyn kickoff to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s NextGeneration plan to sell off NYCHA property to pay for additional services to the cash-strapped agency. It is located on Myrtle Avenue between St Edwards and Portland Avenue which is currently the Ingersoll Houses green space.
BFC Partners was chosen through a competitive request for proposals (RFP) to build a 16-story building with a 145 affordable apartments on the site that is earmarked for seniors from the LBGT community. The non-profit Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) was chosen to provide a range of community services at the site.
“This is an opportunity to hear back from you after almost a year of discussions about what the Ingersoll Community actually really needs”, said Fort Greene City Council Member Laurie Cumbo at the opening of the meeting.
Among the officials that came out for the listening session were NYCHA Chair & CEO Shola Olatoye, SAGE Chief Executive Officer Michael Adams and representatives from BFC Partners.
The Ingersoll Senior Housing Program will comply with the Fair Housing Act and will be open to all seniors who meet income requirements regardless of sexual orientation. While the residence will be LGBT inclusive, it will not discriminate against any senior based on sexual orientation. Any senior 62 or older and who meets the income requirements is eligible to apply. Those are the only two qualifications so far.
Attendees at the meeting were presented with the floor plans for the two optional units, studio and one-bedroom, as well as the layout and size of the different spaces.
The Ingersoll Residences will have a wide range of support services including a senior center on the first floor that provides health and wellness resources, arts and recreational activities, as well as technology access and training. The building will also have two fully functioning elevators, in-house laundry services, hot meals served daily and high quality programming.
Completion of the Ingersoll Senior Residences is slated for a 2018 date, in the meantime BFC Partners and NYCHA will continue to hold regular meetings with members of the housing developments to ensure the new project will meet the needs of its future residents.
