CM Santosuosso questions open space access for existing and new tenants
Santosuosso asks whether the courtyard and amenities would be available to existing building tenants. Lobel confirms the open space would be shared by all residents. Morajanis adds that 75% of existing tenants voted in favor of the development via paper ballots, and describes planned amenities including a supermarket, outdoor cafe, and landscaped recreation area. Ginsberg notes playground space for children.
You mentioned that this project would also entail the creation of open space that would be available.
I believe the idea is for there to be a courtyard that would be accessed and accessible by the tenants in the new building.
Can you clarify if this and any other amenities would be available to the existing tenants in the existing building?
Sure, I'll start.
And then Mark and Demetrius can add.
So the intention would be for the open space to be utilized by tenants in the existing building as well as in the proposed building to act as a shared space and to be fully utilized by all residents of both buildings.
Is there anything to add?
Well, what's to add is that we try to get consensus from the tenants in the existing building, of which there are 360.
We gave out paper ballots, and they returned them either by mail or bringing them to the site office that's at the site itself.
And 75% of the residents that voted, voted yes, we want this development.
They liked the idea of the shared space.
They liked the idea of the open area being turned into another sister building, affordable housing.
We're going to call this building the Ocean Queen because it's going to be a beautiful building, as you can see by the photographs.
And the amenities that would be available to them would be the supermarket that would be placed on Surf Avenue
that would give them an opportunity to have close-by shopping.
And I think they're going to have an outdoor cafe.
We've arranged...
For that possibility to exist and we will do so with the tenant that's going to be taking the space at one point in time.
And sharing the space with their new neighbors in between the two buildings would be something that would be
enhance the community connection with others living in the area and give them recreation, a place to go to, to rest, to read, have some fun, enjoy each other's companies.
That was all well taken by the residents of Ocean Towers.
And we look forward to that.
And the idea of the courtyard or the shared space is that that would be a landscape space.
Would that have shade, tables, chairs?
What are you envisioning?
It would have all of those amenities and more.
It will be a very clean, desirable space, a place where tranquility will prevail, where you can bring your children, you can sit down, you can read a book.
You know, just enjoy your life.
And that was the whole intent of that.
I would add we're going to have playground space for children in the open space, different play equipment for them, which will also be an amenity for the residents.