Queens, NY CB-Emmanuel Realty and Calvary Baptist Church of Jamaica celebrated the newly renovated Calvary Baptist Church Senior Housing at a ribbon cutting ceremony and Thanksgiving Resident Appreciation Event that was attended by a group of key stakeholders, elected officials, community leaders and representatives from the organizations behind the development at the project site located at 160-60 Claude Ave. in Jamaica. The project marks the first of many that CB-Emmanuel plans to undertake as part of a revitalization journey.
Calvary Baptist Senior Housing, in partnership with CB-Emmanuel Realty, has achieved the construction and completion of this vital development, a $30 million investment, financed by the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), JPMorgan Chase and The Richman Group.
The renovation plan included significant upgrades to the building, including new kitchens and bathrooms, building systems and a new solar energy array installation. The project was designed by SMA Architecture Planning Interiors PC, with Tri-Sec Construction LLC serving as the general contractor.
The Thanksgiving-themed celebration featured a meal prepared for the current senior residents by Southern Girls Soul Food and thanked the community for their invaluable support throughout the project’s development. The event offered an occasion to celebrate the culmination of efforts to preserve 100 units of senior housing which is affordable, comfortable and safe. The units consist of studio and one-bedroom units provided for very low and low-income seniors. Twenty of the units accommodate formerly homeless individuals.
“Calvary Baptist Church Senior Housing is a great example of the power of collaboration to support community development in New York,” said Jane Silverman, executive director, Chase Community Development Banking. “We are proud to support CB Emmanuel, Calvary Baptist Church and the residents who will enjoy an improved standard of living.”
“Richman would like to thank and acknowledge the hard work of our wonderful development partner CB-Emmanuel for its commitment to preserve housing for low-income elderly persons,” said Richard Paul Richman, founder/chairman, The Richman Group. “Calvary Baptist is a great example of how public-private partnerships, using federal low-income housing tax credit programs, can maintain housing for seniors with low incomes. We would also like to thank our partner the New York State Housing Finance Agency for providing us with tremendous support throughout the development process and making Calvary Baptist a great success.”
“CBE is grateful for the support of its development partners as well as to the tenants who so patiently lived through a tenant-in-place renovation during an unprecedented pandemic. Our sincere hope is that this building be a blessing for our current tenants and for those to come” said Chris Bramwell, managing partner of CB-Emmanuel Realty, LLC. “We are already noticing the positive ripple effect this rehabilitation has had in the immediate vicinity and hope that its catalytic energy reverberates to the larger corridor.”
NYS homes and community renewal commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “The completion of renovations at Calvary Baptist Senior Housing ensures that the 100 seniors who call this building home can remain living comfortably, affordably and independently in the community of their choice. Through the State’s investment, this incredibly important housing resource will remain viable and continue to serve Jamaica’s seniors for decades to come. We are grateful to governor Hochul, and our partners at CB Emmanuel and Calvary Baptist Church, for their dedication to providing homes for those who need them most. We wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.”
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