Groundbreaking for affordable-housing complex near Inwood LIRR station

There was no pause in the shoveling of dirt and the hammering of construction crews during the ceremonial groundbreaking on June 26 for a 48-unit affordable-housing complex to be constructed by the Inwood Property Development LLC, on Bayview Avenue.

The development is planned near the Inwood Long Island Rail Road station. It will be spread across 23 acres, at 360 to 370 Bayview Ave.

The ceremony had an unmistakably spiritual feel: Not only did Bishop Isaiah Moultrie, of Moultrie Temple Church of God and Christ, lead off with a welcoming prayer, but many of the speakers praised God, and emphasized how thankful they were that this day had finally come.

“The past 10 years, we’ve been trying to put this project together,” Moultrie said, “and thank God that He allowed this to finally come to fruition.” 

Moultrie, a 90-year-old retired Marine, has hoped for a development like this for most of his life. He has always been interested in creating housing for veterans and members of law enforcement, because they had a difficult time finding housing when he left the military. 

He ran a food pantry in Inwood for 20 years, and has always given back to the community. “My wife and I tried so hard here in Inwood to make this project work,” Moultrie said.

He choked back tears as he spoke, and his words were met with a chorus of “amens.” He thanked the county officials who attended and who had helped him through the application process.

Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, a former spiritual leader at Temple Israel of Lawrence, represented Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, and noted that Blakeman had been an advocate of the project when he was a Hempstead town councilman.

“Bruce was filled with a sense of joy, excitement, hope and appreciation for all who made this dream possible,” Rosenbaum said. “On behalf of Bruce, I hope that this apartment house — (a) source of refuge, hope, joy, family, love — be filled always with the presence of God.”

Rob Calarco, who represented Gov. Kathy Hochul, noted that the governor has made housing a top priority across the state.

“We know that we simply do not have enough housing to meet the needs of the residents who live right here,” Calarco said. “To be able to celebrate a groundbreaking like this is another step towards meeting that demands and making sure the residents who live here can stay here.”

He said that more seniors should have access to affordable housing, in order to create a housing cycle that would benefit future generations of residents.

“To Bishop Moultrie, congratulations for having the vision and perseverance to keep pushing, and seeing this through,” Calarco added. “I’m glad to announce that the state has been a part of this project by financing through the Homes and Community Renewal (program), with $4 million in financing to help make this project happen.”

Lawrence Hammond, senior vice president of the Community Preservation Corporation, who played a part in the development, explained that his organization is a community-development financial institution focused primarily on providing financing for affordable family and workforce housing, including for military veterans.

“Over the last five decades, we’ve deployed roughly $15 billion to help finance more than 225 affordable workforce housing developments across New York and the country,” Hammond said. “I’m proud that we’re able to be a part of this collaborative effort, and to have worked with you all to make a difference here.”

The project is expected to be completed by next July.