Hempstead Town plans to redevelop senior apartment complex

The Town of Hempstead Housing Authority is seeking to redevelop the Dogwood Terrace Senior Center apartment complex in Franklin Square, documents show.

The housing authority issued a request for proposals with a July 27 deadline, looking for firms that have experience with state and federal low-income housing programs, according to a copy of the RFP posted on the town’s website. The complex is on Martha Place in Franklin Square.

The developer would partner with the housing authority’s not-for-profit arm, Meadowbrook Development Corp., officials said. A selection from the RFP is expected to be made by September.

The RFP seeks a proposal from developers who can offer at least $1 million for a 99-year land lease, documents show.

The site currently has seven two-story residential buildings that consist of 104 senior/disabled low-income housing units, according to town officials, as well as on-site parking and a community center. There have been no major improvements to the site in recent years.

The buildings will be demolished to build new ones that will only have one-bedroom apartments — the current units are one-bedroom or studio units — with elevators in each residential building, officials said. There will be at least 104 units in the new complex.

Construction is expected to begin in October 2019 and finish by September 2021, according to the RFP. Residents will not be displaced.

“For too long, certain of our Town’s economic development and infrastructure needs have been neglected, leaving our most vulnerable constituencies — including seniors ... consistently under-resourced,” Supervisor Laura Gillen said in a news release. “This RFP is a step forward in our efforts to revitalize and improve living conditions for seniors in the Town of Hempstead. When this project is completed, our residents will not simply have a roof over their heads, instead they will have a place they are proud to call home.”