Officials from East Hampton Town, Georgica Green Ventures, and the East Hampton Housing Authority celebrated the official opening of the Green at Gardiner’s Point, a new affordable housing complex here, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 18.
In a release, Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez called the new complex “a significant step for housing in East Hampton.”
“These 50 affordable rental units provide stability for working families, security for our seniors, and hope for young people building their futures here,” she said.
The parcel for the housing, on Three Mile Harbor Road, was bought in 2020. The construction was completed in four years for $33.5 million.
While there were no major setbacks during construction, there were a few surprises. For instance, as previously reported by The Star, during the initial dig the crew struck a boulder that was at least 18 feet in circumference and broke a heavy excavator twice. And during a drill in September the East Hampton Fire Department discovered a lack of water pressure on the site.
David Browne, the town fire marshal, was confident then that the problem would be resolved in time and stressed that the buildings had sprinklers installed throughout.
Thirty of the units are two-bedroom apartments, 10 have one bedroom, and 10 have three bedrooms. Residents fall into two income levels. Forty-one apartments were reserved for applicants who earn up to 60 percent of the area’s median income, which, according to the federal government’s latest report for Suffolk County, is $156,200, and eight are for those with Section 8 subsidies. There is one apartment for the resident manager.
As was reported here, the rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the complex is $1,500, a two-bedroom is $1,784, and a three-bedroom is $2,045. The Star assessed what the market-rate rents are for apartments of the same size in East Hampton and found the prices to be $2,690 for a one bedroom, $3,150 for two, and $4,080 for three.
The housing authority held a lottery on Aug. 2 for 543 applicants seeking apartments. Since then, the authority has been vetting applicants to ensure they meet all the qualifications.
“Throughout New York, residents are facing high housing costs resulting from an insufficient supply of affordable homes,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in the release. “By creating 50 new, energy-efficient homes, Gardiner’s Point provides working families new opportunities to reside in a vibrant community with high-performing schools, continuing my administration’s commitment to ensuring all New Yorkers can afford to live in the communities they call home.”
Georgica Green Ventures “is excited to welcome the 50 families who will call the Green at Gardiner’s Point home,” David Gallo, the organization’s president, said. He expressed his gratitude to East Hampton Town “for once again entrusting us with the responsibility to develop and build in the community.”
This article has been updated and expanded since its initial publication.
