From Abandonment to Hope in Forest Hills
New York City is finally turning a dark chapter of Forest Hills into a bright one. The long-shuttered Parkway Hospital is being transformed into a massive affordable housing development called the Perennial. This isn’t just another construction project; it’s a lifeline for families and seniors who have been priced out of our borough. The team at RapForMayor has been watching this site for years, and seeing it move forward is a relief.
The Hard Work Behind the New Homes
Getting this site ready was no walk in the park. According to reporting from amNewYork, the building sat vacant for 18 years after the hospital closed its doors in 2008. Last September, Suffolk Construction joined Foxy Development and Selfhelp Community Services to address the mess by breaking ground. Sean McCloskey, the project manager for Suffolk, told reporters exactly what they walked into: “They just packed up and left.” He described a lobby filled with “hospital beds, computer monitors, medical equipment. You name it. There was a gurney right there in the lobby.”
The cleanup was intense and required serious grit. McCloskey noted that the team was “working 11 shifts a week,” pulling double shifts Monday through Friday plus Saturday work. It took about eight months just to get the asbestos abatement done and the building cleaned out. Monday through Friday we worked double shifts, followed by a shift on Saturdays. McCloskey stated that cleaning out the building required approximately eight months. The $150 million project now advances to generate 144 units for families earning up to 50% of the Area Median Income.
A Common-Sense Solution for Our City
We love seeing public-private partnerships actually work in New York. Within The Perennial, there will be 20 family units and 124 senior units, including 44 reserved for formerly homeless seniors. That is a smart, targeted approach that addresses real needs without wasting taxpayer money. Also part of the development are a 34,000-square-foot Forest Hills Jewish Center, a community room, plus a 17-space parking garage. This is what building a city looks like, repurposing old bones to serve new generations.
While some critics might complain about construction noise or traffic, the reality is that we need these homes now. The local community has welcomed the work, according to reports, who added that the rehabilitation of the long-abandoned building “has also proved an inspiration.” We need more projects like this that respect the neighborhood while solving the housing crisis. It’s not about ideology; it’s about getting people off the streets and into safe, stable homes.
The clock is ticking toward a concrete milestone for all of us. For the 144-unit complex, Suffolk Construction aims for an occupancy date in February 2028. That is the date when the first tenants will walk through the doors of the new Perennial. Until then, crews will keep pushing to finish the 156,000 square foot development. For the families waiting on the list, that February 2028 date is the finish line they’ve been waiting for.
This is opinion and commentary from the RapForMayor team.
