Rock-Rock Rockaway Beach

December 8, 2022December 8, 2022 queensboroughmag 0 Comment

Jacob Riis Bathhouse, Summer 2023!

By Maria Iacovone, Principal & COO ads ENGINEERS. DPC

Rock-Rock, Rockaway Beach – We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach! …. Dee Dee Ramon said it best, back in 1977 he wrote a song about his favorite hangout and the home of Joey Ramon.

Rockaway Beach, Queens, NY has been a diamond in the rough since the early 1930’s. It has an amazing history and is the largest urban beach in the United States. Because of its surf friendly waves, it is popular with surfers and the only place you can legally ride a surfboard in the New York Metropolitan Area. Also, home to Jacob Riis Park, located on the southwest portion of the Rockaways.

Jacob Riis Park, signature Bathhouse built in 1932 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, has been in the news as of late due to the $50 million renovation it is undergoing. Currently, it is the home of pop-up vendors under the banner of Riis Park Beach Bazaar, but that is all going to change by the Summer 2023!

For years the bathhouse has been underutilized and almost dormant. After surviving Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy there was some clean-up due to the storm damage, but it still is a shell of what was once there. For the past 10 years the entire community has concentrated on survival and resiliency due to the catastrophic damage Superstorm Sandy brought upon this area. Resilience is exactly what the Rockaway community has shown. Now 10 years later there will be a full restoration of the Historic Bathhouse that will once again grace this community. The restoration and renovation will include a hotel, catering hall, rooftop lounge, restaurants, bars, outdoor swimming pool, outdoor music venue, and retail shops. This will be a historic revitalization and something that ads ENGINEERS is proud to be a part of.

A great deal of ingenuity and expertise is behind this phased re-opening of the bathhouse that will begin the summer of 2023. Our firm, ads ENGINEERS, along with CBSK Developers, Brooklyn Bazaar and renowned architectural firm Beyer Blinder Belle have been working on this important community project since 2018 to restore the bathhouse to its original 1932 design while adding some incredible amenities.

This project is a reason to celebrate how far we have come since Superstorm Sandy, and the bright future ahead that will bring jobs and strong commerce to the Rockaways.