H2M Project Wins Big Apple Brownfield Award

H2M and nonprofit housing developer Phipps Houses recently received a Big Apple Brownfield Award for Community Space and Support Services from the New York City Brownfield Partnership (NYCBP) for a brownfield cleanup project in Far Rockaway, Queens.

Each year, the NYCBP recognizes the successful cleanup of brownfields: developed land that has been underutilized or abandoned and carries a high risk of environmental contamination. New York City’s Local Brownfield Cleanup Program (LBCP) encourages builders to redevelop this land by offering tax incentives and reduced barriers to development.

Phipps hired H2M as an environmental consultant on two multi-story apartment buildings, Phase 4 of a larger five-phase redevelopment project in the Queens neighborhood of Far Rockaway, NY. The original four-acre site comprised a partially-vacated shopping plaza, dilapidated two-story residential buildings, and vacant land. Phase 4 added 183 units of affordable housing to the area, including 28 units designated for formally homeless individuals and families, and features a wide variety of amenities such as outdoor spaces and a community center. The development also includes a Phipps Neighborhood Opportunity Center which provides workforce development, youth services, and community resource programs for residents.

H2M helped Phipps navigate environmental compliance with the LBCP, providing environmental site assessments, soil sampling reports, and investigative reports and overseeing the identification and removal of approximately 15,000 tons of contaminated soil. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued a Certificate of Completion in 2024.

Visit www.nycbrownfieldpartnership.org to learn more about the New York City Brownfield Partnership and see the full list of winners.