An adaptive reuse project in Queens has transformed a former airport hotel into affordable housing.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony last week marked the official debut of the Baisley Pond Park Residences, which created 318 homes for low-income and formerly homeless residents at 143–06 135th Avenue. The shuttered hotel is the first to be converted under the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act.

Slate Property Group and RiseBoro Community Partnership developed the project, while Aufgang Architects designed the adaptive reuse of the building into housing.

Aviation GardenBarrett Doherty

Included in the project is a 2,600-square-foot community space, dubbed "Aviation Garden," which was designed by OSD. The space serves as both an indoor farm, as well as an amenity area for residents, featuring graphics inspired by the aviation history of nearby JFK airport.

"Made possible by adaptive reuse, and inspired by travel, the design is about new beginnings, creating a sense of hope and opportunity for buildings and the people who inhabit them," said Simon David, Founding Principal and Creative Director of OSD in a news release. "Picking up on the unique context of the JFK Airport, the materials, planting, arts, and furnishing in Aviation Garden celebrate the spirit of travel and adventure."