ALMA Corporation PR Campaign Misleading Rockaway Community

On behalf of the 2000+ residents living at Surfside, the residents of our neighboring Dayton Towers, and the community at large we need to respond to Alma Realty Corporation's ad that appeared in the Rockaway Times two weeks ago. Alma Realty Corporation's PR campaign is misrepresenting the true intention of the development proposal involving the Surfside property. Since Alma has been facing opposition from the residents, our neighbors and the community, Alma is funding a PR campaign to manipulate the community to obtain "buy-in" for their proposal by providing smaller snapshots of their plan misrepresenting the real magnitude of Alma's goal.

The proposal that was presented to SHAFT in December, as depicted by rendering #2 and # 3, will engulf the current Surfside property and the neighborhood shown in rendering #1 with 2000 more housing units, a hotel, parking garages, a commercial corridor by bulldozing over the quality of life of the current residents of Surfside and neighborhood.

Alma has been in the Rockaway community for almost 20 years and now they want to paint a picture that they care. They want you to believe that they are proud and excited for Rockaway. Where was their caring over the years for the Surfside residents? For the record Alma Realty Corporation obtained Surfside due to bankruptcy. To date Surfside residents continue to report chronic issues that interrupt heat, hot water in addition to dangerous elevator malfunctions. In addition, driving along Shore Front Parkway, Surfside has always appeared esthetically substandard to all the other high rise buildings. Public record reveals Alma has taken loans against the buildings at Surfside for millions of dollars over several years. The rent roll totals approximately $12 million a year. Instead of Alma reinvesting this money back into the property, SHAFT and our elected officials were forced to hold Alma Realty Corporation accountable for fixing chronic Safety and Health issues, and general maintenance. Alma continues to respond with mere "bandaids" especially for the aging boilers and elevators.

Where is their effort to be proud and excited for the Surfside property they bought and the residents who live here? Instead they are investing in a PR campaign.