New York State Homes and Community Renewal announced the construction start on April 24, 2026. Building D is planned to contain 320 residential units: 89 cooperative homeownership units and 229 rental apartments.

The project is not complete, and the units are not yet identified as immediately available or open for applications. HCR’s project timeline lists marketing beginning in August 2027, when construction is expected to reach 70% completion.

A major phase of Arverne East

Building D is the third phase of Arverne East and the first and largest residential portion of the broader project. The site covers approximately 116 acres in Far Rockaway, Queens.

The location was vacant and impacted by Superstorm Sandy. The new development includes energy-efficiency measures and resiliency improvements intended to help protect the property against future storms.

HCR’s November 2025 board materials describe a broader master plan with approximately 1,650 planned dwelling units across six residential and mixed-use buildings, in addition to 240 townhouses and bungalows. The plan identifies 80% of those units as income-restricted.

Timeline and transportation context

Although the public construction announcement came April 24, the HCR project timeline identifies construction beginning in January 2026. That timeline projects marketing for Building D in August 2027 and completion in October 2028.

October 2028 is a projected completion date, not a guarantee, and the schedule may change. The approved project materials do not specify monthly rents, sale prices or eligibility thresholds for the rental or cooperative units.

A separate June 5, 2026, construction advisory from the New York City Department of Transportation and Queens Community Board 12 documented road closures and work affecting Rockaway-area streets and the Rockaway viaduct. The advisory provides current transportation context for Far Rockaway residents, but the supplied materials do not establish that those road impacts are caused by Building D.

For now, the confirmed change is that construction is underway on the first and largest residential component of Arverne East. Prospective renters and homebuyers will need to await additional marketing and eligibility information as the project advances.

What police said happened

The incident began shortly before noon at a home on Ocean Crest Boulevard. Police responded to a 911 report of gunfire inside the house and requested the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, according to the reports.

As officers tried to establish communication with the suspect and prepared to enter the home, police said an explosion came from the residence. The explosion was followed by a fire.

Police said the suspect then emerged from the home carrying a shotgun and wearing a tactical vest. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon, according to the police account. When he did not comply, officers opened fire and struck him.

Suspect taken to Jamaica Hospital

The man, identified in the reviewed reporting as 33-year-old Kegan Thomas, was taken into custody after officers provided medical aid. Reports described his condition at Jamaica Hospital as critical or critical but stable.

The NYPD’s 101st Precinct serves Far Rockaway and Bayswater. Nearby homes were evacuated during the emergency response, CBS New York reported.

Deaths and fire remain under investigation

Two people were found dead inside the home after the fire. The reviewed reports did not establish the victims’ identities, their relationship to the suspect or the causes of death through a confirmed official release.

Police said portions of the response were captured on officers’ body-worn cameras. Investigators were continuing to examine the deaths, the fire and the circumstances of the police shooting. The cause of the fire had not been established in the reviewed coverage.

No formal criminal charges were confirmed in the reviewed reports. Additional information could come from the NYPD, the city medical examiner’s office or court records as the investigations continue.

Sources

• CBS New York: Far Rockaway shooting and house fire
• NBC New York: Police shoot and wound armed suspect outside Far Rockaway home
• Spectrum News NY1: Two dead, man in custody after shooting and fire

Far Rockaway is one of the Rockaways communities covered by Queens Community Board 14, and the price swings people feel at the pump ripple through neighborhood budgets—especially for anyone who drives to work, hauls gear, or routes diesel vehicles for contracts.

Regular gas: slightly higher than yesterday, up versus last week

AAA shows regular gasoline at $4.1390 per gallon as of 7/20/26. Compared with yesterday (7/19/26), regular is up from $4.1230 (a +$0.016 increase). It’s also higher than last week: $4.0240 → $4.1390.

Locally, that kind of week-over-week increase matters most for drivers doing repeated fill-ups—commuters heading in and out of the Rockaways and households planning routine errands and school runs.

Diesel: flat day-to-day, but still higher than a week ago and a year ago

On diesel, AAA lists $5.7270 per gallon as of 7/20/26. Versus yesterday (7/19/26), diesel is essentially unchanged: $5.7290 → $5.7270 (a -$0.002 change). But versus last week, diesel is clearly higher: $5.6300 → $5.7270.

The bigger long-term squeeze is still the year-ago gap: $4.1590 → $5.7270. For delivery drivers, contractors, and any local business running diesel-powered routes, that year-ago difference is the kind of cost pressure that tends to show up in pricing, service decisions, and operating budgets—even if the daily movement looks minor.

National context from EIA: gasoline and on-highway diesel both up vs week-ago

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s weekly Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update shows the broader trend continuing upward versus the previous week. In the EIA table for the July 14, 2026 release (next update listed as July 21, 2026), U.S. regular gasoline is up +$0.078 versus week-ago, and U.S. on-highway diesel is up +$0.218 versus week-ago.

What Far Rockaway readers can do next

Because AAA’s New York metro average is a benchmark—not a promise of any specific Far Rockaway station’s price—local results can vary block-to-block. Still, the direction of change is useful for planning when you can:

• Compare nearby stations before filling, especially if you’re topping up for commuting or work routes.
• If you have flexibility, watch for timing swings from weekday to weekend, since the underlying trend can keep nudging over short windows.
• For diesel operators, budget with the year-ago level in mind, not just the day-to-day noise.

Want to help neighbors sanity-check the market? Share the highest and lowest pump prices you’re seeing in the Far Rockaway area right now.

Sources

• AAA Fuel Prices — New York state page (includes New York metro average row and day/week/month/year comparisons)
• EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (national weekly price context)
• NYC Queens Community Board 14 — Rockaways/Far Rockaway neighborhoods description
• NYSERDA — Weekly Average Motor Gasoline Prices (state-run weekly series)