The $88 million NPS-concession members club is targeting a partial opening August 7 — limited bar ops, café, pool on weekends — while the state liquor authority licensing picture for a venue on federal beach land where alcohol is currently prohibited remains unaccounted for in public records.
The Jacob Riis Bathhouse — a 1932 Art Deco structure on National Park Service land in the Rockaways that has sat largely derelict since the 1970s — is set to partially reopen August 7 as the Rockaway Ocean Club, an $88 million semi-private members club operating under an NPS concession at Jacob Riis Park, part of Gateway National Recreation Area in Queens.
Co-owner Ursula Damani and beverage director Brian Carey gave press tours of the three-floor bathhouse in late June, describing a deliberately staged rollout. This summer: limited bar operations, a café, a food truck, and access to the club's 3,200-square-foot U-shaped pool, all available Fridays through Sundays only. The hotel, full restaurant program, and retail are not slated until 2027. "If we actually flipped a switch and turned this all on, that is like a recipe for disaster," Damani told reporters.
Access to the members-only second-floor lounge and pool runs from $1,000 a year for individuals in the five nearest zip codes up to $4,000 plus a $750 joining fee for a regular family membership. Hotel rooms and dining will be open to anyone. Damani said more than 600 people have already inquired about joining.
The licensing picture is unresolved in public records. NPS rules currently prohibit alcohol for visitors across Gateway's beaches, including Jacob Riis — the concession contract authorizes commercial operations that differ from those general-access rules, but a New York State Liquor Authority license is required for any commercial alcohol sale in the state. No Rockaway Ocean Club SLA application appeared on the authority's public calendar as of mid-July.
The NPS issued a call for proposals for the long-derelict bathhouse in 2017. It opened its doors on August 6, 1932.
