11 Major Brooklyn Developments With Affordable Housing Opening This Year

From Fort Greene to East New York, here’s a rundown of big developments with affordable housing wrapping up construction and set to open this year.

Brooklyn is expected to gain more than 1,000 new affordable units this year, by Brownstoner’s estimate. Here is a list of some of the biggest developments, how many units they’ll be offering up, and what the buildings’ impact will be on the community.

11. Greenpoint Landing 
Address: 21 Commercial Street
Neighborhood: Greenpoint
Number of Affordable Units: 92
Planned Completion: Fall 2016
Lottery Status: Closed February 3

Part of the massive redevelopment of the Greenpoint waterfront, the Greenpoint Landing complex will bring to the neighborhood a total of 5,500 units, 1,400 of which will be affordable. Qualifying households must have incomes ranging from $18,309 to $51,780, depending on unit and family size (one to four people). This will be the first of Greenpoint Landing’s 10 total towers to open. The building is being codeveloped by L+M Development and Developers Park Tower Group firms and designed by Handel Architects.

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10. Henry Apartments
Address: 1696-1712 and 1674-1684 Broadway
Neighborhood: Ocean Hill
Number of Affordable Units: 134
Planned Completion: Spring 2016
Lottery Status: Not Yet Open

The two-building Henry Apartments complex is expected to transform its sleepy corner of Ocean Hill, bringing a total of 134 affordable units to an area currently defined by empty lots and plenty of sky. The apartments will be eligible for residents in the low and very low-income brackets. The complex, which is located directly adjacent to the elevated train tracks, consists of Site B, 1696-1712 Broadway, located on the site of a formally vacant city-owned lot, and Site A, 1674-1684 Broadway, which is being built on the site of an old theater that housed a building supply store. Its proprietor, Stan Henry, is the namesake of the apartments.

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9. Pacific Park/Atlantic Yards
Address: 461 Dean Street
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights
Number of Affordable Units: 181
Planned Completion: 2016
Lottery Status: Not yet opened

Slated to be the tallest modular tower in the world once completed, 461 Dean Street, known as B2, has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and resultant delays, as well as reports of leaks. But now those problems are behind it and the leaks have been fixed, according to developer Forest City Ratner. Nestled into the side of the Barclays Center, the 26-story tower is expected to top out this spring, according to a spokesperson. The lottery for the building is expected to open soon, with rents ranging from $494 for the most affordable studios to $2,740 for the most expensive subsidized two-bedrooms. Half of all the affordable units will be reserved for residents of Brooklyn Community Districts 2, 3, 6, and 8.

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8. Pacific Park/Atlantic Yards 
Address: 535 Carlton Avenue
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights
Number of Affordable Units: 298
Planned Completion: Fall 2016
Lottery status: Not yet open

This 18-story structure was the second affordable building to kick off construction at Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park. Once complete, the building will house shops in addition to underground parking and its 298 affordable rental apartments. Designed by CookFox Architects and developed by Greenland Forest City Partners, the tower has cascades of greenery built into its facade, which will hopefully make it as pretty to outsiders as its sweeping view of Prospect Heights and beyond makes it to tenants. Half of the units will rent to families earning 165 percent of the Area Median Income. Half will go to families making between 40 percent and 145 percent of the Area Median Income.

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7. Livonia Commons Phase I 
Address: 491 and 494 Sheffield Avenue, 494 Georgia Avenue, 481 Williams Avenue
Neighborhood: East New York
Number of Affordable Units: 223
Planned Completion: 2016
Lottery Status: Closed

Phase I of the sprawling Livonia Commons development will entail four buildings, all on vacant, city-owned land near the elevated tracks of the Livonia Avenue L and Junius Street 3 train stations. In addition to the 232 affordable apartments in Phase I of the development, there will also be a mix of community facilities and commercial space. Developed by L+M Development Partners and Dunn Development Corporation, Livonia Commons’ affordable units will be eligible to families making between $18,515 and $60,120 annually. A lottery for Phase II, which broke ground last year, opened last year. If you haven’t applied yet, you still have a shot at Phase III.

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6. BAM South
Address: 286 Ashland Place
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Number of Affordable Units: 76
Planned Completion: Late summer 2016
Lottery Status: Not yet open

The BAM South tower will change Brooklyn’s skyline. The gargantuan 32-story development is rising next to the Williamsburgh Savings Bank clock tower (historically one of the borough’s tallest). This mixed-use building will include 384 residential units, of which 76 will be affordable at 60 percent of the local AMI. Designed by TEN Arquitectos and developed by Two Trees, the complex will include 45,000 square feet of cultural space at its base, including a Brooklyn Public Library branch. It is a part of the BAM Cultural District’s growing public space network.

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5. 626 Flatbush
Address: 626 Flatbush Avenue
Neighborhood: Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Number of affordable units: 51
Planned Completion: Early 2016
Lottery Status: Closed

This 23-story tower in Prospect Lefferts Gardens was the subject of lawsuits and protests but once it is complete it will offer 51 subsidized units at rents ranging from $565 for a studio to $843 a month for a three-bedroom. Income requirements range from $19,371 to $50,100 depending on family size. Half of the units will go to current residents of Community Board 9. In all, the building houses 254 units, and 4,000 square feet of retail. It is designed by Marvel Architects and developed by Hudson Companies. It will also house a childcare facility and an outpost of Fort Greene’s beloved Greenlight Bookstore.

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4. 363-365 Bond Street
Address: 363-365 Bond Street
Neighborhood: Gowanus
Number of Affordable Units: 140
Planned Completion: Spring 2016
Lottery Status: Closed

This luxury development will bring a total of 697 units to this complex directly overlooking the attractive but toxic Gowanus Canal, a Superfund site. Controversial since its inception because of its siting, the first building will open this spring with 86 affordable rentals. The units will be available to families earning between $29,932 and $51,780 a year. The developer is Lightstone Group and Atlantic Realty. The architect is Goldstein, Hill and West.

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3. CAMBA Gardens Phase II
Address: 560 Winthrop Street
Neighborhood: East Flatbush
Number of Affordable Units: 293
Planned Completion: Fall 2016
Lottery Status: Not yet open

Built on the site of a former Kings County Hospital psych ward, the award winning CAMBA Gardens complex is bringing a $98.8 million investment to East Flatbush’s affordable housing supply. The second phase offers 293 units over 97,000 square feet. Dattner Architects is designing, and CAMBA Housing Ventures Inc. is the developer. Eligible households must earn less than 60 percent of the area’s AMI.

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2. BAM North Site II 
Address: 15 Lafayette Avenue
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Number of Affordable Units: 43
Planned Completion: 2016
Lottery Status: Not yet open

This mixed-income building, known as both BAM North Site II and the Brooklyn Cultural District Apartments, will include both residential units and cultural space once completed later this year. Developed by Jonathan Rose Companies and designed by Dattner Architects, the structure will have a landscaped rooftop, terraces, and a sun deck, according to renderings. The building is 40 percent affordable units and 60 percent market rate. The site was sold to the developer for $1 by the Bloomberg Administration in exchange for the construction of affordable units.

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1. BAM North Site I
Address: 250 Ashland Place or 600 Fulton Street
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Number of Affordable Units: 282
Planned Completion: 2016
Lottery Status: Not yet open

This towering 52-story mixed-income rental building already dominates the Downtown skyline. Once complete, the tower will offer 10,000 square feet of retail, 9,000 square feet of arts space, and 586 residential units, 282 of which will be affordable. It is being developed by a partnership of Gotham Organization, DT Salazar, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the NYC Housing Development Corporation on city-owned land. The architect is FXFOWLE.

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