Affordable Housing Lottery Opens in Crown Heights With $933 Units

An affordable housing lottery has opened for a new 17-story development on Crown Heights’ Carroll Street, dubbed The Botanica. The building — one of a handful of new towers rising or planned for an area just east of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden thanks to some controversial rezonings — includes a playground, gym, and rooftop terrace.

Included in the lottery for The Botanica, located at 931 Carroll Street, are 55 one- and two-bedroom apartments, all rent stabilized and income restricted. Among them are 44 units that could be deemed truly affordable — set aside for families earning 40 and 60 percent of the Area Median Income, or between $37,612 and $105,000 a year for households of one to five people, according to the listingth.

Twenty of the units are one-bedrooms at $933 and $1,463 a month and 24 are two-bedroom apartments going for $1,104 and $1,739. The remaining 11 units are aimed at households of one to five people earning 100 percent of AMI, or $92,092 to $175,000 for households of one to five people. One-bedrooms in this bracket cost $2,522 and two-bedrooms rent for $3,010 a month.

The Botanica, which was designed by Strekte & Strekte Architecture and built by developer Harry Einhorn, according to city records, has 169 apartments in total. In addition to the gym, rooftop terrace, and playground, the building includes garages and bike storage, a party room, business center, and shared laundry facilities. The complex is smoke free and residents are allowed multiple pets, including large dogs.

Apartments have dishwashers and high-end kitchen appliances, the listing says. Tenants are responsible for electricity, which includes the stove and heating. Renderings show the units have floor-to-ceiling windows (in some cases with balconies), white walls, light wood floors, and dark grey cabinetry.

With a setback at the ninth floor, the rectangular build mixes red brick, gray panels, and balconies.

Unregulated apartments in the development started leasing late last year, according to listings on StreetEasy, with studios starting at $2,700, one-bedrooms at $3,050, and two-bedrooms at $4,000. There is only one market-rate unit currently listed online, which is a three-bedroom for $5,700.

Prior to housing The Botanica, the site at 931 Carroll Street was occupied by low-slung industrial buildings once used by a laundry services company. In 2014, Central Laundry Services Corp sold the property and 46 Crown Street to Cornell Realty Management for $14.5 million. Central Laundry, which used to be known as Sea Crest Linen, filed for bankruptcy and laid off its 200 employees in 2013.

Cornell Realty Management filed for a rezoning to allow two new 16-story buildings to be built at 54 Crown Street (which was then 40 Crown Street) and at 931 Carroll Street. In 2018, while the rezoning application was in process, Cornell sold 54 Crown Street to Carmel Partners, through CP VI Crown Heights LLC, for $41.025 million, and sold 931 Carroll Street to Harry Einhorn through Carroll Development Plaza LLC for $10 million.

From the start, the rezoning application faced fierce pushback from locals, and following its approval in December 2018 the group, led by Alicia Boyd, filed a lawsuit against the developer, city, and local pols.

In 2020, a judge struck down the rezoning the same day Mayor Bill de Blasio effectively killed the controversial rezoning of the nearby Spice Factory at 960 Franklin Avenue.

But in yet another turn of events, an appeals court in 2022 ruled that the 2020 supreme court decision was incorrect and the rezoning should proceed, saying DCP had taken adequate precautions when evaluating the environmental impacts of the development. City records show the new building permit for 931 Carroll Street was last renewed in 2023.

Because the development takes advantage of the rezoning, it is required to include affordable units under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. It is also expected to receive the 421-a tax break, according to the listing.

The Botanica lottery closes on August 13. To apply, visit the listing on New York City’s Housing Connect website.

Related Stories

• Crown Heights Affordable Housing Lottery Debuts With $1,161 Two-Bedrooms
• In Rare Move, City Backs Off Two Controversial Rezonings That Would Block Botanic Garden Sun
• City Council Backs Tweaked Development Near Brooklyn Botanic Garden

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