One Brooklyn
October 8, 2020
Brooklyn, NY – Today, Brooklyn Borough President released a new recommendation as part of his formal role in the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) recommending approval with conditions of an application for a mixed-use development of two six- and seven-story buildings with a shared industrial ground floor in Brooklyn Community District 16 (CD 16), located in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. The proposed project, led by the Bridge Rockaway Housing Development Fund Company, would provide 174 affordable apartments, including 87 supportive housing units, 3,040 gross square feet (gsf) of community facility space, and 39,000 gsf of light manufacturing space.
Borough President Adams underscored that his recommendation to approve the application advances the goals of the Brownsville Plan, a comprehensive framework put forward by the City to redevelop the neighborhood. A core component of the plan is identifying opportunities for developing affordable housing on vacant or underdeveloped City-owned land with integrated neighborhood amenities. By coupling deeply affordable housing units and supportive housing targeted at vulnerable populations with light manufacturing and community facility uses, Borough President Adams expressed hope that the project at 803 Rockaway Avenue could serve as a model for community-oriented development in underserved areas throughout Brooklyn.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has not put other crises in our borough, like the lack of affordable housing and dearth of economic opportunity in underserved areas, on hold — if anything, it has exacerbated them,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I believe the vibrant mixed-use space proposed for 803 Rockaway Avenue has the potential to truly serve a diverse set of needs in this community, ensuring people have affordable places to live, a community facility that serves as a hub for the neighborhood, and manufacturing space that provides sorely-needed jobs for local residents. As someone who has long advocated for more services targeted toward homeless youth and those aging out of foster care, I also believe the supportive housing in this development must prioritize these vulnerable populations, who have long suffered from a lack of decent housing options.”
The proposed development at 803 Rockaway Avenue is situated between two important industrial business zones (IBZs), the East New York IBZ and the Fairfield/Flatlands IBZ. Manufacturing jobs have long been a vital part of the area’s economy, providing local residents with good-paying jobs. Borough President Adams’ recommendation highlighted his longstanding support for preserving industrial land and promoting light industrial uses. In it, he urged the manager of the ground-floor light manufacturing space, Greenpoint Design and Manufacturing Center (GMDC), to clarify how it would conduct outreach to local manufacturers interested in occupying the space, and re-emphasized the need for strong local hiring requirements to ensure residents of Brownsville and the surrounding areas are prioritized for employment once a tenant is identified. The local economy in these areas has suffered a major blow due to the economic fallout from COVID-19, making job opportunities that provide good wages and stable employment for those living in these neighborhoods even more urgent.
Lack of affordable housing also continues to be an issue plaguing Brownsville and the surrounding areas. Fifty percent of the proposed units at 803 Rockaway Avenue will be reserved for the formerly homeless, making the project consistent with Borough President Adams’ robust set-aside policies to provide stable residences for this vulnerable population. Nonetheless, Borough President Adams recommended going further at this site, prioritizing homeless youth and those aging out of the foster care system, who are often at a higher risk of housing insecurity. Accordingly, he urged the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to modify its community preference standards in the affordable housing lottery to include students experiencing homelessness who are attending local schools, as well as for the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to coordinate closely with the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) to identify older youth in DYCD facilities and prioritize them for placement in permanently affordable buildings. Doing so will ensure a seamless transition for youth aging out of the foster care system and DYCD shelters, who are often at higher risk for homelessness as adults.
The application was heard by the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) yesterday.
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