Rendering of 281-311 Marcus Garvey Boulevard, one of three applications approved by the City Council last week. Image Credit: Department of City Planning.
On May 16, 2024, the City Council voted to approve three new land use applications that will bring more affordable housing to Brooklyn.
The 817 Avenue H rezoning will allow for the creation of a new nine-story mixed-use building in Midwood. The building will have 42 residential units including eleven affordable units under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Option 1, community facility space, and 20 accessory off-street parking spaces. The project site is located in Council Member Farah Louis’ district.
281-311 Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bed-Stuy will contain two nine-story 100 percent affordable mixed-use buildings with 155 housing units. The building will also contain a ground floor boxing gym, a rooftop patio, community space, and a playground. The rents will range from $215 for a studio to $2,665 for a three-bedroom unit.
1289 Atlantic Avenue in Bed-Stuy will have 112 units and will be affordable through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Mix and Match Program, which funds projects with a mix of affordability tiers; this building’s units would be restricted between 30 to 130 percent area median income, with 15 units of mostly studios reserved for formerly homeless residents. There would also be ground floor retail and a second-story community facility. Both 281-311 Marcus Garvey Boulevard and 1289 Atlantic Avenue are within Council Member Chi Ossé’s district.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and the respective Community Boards supported all three projects with some requested conditions. The City Council made minor adjustments to heights or Mandatory Inclusionary Housing options for some of the projects.
Council Member Ossé stated on social media that, “New York faces a dire housing shortage. Record low-vacancy rates continue to push rents through the roof. More housing needs to be built in every neighborhood to relieve the crisis and give New Yorkers some breathing room. We’re bringing more housing to D36. Wherever possible, affordable developments like these should be promoted. This is the gold standard.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the Editor of CityLand and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)