On December 11, 2024, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. announced a 11,540 square-foot City-owned parking lot, located at 324 East 5th Street in the East Village, will be redeveloped into a housing complex with only affordable housing units.
The plan aims to further commitments made in the SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan and the City’s “24 in 24” initiative, which focuses on the advancement of 24 affordable housing projects on public land in 2024. There are only seven projects in the works to achieve this plan so far. These include: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; Mott Haven, Bronx; Crotona Park East, South Bronx; Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn; Inwood, Manhattan; Hunter’s Point South, Queens; and Grand Concourse Library, Bronx.
The parking lot was used by the New York City Police Department (NYPD)’s 9th Precinct. Based on the critical need for affordable housing that is close to public transportation, has access to public space, and is in a neighborhood that combines housing with commercial and retail spaces the City decided to redevelop the parking lot.
The redevelopment will consist of community engagement, in-person community workshops, local tabling events, meetings with the local community board and stakeholders, and other activities. The responses from the community will be collected responses through a questionnaire, which is available online and will be available in print at each event. After community feedback is acquired, a visioning report will be created by New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and they will release a request for proposals (RFP) where affordable housing development teams may submit their proposed plans for the site. Developers must be responsive to the community priorities laid out in the community visioning report. Additional information including updates on the process and upcoming public tabling events is available on the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development website.
First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer stated, “The continuation of the Mayor’s ’24 in 24′ initiative is yet more proof that this administration refuses to sit idly by as a decades-long housing crisis impacts too many New Yorkers. 324 East 5th St is a key example of how we’re solving this housing crisis with common-sense strategies: we identified a city-owned parking lot in a high-service, transit-rich location, and will turn it into affordable housing, with the support of a local Council Member.”
Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg stated, “A year ago, this administration set out to use land owned by the people of New York City to build affordable housing for the people of New York City. I am thrilled to see we completed our goal of advancing 24 affordable housing projects on public lands in 2024. The 324 East 5th Street RFP further proves this administration’s commitment to creating community focused affordable housing everywhere it possibly can.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)