HPD and HDC Announce Deeply Affordable Development Plans for Broadway Triangle in Brooklyn
City announces selection of development team to create new affordable housing opportunities on the largest, vacant City-owned site remaining in North Brooklyn
The development plan will allow for the construction of 5 buildings that will include commercial and community space, along with over 380 new apartments that will be affordable to extremely low-, very low-, low-income, and formerly homeless households
BROOKLYN, NY – The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) announce the designation of the Broadway Triangle development site to Unified Neighborhood Partners, a development team comprised of St. Nicks Alliance, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Southside United Housing Development Fund Corporation – Los Sures, United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg (UJO), and Mega Contracting. The development proposal includes plans to construct five new entirely affordable buildings that will have a combined total of 387 new apartments that will serve extremely low-, very low-, low-income, and formerly homeless households.
This development plan was selected after the community groups collaborated and submitted a proposal to a competitive request for proposals that was issued in June 2018.
“After almost a decade in litigation, Broadway Triangle, one of the largest remaining City-owned sites in North Brooklyn, will soon start a new chapter as a mixed-use, affordable housing development with vital commercial, community, and open space,” said Acting HPD Commissioner Eric Enderlin. “The selected development team has deep ties to the area, and has proposed a plan that not only provides 380 deeply affordable homes, but responds to the diverse needs of the broader community. I want to congratulate the development team on this innovative and exciting proposal, and look forward to working together to create a lasting asset for the community.”
“We are thrilled to be part of the team delivering on the promise of affordable housing in the Broadway Triangle,” said Scott Short, CEO of RiseBoro Community Partnership. “Unified Neighborhood Partners brings nearly two centuries of combined experience serving the communities in and around the triangle. Through these projects we look forward to continuing our commitment to strengthening collaboration within the nonprofit sector and building truly inclusive communities.”
Frank Lang, Director of Affordable Housing and Development, St. Nicks Alliance said, “St. Nicks Alliance was proud to be a part of the Unified Neighborhood Partners application to redevelop City-owned land within the Broadway Triangle. St. Nicks Alliance and Los Sures have been active in developing affordable housing in the Broadway Triangle for over 30 years. This new development helps to expand on previous affordable housing in the Broadway Triangle, expand access to affordable housing while building a unified community. We are particularly proud to have joined with our fellow community development corporations; Los Sures, United Jewish Organizations, Riseboro and Mega Development to undertake this ground-breaking project.”
"The Broadway Triangle project will allow longtime community based organizations unified in their commitment to real affordability to develop these four sites with people and environment in mind “said Juan Ramos, Executive Director of Southside United- Los Sures. "We are looking forward to co-developing these sites with this team who unlike for profit developers make people and long term sustainability the bottom line. The one thing we know is that our community needs affordable housing and these four groups have been leading the way in providing that for decades. Coming together to do this project shows the level of commitment each organization has to its community and their needs”
"The Broadway Triangle plan unlocks our dream of building affordable housing to help about 400 families and thousands of people with real affordable units," said Rabbi David Niederman, President of the UJO of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn. "We are happy that we finally came up together with a successful plan to help so many in the community who are desperate for affordable housing – with whether they need small or large family units. We are grateful to the Mayor, HPD, and our elected officials for uniting our neighborhood with a vision that provides housing to all."
Each of the five buildings are planned to be designed to achieve Passive House certification. The proposal also includes development plans for landscaped courtyards, a plaza, and programmed rooftops.
The project is expected to receive financing through the City’s Extremely Low- and Low-income Affordability (ELLA) program. The apartments will include a mix of studio, one, two, three, and four bedroom units. In addition to affordable apartments, the buildings will include over 10,000 square feet of community and commercial space which is expected to include:
Reconnect Café, a non-profit coffee shop that employs at-risk youth.
A shared, flexible community space to be used by various members of the development team to offer services to building residents and the surrounding community.
A workforce development center operated by St. Nicks Alliance in over 7,000 square feet of community facility space.
“Since the start of my career as an Assemblywoman, I have encourage from the very beginning the importance of working together with our community based organizations and stakeholders. I’m glad that the city has listened to the concerns of the community and has opened the process to all local stakeholders that have been working on this project for over a decade. I pledge to work with all my community based organizations to ensure that this project reflects the community needs to provide more housing along with workforce development opportunities,” said Assemblywoman Maritza Davila.
New York State Assembly Member Lentol said, “Affordable Housing is a need felt by every neighborhood. Today’s designation represents neighborhood leaders working through tough negotiations to create affordable housing for all families large or small. I know this new construction will strengthen our community because it helps families live in the neighborhoods they love.”
“After years of fighting to ensure that the development of public land within the Broadway Triangle will not favor any singular community of Williamsburg, I am thrilled to know that a cohort of long-serving North Brooklyn non-profits will be using the land to develop affordable housing. This is a victory for all of North Brooklyn and it marks a new chapter of development in this city where nonprofit community focused developers are prioritized over big real estate. I applaud each of the organizations that partnered to make this a reality and I look forward to seeing shovels hit the ground on this project,” said State Senator Julia Salazar.
New York City Council Member Stephen T. Levin said, “I am thrilled that HPD has worked with the North Brooklyn community to finally deliver the long awaited and much needed affordable housing to the Broadway Triangle. I applaud all the community groups-UJO of Williamsburg, St. Nick’s Alliance, RiseBoro Community Partners, Southside United HDFC-Los Sures, and Mega Contracting-for putting together a proposal that meets the needs of the entire North Brooklyn community. This will keep many long-standing community residents, who are facing the pressures of rising rents and cost of living, in the neighborhood they call home.”
“The recently announced designation for the Broadway Triangle site is monumental news for North Brooklyn residents and community groups,” said Council Member Antonio Reynoso. “The development plan will include the construction of five new affordable buildings with units ranging from extremely low to low-income and additional set asides for homeless households. This plan will be led by a team of community groups, each with deep roots in the community and a legacy of successfully serving the unique needs of their constituents. Each organization will offer a distinct contribution to this project and will help deliver a development that is truly reflective of our community’s needs and desires. Thank you to NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and all of the community partners involved in making this possible.”
“I’m pleased to learn that mission-driven — and local — not-for-profits have been awarded the contract to build out the much needed affordable housing at Broadway Triangle,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “I am heartened to see that these buildings are not only slated to be affordable to multiple tiers of need, but also designed and constructed to achieve passive house certification, a design standard that must be utilized more in the future if we are to truly combat climate change and achieve our greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. I look forward to working with Unified Neighborhood Partners as I review this project during the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.”
