Rendering of the 776-780 Myrtle Avenue development as presented throughout the ULURP process; however, there may be minor aesthetic changes made. / Image Credit: Urban Architectural Initiatives

The new nine-story building would bring approximately 36 housing units for the formerly homeless. On October 17, 2019, the City Council voted to approve a land use application to facilitate the construction of a new nine-story mixed-use residential and commercial building on three vacant City-owned lots at 776-780 Myrtle Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. To facilitate the project, the application asks for two land use actions. First, the three City-owned vacant lots will be transferred to IMPACCT Brooklyn to develop the building. Second, the development will take advantage of the Urban Development Action Area Program property tax exemption for new development on formerly City-owned land. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development, IMPACCT Brooklyn, and Urban Architectural Initiatives are the applicants.

On August 28, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the application. For CityLand’s prior coverage on this decision, click here.

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Map depicting the three project site locations. Image Credit: CPC/HPD

The three sites will have amenities for residents and are transit accessible. On September 25, 2019, the City Council voted to approve an application to develop affordable housing on three City-owned properties located in Brownsville, Brooklyn.  The properties are located at 47 New Lots Avenue, 609-615 Osborn Street, and 120-122 Liberty Avenue. The three properties are small, underutilized sites and are currently vacant. The application proposed the development of two residential buildings and one mixed-use building, which would bring approximately 41 affordable housing units to the Brownsville neighborhood.

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Council Member Jumaane Williams. Image credit: NYCC/William Alatriste

The City Council’s Land Use Committee approved three projects in Brooklyn with varying forms and degrees of affordable housing. On April 20, 2017, the Land Use Committee voted to approve three new projects with some dissent registered. During the meeting, Council Member Jumaane Williams remarked that as a body the City Council was presenting two faces. One face to the public in discussing homelessness and affordable housing, and another face when voting on projects “that do nothing to help homelessness or provide real affordability.” He argued that the public would be outraged if it really knew what types of projects were being approved by the City Council. (more…)

Council Members Corey Johnson, Donovan Richards, and Jumaane Williams (from left to right) in front of City Hall. Image Credit: mfy.org

UPDATE: On February 1, 2017, the City Council voted 47-0 to approve four bills that would help protect tenants of three-quarter houses in New York City. During the vote, Council Member Donovan Richards called three-quarter houses a wide spread problem that would not be cured by the bills and that the City would need to track progress on the issue to determine future responses. Council Member Ritchie Torres called predatory operators of three-quarter houses the “scum of the earth,” and expressed pride to be involved in the “game changer” legislative package.

Resolution 1035-2016, on which testimony was heard at the same committee hearing, remained in the Committee on General Welfare. The resolution would call on the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to promulgate a rule that would increase public assistance rental allowance levels. (more…)

Image Credit: Google Maps

Phipps Houses withdrew its application for its ten-story, Barnett Avenue development following a lack of community support. On September 20, 2016, Phipps Houses, the oldest and largest not-for-profit developer of affordable housing in New York City, withdrew its Barnett Avenue development proposal—the day before its scheduled public hearing in front of the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. Phipps Houses had sought a zoning map change and two zoning text amendments to facilitate the construction of a new mixed-use development in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens. (more…)