Rendering of modular construction at 581 Grant Avenue. Image Credit: Think! Architecture and Design/NYC HPD

The program will create studio to four bedroom homes for low income and formerly homeless individuals. On March 4, 2019, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced plans to develop 167 affordable units on City-owned land in East New York. The program is being developed by a team led by Thorobird Companies along with nonprofit partner Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services (BACDYS) and will have a unique modular design to hold the mixed-use development on City-owned land on the Grant Avenue Municipal lot located at 581 Grant Avenue in East New York.

Modular construction is a process of construction in which the majority of the construction occurs offsite where parts of the building are constructed in “modules” that are later assembled together at the project site. The method cuts down on construction time and cost.

The mixed-use development is proposed to be 100 percent affordable and includes a mix of studios, one, two, three, and four-bedroom homes for low-income, and formerly homeless households, and features a new community medical center. The proposed project also features significant community space to be operated by a local nonprofit, a new medical clinic, and supportive services for homeless New Yorkers.

“The modular design allows us to provide not only the tailored affordable homes and related community amenities that the City Line community demands, but also an optimal production process. The homes will arrive faster, in a better quality and at a lower cost. Active design excellence includes a ground-breaking stepped down green roof and a ground level public plaza designed to give open space back to the community. In these ways, we are well-positioned to maximize positive social impact,” said Thorobird Managing Member Thomas R. Campbell.

“Through Housing New York, we aren’t just producing affordable housing at record pace, we are looking to harness new solutions and innovative technologies to meet the needs of New Yorkers as quickly as possible. Modular construction is the next frontier in housing, and this project will help advance this new construction trend, while bringing 167 affordable homes to East New York, making good on a promise to the community. With the selection of a local minority-owned real estate firm and a trusted non-profit partner, this community-driven proposal represents a real win-win,” said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer.

“Affordable housing is welcomed and greatly needed in Brooklyn, especially in East New York. The number of low-income individuals and families who are unable to make ends meet or even have a place to call home is unacceptable,” said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. “I commend the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s efforts in tackling this dire issue and look forward to the completion of the 167 units which will become home to the neediest members of our community.”

By: Samantha Albanese. (Samantha Albanese is a CityLaw intern, and a New York Law School student, Class of 2019).