NYC’s first mixed-use affordable housing and industrial development opens in Brownsville
Photo by Michael Hnatov, courtesy of GMDC
New York City’s first mixed-use development combining affordable housing and manufacturing space is now complete in Brownsville. The $118 million project converted the former Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Syrup factory into 39,000 square feet of light industrial space on the ground floor with 174 units of affordable and supportive housing above it. Designed by THINK! Architecture and Design, the complex addresses two city priorities by adding affordable housing and supporting new jobs.
Bridge Rockaway, the residential component, is located at 203 Newport Street. Consisting of two residential towers, rising six and seven stories, the apartments will be affordable to residents earning between 30 and 70 percent of the area median income. Additionally, 87 units with on-site supportive services will be set aside for veterans, seniors, and formerly homeless individuals.
The supportive services will be operated by the Bridge, who manage supportive housing and behavioral health services for New Yorkers dealing with behavioral health concerns.
Residents will have access to a stunning garden terrace, a reception area with 24/7 staffing, a computer room, community rooms, a bicycle room, and storage and laundry facilities.
The Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center’s (GMDC) Brownsville Industrial Center, located at 805 Rockaway Avenue, features 10 units for light manufacturing businesses, like woodworking, cabinet making, and other trades. Ranging in size from 1,250 to 6,000 square feet, the space features a loading dock with a hydraulic lift and a state-of-the-art finishing room for industrial tenants.
Additionally, GMDC has invested over $11.5 million in abatement measures to ensure a safe co-existence between residential and industrial tenants. The project is expected to generate up to 35 direct jobs, as well as further indirect jobs and industrial tenants.
“After nearly eight years of planning, development, and construction, we are thrilled to finally open our doors,” Brian T. Coleman, CEO of Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center., said.
“This project does what no one thought was possible: putting 39,000 square feet of light manufacturing space, more than 170 units of housing, and a community facility on the same site safely and affordably.”
The mixed-use development creates a new model for future affordable housing projects on underused manufacturing sites, maintaining industrial use while providing much-needed housing.
“Our continued efforts to foster renewal in Central Brooklyn are what this development is all about,” Hochul said. “Bridge Rockaway with its affordable homes and supportive services in combination with light manufacturing, which has long provided the pathways to the middle class for Brooklynites, is spurring a fresh start for this piece of Brownsville. This is what it means to be pro-housing and pro-business.”
New York State will support the project with a $1.6 million capital grant from Empire State Development, $11.4 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits generating $46 million in equity, and a $16.9 million subsidy from the state’s Homes and Community Renewal.
The state’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is contributing $6.5 million from the Homeless Housing Assistance Program, along with rental subsidies from the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.
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