Controversial Clinton Hill migrant shelter may become 600+ apartments

July 30, 2024

A controversial migrant center in Clinton Hill could be converted into a new mixed-use complex with hundreds of apartments and commercial space. RXR Realty on Friday filed plans with the Department of City Planning (DCP) to transform a block-long campus of 10 former manufacturing buildings at 47 Hall Street into a mixed-use campus with 611 apartments as Crain’s New York first reported. Since last July, portions of the site have served as a temporary humanitarian emergency response and relief center, currently home to around 3,000 asylum seekers.

Located on a full-block site across from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, 47 Hall is part of a 10-building development called The Hall. RXR purchased the site in 2016 for more than $160 million and in 2018, announced plans to renovate the property and transform it into office space.

However, when the renovation was completed in 2021, the effect of Covid on work life, and a surge in office vacancies as workers continued to work from home, brought the developer’s plans to a halt.

The property sat vacant until last July when the city started using it as a temporary shelter for migrant families and children run by NYC Health + Hospitals. RXR’s lease with Health + Hospitals is set to expire in March.

The shelter has been a source of tension since its opening, with Clinton Hill residents protesting last week after two nearby shootings. Residents claim that the shelter has led to “quality of life issues” in the community and is too large to be secure, according to NY1.

Under the proposed 933,422-square-foot redevelopment, two of the 10 buildings would be demolished and replaced with a 21-story mixed-use tower. A third building would be converted into residential units, according to an environmental assessment statement.

The development would include 611 apartments, with between 153 and 183 units designated as affordable. The remaining seven buildings would house retail, commercial, and self-storage spaces spanning 300,000 square feet, according to the filing.

According to Crain’s, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration declined to comment on where and when the shelter’s 3,000 residents would be moved in the next eight months if the current lease is not renewed, but said development plans for the site would not impact the city’s contract for the shelter.

Before RXR breaks ground, the city must approve its rezoning application as part of the Uniform Land-Use Review Procedure. This process requires approval from the Brooklyn borough president, the local community board, and the City Council. If approved, the redevelopment is not expected to be completed until 2030.

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