Long-abandoned Clinton Hill site to become affordable housing
Streetview of 1024 Fulton Street, Map data © 2022 Google
A long-abandoned building in Clinton Hill may finally be redeveloped. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday issued a request for proposals for 1024 Fulton Street, a 12,800-square-foot state-owned site between Grand and Classon Avenues. The governor wants a developer to demolish the derelict building, which has been vacant for nearly 30 years, and build a new mixed-use project with 100 percent affordable homes. Officials have made several attempts to redevelop the eyesore over the years without success.
The building opened in 1912 as a former showroom for Brooklyn Union Gas appliances. The state’s Office of Children and Family Services acquired the building from the city in 1996 with plans to turn it into a community space. Structural issues with the building halted that plan, as The City reported.
Other plans to develop the property failed in 2011, 2014, and most recently in 2019. Due to structural issues, the building has remained unused for nearly three decades.
“After decades of sitting vacant, we’re breathing new life into this property and delivering what New Yorkers need most: affordable housing and community amenities,” Hochul said.
“This project represents our commitment to addressing the housing crisis while ensuring development reflects the priorities of local residents. By transforming underutilized state-owned property into vibrant, sustainable homes, we’re making good on our promise to create more affordable homes across New York State.”
Last year, Empire State Development (ESD) hosted community visioning workshops to gather feedback, alongside Sen. Jabari Brisport, Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, Councilmember Crystal Hudson, Attorney General Letitia James, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
More than 150 community members participated in the workshops, which led to a Community Visioning Report outlining key community needs and priorities.
Aligning with the report, the governor is seeking proposals that include 100 percent affordable housing with rents capped at 100 percent of the area median income and a ground-floor senior or intergenerational community center.
Due to its poor condition, the building would need to be demolished. According to the RFP, the state will allocate $3.7 million to demolish the existing structure. The state will give preference to developers run by a nonprofit.
Because the site is state-owned, the plan will go through a General Project Plan to be approved by ESD. Proposals are due for submission to ESD by June 20 at 5 p.m.
“This RFP represents ESD’s commitment to community-driven housing and economic development,” Hope Knight, president, CEO, and commissioner of ESD, said. “By transforming this long-vacant property into affordable housing with a community facility, we’re creating both homes and opportunities for the Clinton Hill neighborhood.”
The project is part of Hochul’s broader initiative to develop housing on underutilized or vacant state-owned land, including former prisons like the Bayview Correctional Facility in Chelsea and the Lincoln Correctional Facility in Harlem.
In February, Hochul issued an RFP to transform 621 West 45th Street, one of the largest remaining undeveloped parcels on Manhattan’s far West Side, into a mixed-use development.
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