Housing development breaks ground at Bwy Triangle.
Breaking ground in the Broadway Triangle on the property at 88 Throop Avenue to build new affordable housing was a triumph of cooperation over conflict. For over fifteen years, the Broadway Triangle was known for conflict, especially concerning the fate of five large City of New York (City) owned properties. There were protests, endless meetings, and litigation by local residents in the Broadway Triangle Community Coalition. When the litigation was finally settled in December 2017 the City and community leaders were not sure that locally-based organizations would be willing to work together. A competitive request for proposal was initiated and four North Brooklyn non-profits put together a joint application to build affordable housing at the site. The City and local elected officials were skeptical but took a leap of faith when Southside United Housing Development Fund Corporation – Los Sures, St. Nicks Alliance, United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, and RiseBoro Community Partnership formed Unified Neighborhood Partners to lead the redevelopment of the contested properties. The organizations came together to creatively share the responsibilities for design, financing and construction of all the sites. They brought in the Joint Ownership Entity NYC (JOE NYC), a collective of non-profit organizations throughout the five boroughs, to assume ownership of all the sites at permanent conversion. Mega Contracting is also onboard as the building for all five buildings.
The bright blue sky on September 14, the day of the groundbreaking was a sign of affirmation for a celebration of unity and cooperation.
“This day has been over fifteen years in the making and is the result of the North Brooklyn community coming together, even when it wasn’t easy. This groundbreaking shows that everyone can have a seat at the table and every community has a right to affordable housing here in New York City. Future generations will hear the words “Broadway Triangle” and they will think of affordable housing for everyone. My appreciation goes to everyone who made this day a reality over so many years,” said Stephen Levin, CEO of Solar One and former District 33 NYC Council Member at the groundbreaking.
When 88 Throop Avenue (AKA Throop Corners) finishes construction, it will deliver 139 units of deeply affordable housing to Williamsburg (30%–80% AMI) designed to meet local need. In addition, 50% homeless units set aside will have a local preference for applicants from Brooklyn Community Boards 1 and 3. The AMI is Area Median Income, which is set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The 2022 AMI for the New York City region is $120,100 for a three-person family (100% AMI). For a more inclusive chart go to: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hpd/services-and-information/area-median-income.page
“We have a real housing crisis in New York, especially here in Brooklyn. People are struggling with a lack of affordable housing and displacement – but together, we’re going to ensure Brooklyn and this city remain home to the people who love it and make it what it is. Breaking ground on decades-in-the-making housing project means hundreds of people are one step closer to an affordable, safe, and high-quality place to call home. Broadway Triangle and our work here is only the beginning,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
This isn’t just a groundbreaking for one building. It was a celebration of the entire Broadway Triangle development plan that includes five new entirely affordable buildings across three phases of construction. The overall plan will bring a total of 387 new apartments that will serve extremely low-, very low-, low-income, and formerly homeless households. The apartments will include a mix of studio, one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units. In addition to affordable apartments, the buildings will include over 10,000 square feet of community and commercial space which is expected to include: A shared, flexible community space to be used by various members of the development team to offer services to building residents and the surrounding community; plus a workforce development center operated by St. Nicks Alliance in over 6500 square feet of community facility space. This workforce development center will be housed in Throop Corners.
“This new development helps to expand on previous affordable housing in the Broadway Triangle and expand access to affordable housing while building a unified community. We are particularly proud to have joined with our fellow community development corporations; Los Sures, United Jewish Organizations, RiseBoro, and Mega to undertake this ground-breaking project,” said Frank Lang, Deputy Executive Director for Housing, St. Nicks Alliance
Each of the five Broadway Triangle buildings are designed with Passive House techniques for an energy-efficient building with better interior air quality, noise attenuation, and thermal stability. This will reduce carbon emissions while also deepening affordability for residents through lower utility bills.
The project received financing from a variety of sources including HPD’s Extremely Low- and Low-income Affordability (ELLA) program, HDC’s tax-exempt city bonds, the NYS Brownfield Cleanup Program, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Multi-Family New Construction Program. The project also received city capital grant funds from former City Councilmember Steve Levin and former Brooklyn Borough President now Mayor Eric Adams. Tax credit syndication was provided by Enterprise Community Partners and a Construction Loan was provided by TD Bank, N.A. Predevelopment financing was provided by the New York Green Bank.
The Throop Corners team also includes design by Marvel Architects, structural engineering by DeNardis, mechanical/electrical/plumbing Engineering by Dagher Engineering, envelope consulting by Steven Winter Associates, lighting consulting by Dot Dash, sustainability consulting by MaGrann Associates (fka The Levy Partnership), solar design and construction by Sunkeeper Solar, and landscape design by Tier II. Environmental remediation is coordinated by Roux Engineering.
The Greenline 