Construction has started at 50 Pennsylvania Ave. in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn with a ground breaking ceremony earlier this week.
The Dattner Architects-designed project—referred to as 50 Penn—is led by Philadelphia-based developer Pennrose with RiseBoro Community Partnership, who will manage the property, reports 6sqft.com. There will be 218 moderate-income and affordable housing units, with retailers on the ground floor, including a healthy grocery store.
The project is expected to be completed by July 2021.
Pennrose acquired the site (which previously housed a single-story furniture store) and developed 50 Penn “specifically to meet the key priorities identified in the East New York Neighborhood Plan,” says a news release. The plan promotes the creation of affordable housing, economic development, and investment in community resources.
A recent comprehensive community engagement process gave us the chance to learn from residents of East New York and the surrounding areas,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “Today we celebrate the start of construction on what we’ve heard residents desire most—new accessible affordable housing opportunities.”
Forty-two of the apartments will be set aside for formerly homeless and elderly households that will receive supportive services from RiseBoro. The residences will be available for tenants at a range of income levels, from “extremely low” to 80 percent of the area median income.
“The project not only provides much-needed deeply affordable and inclusive housing units, but also meets many of the other community priorities, including advancing local economic opportunity, food justice, and environmental stewardship,” said RiseBoro CEO Scott Short.
As part of the NYC Department of City Planning FRESH program, the ground floor will be anchored by a grocery store. Two additional street-front retail spaces will be leased to local retailers at discounted rents per the East New York Retail Preservation Program.
“Our main priority is always building properties that offer long-term, community-wide benefits,” Timothy I. Henkel, principal and senior vice-president at Pennrose, said in a statement. “50 Penn has the potential to contribute to the economic vibrancy heralded by the rezoning of East New York, by at once preserving outlets for local entrepreneurship, providing a diverse mix of affordable and intergenerational housing options, creating much-needed local jobs, and improving healthy food access.”
The project has been designed to meet Enterprise Green Communities Criteria and will incorporate solar photovoltaic panels and a green roof to offset the carbon footprint of the project and minimize stormwater runoff.
Pennrose and RiseBoro are also working with Habitat for Humanity New York City on Haven Green, the affordable senior housing development that will rise on the site of the Elizabeth Street Garden, 6sq.ft.com reported.
