Monadnock Development LLC and CB-Emmanuel Realty LLC have been selected to build a 322-unit affordable housing development in East Flatbush as part of the state’s Vital Brooklyn initiative.
Utica Crescent will be constructed on a parking lot currently owned by One Brooklyn Health System (OBHS) that is adjacent to Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.
The development will include a new dialysis center operated by OBHS to replace their current smaller dialysis center on the Kingsbrook Jewish campus. The building will also include a large full-service grocery store as the anchor commercial tenant, and smaller ground floor storefronts.
An underground parking garage with 300 parking spaces will be provided for Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center employees that currently park at the development site.
On-site amenities for residents will include laundry rooms, exercise and activity rooms, bicycle storage, and multipurpose community rooms. Community Supported Agriculture services will be located on-site.
“The pandemic has further exposed the inequalities that exist in far too many of our communities and at the same time it’s shown how important it is for New Yorkers to have access to safe and affordable housing,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“We are facing unprecedented challenges, but we are in this together – and that’s why the State is continuing to step up and help those who need it most by moving forward with projects like Utica Crescent, which will increase affordable housing opportunities for hundreds of New Yorkers.”
The Governor launched the Vital Brooklyn Initiative in spring 2017 in order to address the range of disparities that affect residents of Brooklyn and to create a new model for community development and wellness in the borough’s most vulnerable communities.
Utica Crescent will reserve 34 of the units for formerly homeless individuals and families, and 96 will be set aside for seniors. Catholic Charities will provide on-site supportive services to residents as well as the broader community.
The development will also provide approximately 30,000 s/f of open space that includes a large interior courtyard with resident gardens, timber bleachers, walking paths, and several outdoor activity areas.
Space for both active and passive recreation such as games, walking, sitting and picnicking, will allow the diverse resident populations to enjoy the same space. Landscaping along the street level will include tree beds, seating, bicycle racks, and outdoor bicycle storage for grocery store customers.
R. Chris Bramwell, Jr. managing partner at CB Emmanuel, said, “CB Emmanuel is thrilled to have been awarded Site K as part of the Utica Crescent team. We acknowledge the Governor’s consistency in bolstering MBE participation in affordable housing development and we look forward to delivering a project for and serving this historically vibrant and diverse community and the borough of Brooklyn at-large.”
Nicholas Lembo, chairman, Monadnock Development & Monadnock Construction, added, “Monadnock is beyond excited to be a part of the team selected to develop affordable housing at this Central Brooklyn site, adjacent to the venerable Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. Thank you to Governor Andrew Cuomo, NYS HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas and One Brooklyn Health System CEO Laray Brown for their confidence in our ability to provide high quality homes for the people who need them most.”
Central Brooklyn is one of the most disadvantaged areas in all of New York State. Residents experience measurably higher rates of health problems; limited access to healthy foods or opportunities for physical activity; and high rates of violence and crime. Central Brooklyn is also affected by wide economic disparities due to unemployment, high poverty levels, and inadequate access to high quality health care.
Today’s announcement adds to six winning proposals previously announced by the Governor in November 2018, December 2019 and January 2020. Together, these developments will advance the Vital Brooklyn initiative’s commitment to creating 4,000 affordable homes in Central Brooklyn. Each of the winning proposals incorporates social, medical, and community services; recreational and educational opportunities; and apartments and supportive services for the developmentally disabled, individuals aging out of foster care, and chronically homeless families.
