Governor Andrew M. Cuomo yesterday announced the latest winning proposal under the Vital Brooklyn initiative, Utica Crescent, which will construct 322 affordable and supportive apartments adjacent to Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, 585 Schenectady Avenue in East Flatbush.
The $1.4 billion Vital Brooklyn initiative targets and invests in eight integrated areas, from health care to housing, establishing a new standard for addressing chronic economic and racial disparities in Brooklyn’s high-need communities.
“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 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 building will have a total of 322 apartments which will be made affordable to a range of household incomes. Thirty-four of the units will be reserved for formerly homeless individuals and families, and 96 of the units will be set aside for seniors. Utica Crescent is a joint venture by Monadnock Development LLC and CB-Emmanuel Realty LLC. Catholic Charities will provide on-site supportive services to residents as well as the broader community.
The development will be constructed on a parking lot currently owned by One Brooklyn Health System (OBHS) that is adjacent to Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, which is a part of the health system.
The winning proposal includes plans for 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 that will accommodate local businesses.
In addition, 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.
East Flatbush State lawmakers Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Nick Perry applauded the announced development.
“The need for affordable housing and easily-accessible health care is no secret to the residents in Brooklyn’s most vulnerable communities. The Utica Crescent project is a creative, modern, energy-efficient and health-oriented development that will provide generations of residents with the housing and community services that have been severely lacking in this neighborhood for far too long,” said Myrie.
Perry said the Vital Brooklyn initiative continues to be a source of hope for our community at a time when it is needed most.
“The impact of COVID has laid bare the need for long-term solutions to housing and health care disparities that have lingered for far too long in Brooklyn. Governor Cuomo has shown he is willing to listen to our residents and other stakeholders in order to implement solutions that address many of our concerns,” said Perry.
Cuomo 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 Brooklyn’s most vulnerable communities.
Under the initiative, Cuomo charged each assembly member in Central Brooklyn with convening a Community Advisory Council consisting of community leaders, local experts, advocates, and other stakeholders to consider the unique needs and opportunities in their districts, and to develop long-term solutions.
State Senators representing parts of Central Brooklyn were also actively engaged in the process. A total of 25 community meetings brought together nearly 100 key community stakeholders.
