All images courtesy of PAU, unless noted otherwise
Construction has kicked off on the first phase of a transformative new housing development with 2,000 affordable homes in East New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the start of work on phases 1A and 1B of Innovative Urban Village, a 10-building project that will revitalize the Christian Cultural Center’s (CCC) 10.5-acre campus with new housing and community amenities. The initial phase will bring more than 800 affordable apartments, along with a workforce development center, a childcare facility, a performing arts venue, a grocery store, and green space with walking paths.
Designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), phase 1A will include 386 affordable rental homes for households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. Ninety-four of these units will be reserved for survivors of domestic violence, who will have access to on-site support and case management provided by the Urban Resource Institute’s trauma-informed service team.
The phase also features roughly 17,000 square feet of retail and community space, including a fresh food grocery store.
Phase 1B will comprise two mixed-use buildings totaling approximately 493,000 square feet and 453 affordable rental units. It will include about 12,000 square feet of community space, 10,000 square feet of retail space, and 102 underground parking spaces.
Construction on phase 1A is expected to finish by July 2026, with phase 1B scheduled for completion in July 2027. Future phases of the project are expected to wrap up by 2031.
The development will incorporate sustainable design features such as all-electric heating and cooling, solar panels, green roofs planted with drought-resistant vegetation to reduce heat and water use, electric vehicle charging stations, low-flow water fixtures, LED lighting, and Energy Star appliances.
“Projects like Innovative Urban Village represent more than the construction of housing — they breathe life into a promise made to the people of Brooklyn and to our city: that development can be rooted in equity, shaped by community, and guided by care,” Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said.
“Phase 1A is just one piece of a larger vision that spans multiple mixed-use buildings with community amenities and nearly 2,000 homes, including supportive housing for New Yorkers transitioning out of homelessness.”
In November 2022, the City Council approved rezonings for both Innovative Urban Village and Innovation QNS, a mixed-use development in Astoria. Together, the two projects will add more than 5,000 new housing units, 65 percent of which will be designated affordable. Of those, roughly 1,900 units—or 34 percent—will be deeply affordable, targeting extremely and very low-income households.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is supporting the project through its Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, which will generate over $115 million in equity and $47 million through its Housing Finance Agency.
Additional financial backing includes $47 million from the HPD’s Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability Program, along with investment from Goldman Sachs Alternatives’ Urban Investment Group.
The site is participating in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. Upon completion, the project will be eligible for $28 million in tax credits. Operating funds for the supportive apartments will come from the Empire State Supporting Housing Initiative, administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
“New York remains committed to keeping our state affordable and ensuring everyone has a safe and modern home to call their own,” Hochul said. “This project is helping us fight the housing affordability crisis while also prioritizing improvements that will make the neighborhood more livable for families.”
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