Construction Breaks Ground at 1366 East New York Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn

Rendering of The Rise at 1366 East New York Avenue in Brownsville, BrooklynRendering of The Rise at 1366 East New York Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn

Construction is now underway at 1366 East New York Avenue, a 72-unit affordable housing project in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The project will debut as The Rise and is being developed in partnership by Xenolith Partners, the Women’s Prison Association, and the Brownsville Partnership.

All apartments will be reserved for households earning at or below 60 percent area median income (AMI). This includes 47 homes set aside for criminal justice-involved women and their families, who will have access to on-site supportive services focused on improving the social, physical, and mental wellbeing of its residents.

Led by Magnusson Architecture & Planning, stress-reducing design components include an abundance of natural light, reduction of harsh stimuli from lighting and wall color, multiple points of access to outdoor space, and a variety of common areas that allow residents to meet in smaller groups and semi-private settings. Future tenants will enjoy multiple green spaces, green walls, a rooftop farm, and a rooftop greenhouse for formal and informal therapeutic activity.

On-site supportive services include case management, vocational training and job placement, legal assistance, support groups for reentry transition, and the development of social and wellness skills, all provided by the Women’s Prison Association and the Osborne Association. Community Capacity Development, an organization that provides a capacity building program for the Brownsville community, will provide programming focused on critical thinking, conflict resolution, violence reduction, and health and wellness for members of the Brownsville community.

“For 176 years, Women’s Prison Association has stood at the forefront of efforts to ensure formerly incarcerated women and mothers have access to safe housing and community-based supports,” said executive director Caryn York. “As the nation’s oldest organization to lead this work, Women’s Prison Association is honored to be chosen and thrilled to join this team of local partners and stakeholders in the development of The Rise and in redefining how we support women coming home from jail and prison.”

When complete, The Rise will meet both Passive House and LEED Gold Standards and achieve a carbon neutral performance. Rooftop solar panels will cover The Rise greenhouse, which will empower year-round urban farming programming. The project was also awarded a Blue Ribbon for Design Excellence award from the Architectural League of New York, and a Building of Excellence Award grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Additional amenities will include resident lounges, a community room, laundry rooms, outdoor terraces with raised gardening beds, and bicycle storage. Free Wi-Fi will also be provided throughout the building for residents and visitors, which is a hallmark of governor Kathy Hochul‘s commitment to increasing internet access across the state.

“We are moving full steam ahead to ensure that long overdue investments in housing, wellness, and economic empowerment reach our Brooklyn communities,” said governor Hochul. “With construction now underway at The Rise, we are one step closer to bringing deeply affordable housing to dozens of New York families and vital support and services to the entire neighborhood of Brownsville. I thank our local and state partners for their help in bringing this project to life, and I look forward to a ribbon cutting soon.”

The site was formerly occupied by a medical and supportive community facility operated by Brookdale Hospital Medical Center’s One Brooklyn Health. The buidling was demolished to make space for The Rise, but One Brooklyn Health will offer mental health services on the ground floor of the new building, alongside office and programming space for the service providers.

State funding for The Rise includes Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $21.1 million in equity and $13.8 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $10 million through Homeless Housing Assistance Program. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is providing more than $1.2 million though the Buildings of Excellence Competition and the New Construction-Housing program and the project will be eligible to apply for additional support through the NY-Sun program for the solar component.

The Community Preservation Corporation provided pre-development and other financial support for the project through its equity investing division and has also committed to providing long-term permanent financing. This is the first project to close under the Community Preservation Corporation’s partnership with Xenolith, in which it provides capital and other assistance aimed at helping the Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises company scale its capacity and business infrastructure.

“The Rise’s WBE and non-profit development partners thank New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for their Buildings of Excellence award enabling us to take The Rise to maximum standards of sustainability through Passive House design,” said Xenolith Partners director of design and construction Chris Lebron. “Along with Brownsville Partnership, Women’s Prison Association, CPC, and our local program partners, we are committed to a deep, productive, and long-standing relationship with the Brownsville community.”

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3 Comments on "Construction Breaks Ground at 1366 East New York Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn"

  1. This is a great project.

  2. David in Bushwick | November 7, 2022 at 8:35 am | Reply

    What a wonderful project AND a really well designed one. This should be the model forward.

  3. Looks good indeed. Hopefully the materials will be quality.

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