Gilbane Development, Blue Sea Development Company, and JASA celebrate Linden Grove 100% affordable senior housing

Brooklyn, NY Gilbane Development, Blue Sea Development Company, and JASA were joined by city officials today to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Linden Grove, a 153-unit, 100% affordable senior housing community located at 223 Linden St. in the Bushwick neighborhood. Part of the city’s Seniors First initiative, Linden Grove reflects a broad, citywide approach to help seniors age in place and create long-term senior housing on NYCHA-owned land.

The 13-story, 100,000 s/f building offers affordable studio and one-bedroom apartments for qualified seniors and households earning 30% to 40% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with 46 apartments reserved for formerly homeless seniors. The project is a joint venture between Gilbane Development, Blue Sea, and JASA, and was built using innovative modular construction techniques.

As both the social services provider and the property management agent, JASA’s on-site staff will provide case management, wellness programming, and access to essential resources that help residents thrive, everything from assistance with healthcare and benefits to wellness checks, community activities, and social engagement. The JASA team will be a daily presence in the building, working hand-in-hand with tenants to build a strong, inclusive community that promotes health, stability, and connection.

Designed to foster a sense of community and support, Linden Grove offers many amenities for residents, including free internet and Wi-Fi throughout the building, a rooftop fitness room, arts and crafts area, and laundry room, all with views of the city, and a designer furnished community lounge equipped with computer stations. Outdoor spaces feature a landscaped recreation area wrapping around the building, fitness equipment area, a rooftop terrace with panoramic city views, lounge seating and outdoor dining areas, and raised-bed community gardens. All apartments are equipped with video intercoms, USB charging outlets, smart Wi-Fi thermostats, and energy-efficient appliances.

The development team went to great effort to also provide an amenity to the community by including a 2,000 s/f community space in the building and by making it available for use at absolutely no cost to local not-for-profit organizations, community groups, and others, for programming and events that directly benefit residents of Bushwick and the surrounding area. 

“The affordable housing crisis calls for innovative solutions, and Linden Grove is a powerful example of what public-private partnerships can achieve,” said Yarojin Robinson, senior vice president, affordable and mixed income housing, Gilbane Development. “Linden Grove not only sets a new standard for sustainable affordable housing, it’s also a long-term investment in seniors and the broader Bushwick community that ensures older New Yorkers have access to the high-quality, sustainable homes and supportive services they deserve.”

“We are thrilled that we’re able to play a part at Linden Grove with the strong support of our City partners at HPD, HDC, and NYCHA, in continuing to create healthy and sustainable homes for seniors who need them most but can afford them least,” said Les Bluestone of Blue Sea Development. 

“This new housing development reflects our city’s commitment to dignity, affordability, and community for older adults. Every new building like this represents more than just bricks and mortar: it’s an investment in people’s wellbeing, ensuring that older New Yorkers can age safely, independently, and with the support they deserve,” said JASA chief real estate officer Donald Manning and JASA chief of staff Danielle Palmisano. “This collaboration is an effective response to the intertwined challenges of aging, housing insecurity, and isolation, another step toward a city where every senior has a safe home and the services they need to live fully.”

The development is part of NYC HPD’s Seniors First initiative, a strategy that includes the Aging in Place program, an effort to expand housing accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as the development of new senior housing on NYCHA land.

“At Linden Grove, we are witnessing the result of using innovative solutions to address housing challenges through beautiful design and environmental stewardship,” said NYCHA chief executive officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “This building will provide dozens of NYCHA residents with the opportunity to age in place within a senior-only community, complete with wellness programs and supportive amenities. We extend our gratitude to all of the partners who collaborated to bring this vision to life.”

“Seniors deserve to age in place, with dignity and security,” said Housing Preservation and Development commissioner Dina Levy. “Linden Grove will provide stable homes for more than 150 New Yorkers, and will provide the tenants with social services and community support. Projects like these reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that aging New Yorkers can live safe, healthy lives in communities they deserve.”

“Bushwick’s seniors are disproportionately rent burdened due to their fixed incomes and are being priced out of our community,” said council member Sandy Nurse. “We need to do everything we can to keep our elders housed with dignity and ensure they’re supported and cared for to thrive in their golden years. That’s why I’m thrilled to support Linden Grove, which will fill a growing need by providing truly affordable, stable housing for seniors in Bushwick.”

“I’m so thrilled to see that as part of HPD’s Seniors First initiative, Linden Grove now has a 100% affordable senior housing community. Our seniors deserve to have dignified and safe homes that they can actually afford, and that’s exactly what 223 Linden Street is. Thank you to HPD, HDC, NYCHA, Gilbane Development, Blue Sea Development Company and JASA for making this possible,” said state senator Julia Salazar. 

As the tallest affordable, residential, modular Passive House, LEED, National Green Building Standard certified building in the country, and a first for the City of New York, Linden Grove stands as a landmark achievement in sustainable construction. The Passive House, LEED Platinum, Fitwel, ENERGY STAR, and Zero Energy Ready Home certified building is the first project in the country to achieve Emerald-level National Green Building Standard (NGBS) certification while simultaneously earning both the NGBS Green +WELLNESS and +UNIVERSAL DESIGN badges, reflecting its holistic approach to sustainability, health, and accessibility.

Susanne DesRoches, senior vice president of Clean and Resilient Buildings, NYSERDA, said “The completion of Linden Grove demonstrates how affordable senior housing can be reimagined with the latest in clean energy building solutions. I applaud the whole project team for prioritizing energy efficiency and clean heating and cooling to lower energy usage and improve overall resident comfort. 

“Achieving LEED certification is more than just implementing sustainable practices. It represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do better,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role buildings play in that effort, Linden Grove is creating a path forward through their LEED certification.

Linden Grove’s design significantly reduces energy consumption through advanced insulation, airtight construction, high-performance windows, and solar panel electric generation, thereby minimizing its environmental footprint. Its modular construction method further reduced waste and disruption to the surrounding community during the building process, setting a new benchmark for sustainable affordable housing development in New York City.

TD Bank provided a letter of credit to back bonds issued by the New York City Housing Development Corporation in addition to providing an equity investment for the development of Linden Grove.

“We are pleased to support Blue Sea, Gilbane, NYCHA and our funding partners at NYCHDC and NYCHPD to support a first-of-its-kind sustainable development that directly benefits an underserved community - it’s the cornerstone of TD’s mission,” said Matthew Schatz, market leader for Affordable Housing Lending at TD. “Brooklyn’s seniors often face significant challenges in securing affordable housing, and doing it with a building that meets such high standards for energy efficiency and design will help keep their costs low in the highest quality building.”