Brooklyn, NY The Hudson Companies, St. Nicks Alliance, and Project Renewal in partnership with the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) have finalized the acquisition of and closing on $66 million in financing for the first phase of redeveloping the former Greenpoint Hospital Campus, a mixed-use project in East Williamsburg that will transform the former Greenpoint Hospital campus into affordable housing, community facilities, public open space and a men’s shelter with services provided by Project Renewal.
The development is the culmination of a 40-year community-led process to redevelop the former hospital site into affordable housing and community services. The multi-phased development on the campus will rehabilitate and transform two existing buildings and construct two new buildings containing 557 affordable homes for seniors and families, a 200-bed men’s shelter, a health clinic, a senior center, a workforce development center, a cafe, and public open space. The development team was designated by HPD in September 2018 and received ULURP approval in November 2021.
The first phase is the adaptive reuse of the former hospital nurse’s residence to become the newly named Barbara Kleiman men’s shelter. Financing for this phase was provided by Prudential Private Capital and the New York City Energy Efficiency Corp. (NYCEEC), which provided a predevelopment loan. The shelter was designed by Edelman Sultan Knox Woods Architects and will be built by Broadway Builders. Magnusson Architecture and Planning and Architecture Outfit are designing the campus plan and future building phases.
Located at 19 Debevoise Ave., this phase of the project will convert the historic Nurse’s Residence into a 200-bed men’s shelter. Project Renewal, a venerable non-profit provider for the homeless, will operate and provide client care coordination and services for residents in the shelter. The 54,000 s/f facility will be converted in partnership with the New York State Historic Preservation Office to preserve the historic façade and character of the building, restore some of the interior elements and install brand-new building systems, finishes, and landscaping. Construction will begin in December, with an expected completion in 2025.
The next component of the development is the construction of an 18-story building adjacent to the shelter with 311 affordable homes for low-income families earning between 30 and 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). Construction is anticipated to begin in 2023.
The apartment buildings will offer a range of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Amenities will include outdoor courtyards and playgrounds, rooftop terraces, laundry rooms, fitness centers, bike storage rooms, children’s playrooms, and tenants’ lounges.
“Hudson is honored to join its partners, St. Nicks Alliance, Project Renewal, the City of New York and the project’s design and engineering team in celebrating the first phase of redevelopment that community stakeholders passionately advocated for decades to bring to fruition.”, said Aaron Koffman, president of The Hudson Companies. “We take great pride in developing leading-edge permanent and transitional housing for all New Yorkers and today we are one step closer to transforming this campus into nearly 557 affordable homes in East Williamsburg with a new 200-bed shelter, open space, and community spaces to complement the neighborhood.”
“The former Greenpoint Hospital presents a rare opportunity in New York City to gut-renovate a building and redesign it as a shelter from the ground up in a way that centers the needs of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness,” said Eric Rosenbaum, president and CEO of Project Renewal. “Project Renewal looks forward to bringing our 55 years of experience to bear, making this a place of comfort and stability, with targeted services that break the cycle of homelessness, including a medical clinic, occupational therapy, and employment counseling. We are proud to partner with The Hudson Companies and St. Nicks Alliance on this innovative mixed-use development and we look forward to being part of the Greenpoint community.”
“St. Nicks Alliance has been part of the coalition creating this community plan, Greenpoint Renaissance Enterprise Corp. (GREC), for 40 years,” said Joseph Robles, chairman of the board of St. Nicks Alliance. “We are delighted to join with our development partners to see the GREC community vision being realized. We appreciate the support of the local community and elected officials throughout the process to get us to this day”
The former Greenpoint Hospital is within walking distance from the Graham Avenue L subway station.
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