Mayor Adams Announces Revitalization of Nine Public Housing Developments Across Brooklyn

MAYOR ADAMS, HUD, NYCHA COMPLETE $434 MILLION COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATION OF NINE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, BENEFITING MORE THAN 6,000 BROOKLYNITES

Resident Association Leaders, PACT Partners Deliver Comprehensive Apartment Upgrades, Renovated Community Spaces, and Infrastructure Enhancements That Will Improve Public Safety and Quality of Life

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator Alicka Ampry-Samuel, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chair Greg Russ, and NYCHA resident association leaders today announced the completion a $434 million full-scale revitalization of nine public housing developments across Brooklyn under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program. Known as the Brooklyn Bundle II, the nine public housing developments span 37 buildings and over 2,600 apartments, which are home to more than 6,000 NYCHA residents. The nine developments are managed by the PACT partner team, which includes the Arker Companies, Omni New York LLC, Dabar Development Partners, and the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.

The nine renovated developments are:

• Armstrong I (371 units)

• Armstrong II (248 units)

• Berry Street — South 9th Street (150 units)

• Independence Towers (744 units)

• Marcy Avenue-Greene Avenue Site A (48 units)

• Marcy Avenue-Greene Avenue Site B (30 units)

• 572 Warren Street (200 units)

• Weeksville Gardens (257 units)

• Williams Plaza (577 units)

The development team replaced, overhauled, or corrected infrastructure at 37 buildings in total, with the installation of new roofs, elevators, windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, and trash removal systems. Renovations completed within the 2,625 apartments included full-scale replacements of kitchens, bathrooms, and apartment electrical panels, as well as the installation of new flooring for living rooms and hallways.

Other enhancements included improvements to building entrances and facades, beautified lobbies and hallways, and the addition of thousands of cameras and energy-efficient lighting in common and exterior spaces to improve public safety. Non-residential facilities at the nine developments in the bundle were upgraded, with vacant community centers for Berry Street and the Armstrong campuses being wholly repaired and renovated.

All nine developments in the bundle received new boiler and heating equipment — most notably, Independence Towers installed high-efficiency boilers, new hydronic distribution lines, apartment radiators, and temperature controls designed to improve the delivery of hot water and safeguard the system against storm events.

In addition to environmentally retrofitting the buildings against extreme weather events, the development partners also partnered with the local nonprofit Solar One to install solar panels on the rooftops of four developments. The energy generated from these solar panels will be circulated back into the electrical grid for the surrounding community and the clean solar power that is generated will help to offset peak electricity usage.

Before-and-after photos of the renovated NYCHA sites are available online.

The development partners also took care to be responsive to the cultural needs of NYCHA residents throughout the process. The partner team worked closely with tenant leadership and the United Jewish Organization, a local nonprofit, to ensure construction work was considerate of the needs of the Jewish community, adjusting working schedules to minimize disruptions during Shabbat and Jewish holidays. The partner team also made other accommodations for the local Hasidic community, including the design and installation of new Shabbat-compliant access controls at front entrances and Kosher-compliant sink faucets, compartments, and dividers.

Through PACT, property managers with the development team are now responsible for the day-to-day operations and upkeep of the buildings and grounds. Across the bundle, there are 73 on-site staff members and numerous offsite staff dedicated to these buildings. There are 55 people for on-site maintenance staff, all of whom are members of 32BJ. Sixty-two NYCHA residents were hired for construction positions, and an additional 28 were hired for permanent positions with property management.

The Brooklyn Bundle II marks the fourth major project completed under the PACT program, which leverages HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program by transitioning a development’s operating subsidy to Project-Based Section 8 funding to finance capital needs.

HDC — New York City’s municipal housing finance agency — is a key financing partner for PACT. Under PACT, HDC coordinates or provides loan financing through HDC’s Multi-Family Housing Bond Resolution or the Housing Impact Bond Resolution, a new bond resolution created solely to facilitate NYCHA transactions.

Independence Towers Community Center

Brooklyn, NY

May 20, 2022