EAST NEW YORK, NYC — Construction is officially underway on Phase 1A of the ambitious Innovative Urban Village, a transformative redevelopment project that will bring nearly 2,000 affordable homes and new public amenities to the site of the Christian Cultural Center (CCC) campus in East New York.

The $270 million first phase will deliver 385 affordable apartments, plus ground-floor retail including a fresh food grocery store to improve access to healthy food in the neighborhood. All units will be income-restricted for households earning 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Ninety-four of these homes will be reserved for residents who qualify for on-site supportive services such as case management, legal aid, and nutrition programs.

“Innovative Urban Village is helping us fight the housing affordability crisis while also prioritizing improvements that will make the neighborhood more livable for families,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul at the groundbreaking ceremony. “This project would not have been possible without the cooperation of all our partners, including Mayor Adams and the Christian Cultural Center.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams described the development as a model for how the city intends to tackle the housing crisis head-on.

“The best way to tackle our city’s housing crisis is to build more affordable housing, and that is exactly what our administration is doing,” Adams said. “This project brings more homes, more jobs, and more opportunity to Brooklyn.”

A Multi-Partner Effort

The mixed-use project is a joint venture between the Christian Cultural Center, The Gotham Organization, and Monadnock Development. The master plan and buildings were designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism and SLCE Architects. The Urban Resource Institute will operate supportive housing services on-site.

A Focus on Sustainability

Innovative Urban Village’s Phase 1A is designed with multiple sustainable features, including all-electric heating and cooling, rooftop solar panels, green roofs, EV charging stations, low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, and ENERGY STAR-certified appliances.

The larger plan will include 10 buildings, delivering nearly 2,000 affordable homes, new streets, three acres of open green space, a performing arts center, and community facilities for childcare, senior services, and workforce training. The site was rezoned by New York City to allow this significant scale of development.

A Public-Private Partnership

The project is supported by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), which has financed more than 7,700 affordable units in Brooklyn under Gov. Hochul. Funding sources for Phase 1A include $115 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, $47 million in HCR Housing Finance Agency bonds, and $47 million from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability Program. Additional capital comes from the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs Alternatives.

The project site is also part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, qualifying for up to $28 million in tax credits. Ongoing supportive housing operations will be funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.

Environmental Planning and Community Commitment

Environmental planning firm VHB led the Environmental Impact Statement and other site analyses to guide the master plan based on local priorities.

“Innovative Urban Village is rooted in the values of this community,” said David Velez, environmental planning lead at VHB. “This is more than a groundbreaking — it’s a testament to what’s possible when vision meets commitment.”

What’s Next

Construction timelines for later phases and application details for future affordable housing units are expected to be announced in coming months as developers finalize design and permitting for the next buildings.

Once complete, Innovative Urban Village is expected to serve as a national model for mixed-income, mixed-use urban development, delivering not only affordable housing but also local jobs, public amenities, and neighborhood vibrancy for East New York.

Originally reported by Robin MacLennan in Newyork Construction Report.