A ceremony held earlier this week marked the completion of The Fountains, a $425-million development which transformed the site of the former Brooklyn Development Center in East New York into a six-acre complex of mixed-income housing and commercial space.
"The Fountains are the embodiment of our commitment to provide equal opportunity for each and every New Yorker, and this complex goes above and beyond to provide quality, affordability, and access to the resources needed to live healthy and successful lives," said Governor Kathy Hochul in prepared remarks. "This mixed-use development provides housing, services, and amenities that will reenergize the community and build a brighter future for all, but especially for our most vulnerable residents."
The project, developed by the Arker Companies, includes a total of 1,163 affordable homes, approximately 22,000 square feet of commercial space, and a new public plaza. A total of 192 apartments are reserved as supportive housing for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The six buildings which comprise The Fountains include:
According to a news release, the six completed buildings include:
- A six-story building at 11629 Seaview Avenue with 65 affordable apartments. 17 units are reserved for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. 10 apartments are fully accessible and adaptable for residents with mobility, hearing or vision impairments.
- A nine-story building at 911 Erskine Street with 267 affordable apartments. 67 apartments are reserved for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
- A seven-story building at 10 Schroeder's Walk with 200 apartments for residents 62 and older and 11,100 square-feet of commercial space on the ground floor. 60 of the apartments are reserved for homeless seniors.
- A nine-story building at 702 Vandalia Avenue, with 65 affordable apartments. 13 homes are reserved for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. 10 apartments are fully accessible and adaptable for residents with mobility, hearing or vision impairments.
- A nine-story building at 881 Erksine Street with 144 affordable apartments. Twenty-nine homes are reserved for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The ground floor has 10,600 square-feet of commercial space.
- A nine-story building at 894 Fountain Avenue with 422 affordable apartments. There are 85 apartments for households earning up to 100 percent of the AMI. Sixty-six homes are reserved for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Aufgang Architects designed the project, which used roughly $216 million in city and state funding.
The project site, which was purchased by Arker Companies for $10 million, was one component of the larger Brooklyn Developmental Center, which opened in 1973 as a residential care and treatment center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, before shuttering in 2015.
- East New York (Urbanize NYC)