An empty lot at the intersection of Fulton Street and Howard Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant will yield a new development offering 100 percent affordable homeownership opportunities.

In late 2021, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced that Almat Urban and Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation had been selected to develop the site with the Norma, a proposed 11-story, mixed-use building which would feature 44 one-, two-, and three-bedroom condominiums reserved for low-to-moderate-income households.

“The thoughtful proposals of Almat Urban and the Bed-Stuy Restoration Corporation reflect the neighborhood’s desire for more affordable homeownership opportunities,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll in a news release. “These plans move forward many of the priorities in the Bed-Stuy Housing Plan to protect residents from displacement and promote equitable ownership among M/WBE and nonprofit developers. The Norma gives low-income families the chance to buy their first home, build wealth, and grab a real stake in their neighborhood’s future.”

The project, which will be financed through HPD's Open Door program for affordable coops and condos, will cater to households earning up to 110 percent the Area Median Income (AMI) – which translates to a family of three earning no more than $118,000. A majority of units of the proposed units will be set aside for households earning between 70 and 100 percent of AMI – translating to an annual income between $64,000 and $108,000 for a family of three.

In addition to housing, the Brownsville Multi Service Wellness and Health Center has been tapped to open a new urgent care facility on the ground floor of the building that will offer general medical service, pediatrics, physical therapy, OB/GYN, mental health care and dentistry, among other services.

Leong Leong is designing the project, which will include individual storage spaces, juliette balconies, and a community terrace on the second floor. The building is expected to comply with Passive House energy efficiency and sustainability standards, using fully electric mechanical heating and cooling systems.