Closed in 1982, hospital site will be home to 100% affordable housing and community space
HPD’s newly reformed proposal selection process gives more weight to community developers and rehabilitation experience
NEW YORK, NY – (RealEstateRama) — The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announces plans to transform the historic Greenpoint Hospital site into a new affordable housing development. The agency today issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking proposals for the design, construction, and management of a high quality, sustainable, mixed-use, mixed-income project on 3.4-acres in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The development will offer between 300 and 600 new affordable apartments, community spaces, and a new building for an existing homeless shelter on the site. HPD welcomes proposals that address the historic nature of the buildings, because the Greenpoint Hospital campus is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
This RFEI was created through HPD’s community visioning workshop series, and preference will be given to proposals that reflect community needs and goals identified during those workshops. To view the community visioning report, please visit HPD’s Greenpoint Hospital Community Planning webpage.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “The need for affordable housing in Greenpoint and Williamsburg is too high to leave even one stone unturned. We look forward to delivering a project neighborhood residents have sought for decades, one that meets their needs and brings hundreds of new homes they can afford.”
Located at 288 Jackson Street in Brooklyn, the development site includes 3 buildings on a lot approximately 146,100 square feet. Proposals may also include community and commercial facility space, and publically accessible open space. Development teams should have experience in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, shelter operations, and community development.
“Through Housing New York, we are looking to transform our remaining public sites into dynamic affordable housing developments that serve the broader needs of the community,” said Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “We are excited to review proposals for how to best adapt the historic Greenpoint Hospital and look forward to working with the neighborhood’s many elected officials to start a new chapter for this important site.”
The site is located on a portion of the former Greenpoint Hospital campus. The site includes vacant land, the former Greenpoint Hospital building, a vacant building that previously served as a nurses’ residence, and an accessory building. The former hospital building is used by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) as a 200-bed shelter and as a clinic. The accessory building is used by DHS as a citywide laundry distribution facility, which will be relocated. Today, as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York: a Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan, the city is seeking to redevelop the site, after significant community engagement though which residents in the area prioritized deep affordability, a health clinic, and affordable housing for a range of populations.
The Greenpoint Hospital campus was built in two phases, with the first phase north of Skillman Avenue opened in 1915. The final phase was completed in the 1930’s with financing though President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. All eight of the site’s buildings were constructed in the Renaissance Revival style. The hospital was founded to serve potential accident victims from nearby factories and warehouses. It was closed in 1982. One building was converted into the Barbara S. Kleinman Residence which provides vital shelter services to the community.
“As we work to transform New York City’s shelter system, we are proud to partner with HPD to provide high-quality opportunities for homeless New Yorkers to get back on their feet while preserving housing affordability,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “From the mixed-use model and the robust services offered to the community-facing space, this facility will exemplify what a reimagined shelter system looks like. We look forward to welcoming our homeless neighbors to this innovative site that will provide New Yorkers with both affordable and temporary housing opportunities, including giving Brooklynites experiencing homelessness the opportunity to be sheltered closer to their support networks and communities they called home as they work to stabilize their lives.”
Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) said, “In a tight housing market such as New York, any time we can create additional affordable housing with community input, we should do so. I’m pleased the Mayor and HPD are taking this innovative step, which will benefit our community and add to the affordable housing stock in Brooklyn.”
“North Brooklyn has been waiting many years to see this site transformed, and I’m happy to see the City moving forward with the next steps,” said New York City Council Member Antonio Reynoso. “This has already been a community-driven process, and I’m pleased that HPD will prioritize proposals that show a commitment to community investments and engagement, as well as the creation of much-needed affordable housing.”
“I have high hopes for the redevelopment of the Greenpoint Hospital site. The community painstakingly and passionately vetted everything at the proposed site, from design to management, to amenities and affordability. I thank everyone who participated. You’ve done Greenpoint a great service, and are a prime example of a community coming together for the benefit of all. I commend Mayor de Blasio for looking to these communities to shape and deliver on his bold ten year housing plan,” said Senator Martin Malavé Dilan.
“I am happy to see that the community’s needs that were discussed in the visioning sessions were honored. I look forward to over 300 new units that will serve affordable and low income needs. The Greenpoint Hospital is a historical site for the community and we should honor its long service to this community by preserving it, by returning it to serve the needs of the community today,” said Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol.
This RFEI reflects recent reforms in HPD’s selection process. A preference will now be given to development teams that can demonstrate a successful track record of community investments and economic development, as well as proposals that include a plan for meaningful community engagement as a part of their affordable housing development plans. Also, HPD has changed the way development experience is assessed to give equal weight to developers who have significant housing rehabilitation experience.
The RFEI submission period will run from August 31st to December 7th. A pre-submission conference will be held at 2:30 on Monday, September 25th at 100 Gold Street, Room 1-R. Every prospective applicant to this RFEI is encouraged to attend, as this will be the only opportunity to ask questions and receive answers in person regarding this RFEI.
For more information and to obtain a copy of the RFEI, please visit HPD’s Request for Proposals/Qualifications/Offers webpage.
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Contact: Juliet Pierre-Antoine, 212-863-5682
