Formerly known as My Micro NY, Carmel Place is slated for completion by the end of 2015
The micro-unit development will feature housing for formerly homeless Veterans, low-income and middle-income New Yorkers, along with market-rate units
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – May 21, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Department of City Planning (DCP), and New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) joined Monadnock Development and partners to celebrate the stacking of the first modules in the Carmel Place micro-unit development. The project formerly known as My Micro NY was the winner of the City’s adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for New York’s growing small-household population. The development team of Monadnock Development LLC, the Lower East Side People’s Mutual Housing Association, and nARCHITECTS was chosen in 2013 through a competitive Request for Proposals to design, construct and operate the micro-unit apartment building which is located on a formerly City-owned site at 335 East 27th Street in Manhattan. The stacking of the pre-fabricated units, which will make up the 11-story, 55-unit Kips Bay development, will be ongoing through the beginning of June.
The adAPT NYC Competition was created to introduce additional choices within New York City’s housing market to accommodate the City’s growing population of one- and two-person households. According to the most recent data from the 2014 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS), approximately 64% of the New York City housing stock is comprised of rental units, with one- and two-person households making up about 63% of the renter population. Proposals that were submitted were evaluated on several criteria, including innovative layout and building design.
“With one- and two-person households making up more than 60% of the City’s renters there is a need to explore new ways to accommodate this changing demographic,” said HPD Commissioner Vicki Been. “The City’s micro-unit pilot project introduces one possible model to help address the needs of New York’s growing population of small households at the same time it reaches low-income New Yorkers and fosters economic diversity. This modular development uses innovative design to optimize space and maximize the sense of openness in the apartments. I thank DCP and DOB for their partnership throughout the process and for bringing this conversation to the forefront, and the development team for their thoughtful and innovative approach.”
Purnima Kapur, Executive Director of the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), said, “We are proud to celebrate the culmination of this pilot for micro-unit housing which owes much to the collaboration of Department of City Planning, Housing Preservation and Development, and the Department of Buildings. Its proximity to transit and location within a dense neighborhood aligns with the goals and initiatives of HousingNY and OneNYC. This project represents one of the many futures of housing in New York City. Its success will highlight the opportunities new models offer to address the city’s current housing challenges.”
“Development trends constantly transform in our vibrant and growing City. Whether it is meeting the affordable housing needs of residents, or ensuring buildings can meet the needs of modern businesses it is vital that the Construction Codes are adaptable to the demands of our changing environment,” said DOB Commissioner Rick Chandler. “We are proud to have played a role, with our partners at HPD and DCP, in this pilot project to help encourage fresh ideas and to find new ways of accommodating the City’s changing demographics and growing interest in small household development.”
“Monadnock Development is bringing a needed solution to New York City housing with micro-units specifically designed with urban living in mind and crafted to accommodate modern day-to-day living,” said Tobias Oriwol, Project Developer for Monadnock Development, “We have built each home at Carmel Place to optimize every inch of space inside, making them well-designed and totally usable.”
“We’re thrilled at the opportunity of working on a progressive project that addresses New Yorkers’ changing housing needs, while also setting new benchmarks for modular construction in our city,” said Eric Bunge, AIA, a Principal of nARCHITECTS. “One of our aims was to make the interiors feel as spacious, sunny and comfortable as possible, with augmented ceiling heights, glazing, and storage, a higher level of finishes, and an efficient layout.”
Carmel Place will create 55 new micro-unit apartments that are designed to optimize space and maximize the sense of openness. The apartments will measure between 260 and 360 square feet and have generous 9’- 6” floor-to-ceiling heights and Juliette balconies that provide substantial access to light and air. They also feature efficient apartment design amenities such as ample storage and compact kitchens with full-height pull-out pantry, full-height refrigerator, range, and space for a microwave.
The property will include amenities that invite resident interaction such as a gym, resident lounge, and outdoor terrace. Other amenities include a virtual doorman, laundry facilities, storage room, and bike room. The building will fully comply with all local, state, and federal housing regulations, including accessibility guidelines for people with disabilities.
The Carmel Place micro-unit apartments were created using modular construction, with the modules prefabricated locally by Capsys at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The foundations, utilities, and the construction of the ground floor were completed using traditional methods. The modules which have recently been completed and contain all of the fixtures and finishes will travel to the Manhattan development site via flatbed trucks.
“There is an incredibly high demand in New York City for affordable housing, particularly for our fast-growing population of single and two-person households,” said Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12). “I am pleased that the City is looking at new ways to accommodate the demand for affordable housing, and am particularly glad that a number of these new units will offer homeless Vets a place to live. I congratulate HPD, DCP, DOB, and Monadnock Development for exploring new ways to provide housing and prioritizing underserved populations.”
“The arrival of the Carmel Place project is historic, as well as significant. This pilot program is unique as an unattached stand-alone building comprised entirely of micro-unit apartments. I am very excited that this project will set aside a percentage of affordable units for United States Veterans who will find themselves in walking distance from the Veterans Hospital,” said Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, District 2.
“CHPC’s work Making Room helped to identify the needs and possibilities of a growing population and the shifts in lifestyle to provide more choices in the housing market for single adults. With an innovative collaboration between NYCHPD, an outstanding development team, and a City eager for new ideas, this building will begin a new era in a diversified housing marketplace,” said Jerilyn Perine, Executive Director of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council.
Forty percent of the mixed-income rental building will be affordable to a range of incomes, from very low-income households to middle-income households. Eight apartments will be designated Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) apartments, and will be set-aside for formerly homeless Veterans. The VASH apartments will receive Project-based Section 8 vouchers that will help ensure the tenants only pay 30 percent of their income towards rent. Eleven apartments are planned to be affordable to households earning an annual income within a range of $45,864 and $47,000 for an individual, or $52,416 and $53,700 for a household of two. Three apartments are planned to be affordable to households earning an annual income within a range of $70,560 up to $76,440 for an individual, or $80,640 up to $87,360 for a household of two. The above incomes reflect the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) area median income calculations.
The total development cost for Carmel Place is approximately $16.7 million. HPD provided $1.167 million in City Capital and allocated $1.06 million in Federal HOME Funds toward the development. The project is located on land that was formerly owned, and which was conveyed to the developer at a nominal cost to help subsidize the affordability of the project. The project also received a $10.3 million private bank loan from M&T Bank.
While there are currently micro-apartments in buildings throughout the city, regulations do not allow an entire building to be comprised only of micro-units. This pilot project will help inform potential regulatory changes that could allow the development of micro-unit apartment buildings in appropriate locations. Other high-cost, high-density cities also are assessing the concept of micro-unit apartments to provide smaller and less expensive housing options.
Leasing for Carmel Place is slated to launch in the Fall of 2015. The affordable housing units will be rented through NYC Housing Connect, an Open Lottery System to ensure fair and equitable distribution of housing to income-eligible applicants. Marketing of the apartments and the application process for the lottery typically begins when construction is approximately 70 percent complete. For more information regarding the affordable housing lottery process or if you would like to receive an e-mail when HPD updates its available apartment and home website listings for City-subsidized housing in the five boroughs, please visit the ‘Find Housing’ page under the ‘Renter’ tab at www.nyc.gov/hpd. Current housing lotteries are also available atwww.nyc.gov/housingconnect. Applicants may submit either a paper application or an electronic application. Duplicate applications will be disqualified.
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About the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD):
HPD is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and viable neighborhoods for New Yorkers through education, outreach, loan and development programs, and enforcement of housing quality standards. HPD is tasked with fulfilling Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough Ten-Year Plan to build and preserve 200,000 affordable units for New Yorkers at the very lowest incomes to those in the middle class. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/nychpd and www.twitter.com/nychousing.
About the Department of City Planning:
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.
In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.
About the New York City Department Buildings (DOB):
The NYC Department of Buildings ensures the safe and lawful use of over a million buildings and properties by enforcing the City’s Construction Codes, Zoning Resolution and the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law. DOB’s main activities include performing plan examinations, issuing construction permits, inspecting buildings and construction sites for code compliance and licensing trades. The agency’s highest priority is safe development to support all those that live, work and build in New York City. The Department’s transformational blueprint Building One City outlines how the agency will meet the development demands of a growing 21st century city.
About Monadnock Development:
Monadnock Development is a leader in the creation of affordable and market-rate housing in New York. They serve a wide variety of New Yorkers by taking on complex projects that improve their neighborhoods, specializing in sustainable low-income housing, middle-income rentals and home-ownership, and market-rate rentals and condominiums. Combining development, construction, financial, and architectural expertise, the Monadnock team has created thousands of units across the City, including New York’s first micro unit building in My Micro NY, entire new neighborhoods in Nehemiah Spring Creek, and New York’s largest middle-income development in decades in Hunter’s Point South. For more information on Monadnock Development, visit its website atwww.monadnockdevelopment.com
Contacts: Juliet Morris (HPD), morrisj (at) hpd.nyc (dot) gov
Rachaele Raynoff (DCP), rraynoff (at) planning.nyc (dot) gov
Alexander Schnell (DOB), ASchnell (at) buildings.nyc (dot) gov
