Breaking Ground and the African American Planning Commission Inc. recently celebrated the opening of their co-developed residential property at 7 Livonia Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Known as Edwin’s Place, the property comprises 125 units of affordable and supportive housing in addition to new community space and ground-floor retail.
The grand opening ceremony took place on Tuesday, July 27, where the developers were joined New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance/Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and Wells Fargo.
“Despite the decades of disinvestment and myriad challenges the neighborhood has weathered, there is still so much in Brownsville that makes me optimistic about its future for true community-driven revitalization,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “Projects like Edwin’s Place are a case in point. This beautiful new development will provide state-of-the-art housing and amenities to a diverse community, with a particular and much-needed focus on serving formerly homeless individuals and families.”
View of Edwin’s Place (7 Livonia Avenue) from the ground floor – Courtesy of Francis Dzikowski
View of Edwin’s Place (7 Livonia Avenue) ground floor – Courtesy of Francis Dzikowski
Residential offerings range from studios up to three-bedroom rental apartments. A total of 88 units are reserved for formerly homeless households and individuals. Another 37 units will be reserved for low-income members of the community.
On-site social services will be offered to all residents in the building, funded by a contract between the African American Planning Commission Inc. and New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the eight-story, L-shaped building sits on an assemblage of lots between on Livonia Avenue between Howard and Grafton Streets. The façade comprises beige brick masonry, triple-glazed windows, gray mullions and metal cladding, and metal canopies surrounding the primary entrance. Amenity spaces include a private sunken courtyard, a roof deck, a fitness center, a computer lab, and flexible meeting rooms.
To improve energy performance, the property also supports a green roof and a photovoltaic array. The project was constructed to meet Enterprise Green Standards.
View of sunken courtyard at Edwin’s Place (7 Livonia Avenue) – Courtesy of Francis Dzikowski
View of roof deck at Edwin’s Place (7 Livonia Avenue) – Courtesy of Francis Dzikowski
“Our design approach for providing a backdrop for living is universal,” said Grant Marani, partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects. “When designing Edwin’s Place, as with all of our apartment buildings, we listened to our client’s aspirations and looked to the neighborhood for inspiration. Brooklyn’s rich heritage of well-detailed brick apartment buildings provided the context to create permanent, comfortable, dignified, and welcoming homes for the Edwin’s Place residential community.”
The $74.7 million project received financing from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, New York State Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation, and Wells Fargo, N.A. The Corporation for Supportive housing provided pre-development financing. Additional support was provided by the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York’s Affordable Housing Program, along with a grant from National Grid.
“Edwin’s Place represents our commitment to developing safe and dignified homes to help vulnerable New Yorkers escape and avoid homeless,” said Brenda Rosen, president and CEO of Breaking Ground. “Though this project has been many years in the making, it could not have been completed at a more crucial moment. We are proud to bring this beautiful new residence to the Brownsville community and join our state and city partners in building a New York where people can lead stable, secure lives in thriving neighborhoods.”
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What a nice building this is: no jiggles and jangles…no changes of architecture half-way up…it holds the street line, doesn’t have a fake pediment centering on nothing…..attractive brick work and trim. This could be an acceptable model for infill throughout the city….add bay windows or recesses for terraces for higher income rentals, change the brick color for variety on other sites……bravo.
So, can we talk about the window air conditioners? I mean really.
It’s ridiculous.
can we talk about affordable housing?
I hope the acoustic insulation is sufficient.
No, we’re talking about the AC’s
Who wants to live near a noisy elevated train? They pick the worst places in the hood to put people. What that tell you?
“What that tell you?” I expect if you’re looking at Yimby you might have a wee bit of education and know how to construct a sentence? If you know anything about buildings and you take a glance at this one, it’s a far better designed building the what Public Housing typically offers. Many people in luxury brownstones and COOPS have window air-conditioners so that’s not part of the class struggle – that’s the struggle of living in this part of the world in the hot summer….and, it would appear an empty or underbuilt property in a neighborhood would be attainable vs a built location to place a new building whether for market rate (rich people) or poor…..so let’s talk about the quality of the building that gives people who don’t have the opportunity to buy or rent almost anywhere else a decent home. And yes, I’d guess that looking at the site, with the train right there, insulation would have been a consideration, just as it is when you live along the Metro North tracks along the Hudson in an elegant home and still hear the trains go by.
Well Well
Any new Affordable Housing for low income is improving the neighborhood
I know this neighborhood not great rough area
No cental air continuous noise
Elevated 3 train service
Major differences from numerous
Housing built in the so call best neighborhood To live in BROOKLYN
Park Slope
Cobble Hill
Greenpoint
Williamsburg
Why is that
Lets be honest we know why
Its called “the market”
A few months ago Mayor De Blasio
Stated a Clean Up City was going to start He was hiring thousand of workers to Clean up City
I still waiting for it to happen in East New York Flatbush Brownsville Midwood
I am sure ita happening in best neighborhood’s to live in in BROOKLYN and Manhattan
Its not happening
Get put there and start picking up litter if you care about your neighborhood.
My name is Monica Boston, please send me the application for this up coming apartment,my address is 625 Ocean Ave Apt4h Brooklyn New 11226
The buildings that are built along subway lines are always sound proof. So you will not hear the train passing in your apartment. I was born and raised in Brownsville.My family still resides there. It is no more dangerous than any other area in NYC.
Where do i go to apply for some of these apartments?
Need one bedroom apartment application
Perfect idea I love to go back to Brooklyn