Construction is complete on Bethany Senior Terraces, a four-story affordable housing building at 610 East 40th Street in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Designed by Paul A. Castrucci Architects and developed by RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc., the $48 million project yields 57 affordable apartments for seniors aged 55 and older, including homes with supportive services. The property is located mid-block between Avenue D and Foster Avenue, and was formerly occupied by two vacant buildings owned by Bethany Methodist Home for the Aged.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held last week to mark the project’s completion.
Photo courtesy of Riseboro Community Partnership.
Photo courtesy of Riseboro Community Partnership.
The building features a multifaceted massing and a façade composed of white, gray, and yellow paneling, a departure from the beige envelope previewed in the rendering at the top of the article. According to this rendering, the beams on the roof deck will eventually support a photovoltaic canopy.
Photo courtesy of Riseboro Community Partnership.
The unit breakdown includes 45 studios, 12 one-bedrooms, and one superintendent unit, and all are reserved for households earning at or below 50 percent of the area median income (AMI). Five apartments are designed to accommodate residents with mobility impairments, and two for residents with sensory disabilities. In addition, 18 homes will have accompanying on-site supportive services for individuals struggling with homelessness.
Amenities include outdoor terraces and a large common garden located off of the building lobby, as well as interior social spaces on every floor. There is also a hydroponic greenhouse, storage space, and a community kitchen connected to the greenhouse intended to host community demonstrations on gardening and cooking.
Services are provided by RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc. and include case management, health coordination, and social and recreational programming to help seniors maintain stable housing. The New York State Department of Health is providing operating funding for these supportive apartments through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award.
Bethany Senior Terraces is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide. State financing for the development included federal and State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated approximately $14.4 million in equity and $7.8 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provided $716,000 in funding. An additional $9.3 million in financing was provided by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
The fully electric building was designed to meet 2020 Enterprise Green Communities Plus and Passive House standards, incorporating sustainable features including Energy Recovery Ventilation systems, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, low-VOC materials, and rooftop infrastructure capable of supporting a future solar array.
The nearest subways from the ground-up development are the 2 and 5 trains at the Newkirk Avenue–Little Haiti station to the west along Nostrand Avenue.
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Those steps do not seem so welcoming to the aged.