Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue is set for significant growth, with plans for new homes and community improvements following approval from key City Council committees. According to Gothamist, the proposal, covering a 20-block stretch in neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy, is expected to bring about 4,600 new housing units, 1,900 of which are earmarked as affordable, and create roughly 2,800 long-term jobs.
Structural amendments and service upgrades throughout the community are a part of the plan, including a reported $215 million in funding aimed at supporting tenant and homeowner protections and subway station upgrades. Councilmembers Crystal Hudson and Chi Ossé, representing the region, expressed their backing for the project as it prepares for further review by the City Planning Commission, Council told NYC Council News.
With a full Council vote expected this month, Mayor Eric Adams praised the plan as aligning with the city's broader housing goals. In addition to the new housing units, the initiative includes major community upgrades, such as a complete overhaul of Atlantic Avenue to improve traffic safety and cycling infrastructure, as well as renovations to several public spaces.
"After more than a decade of advocacy, Central Brooklyn is finally getting the community-led rezoning it has demanded," Hudson stated in the City Council's press release, revealing the comprehensive plan's potential to tackle acute city crises such as affordable housing scarcity and unsafe streets. Ossé highlighted the plan's capacity to fight displacement, addressing the affordability crisis with a nearly 2000-unit contribution of income-restricted housing, which will be deeply affordable to those in utmost need.
As part of its economic development efforts, the area will introduce new workforce development programs, with $1 million allocated for community investments. This includes funding for potential new roles at the Bedford Atlantic Armory, as well as $1.2 million in city support for tenant and legal assistance services. These improvements are part of a larger initiative designed to benefit long-time residents while welcoming newcomers, with the goal of creating an overall positive impact for the community, Ossé affirmed in a statement to NYC Council News.
