A low-slung strip mall on the northern edge of Crown Heights could soon give way to a 13-story mixed-use tower, reshaping a busy stretch of Atlantic Avenue with hundreds of new apartments, fresh storefronts and a community facility.
New renderings for 1720 Atlantic Avenue show a bulky complex stepping up from the sidewalk, part of a wave of large projects now lining up along the corridor. With key city approvals already in place, the development is moving from glossy images toward the far less glamorous world of permits and construction paperwork.
The plan, designed by IMC Architecture for Bermuda Realty, is presented as roughly a 360,000-square-foot project that would deliver 278 rental apartments, including 70 income-restricted units. The scheme also calls for about 50,427 square feet of commercial space and 17,421 square feet of community use, according to New York YIMBY. The renderings show a multi-volume massing with red-brick lower floors, loggia-style balconies and stepped terraces tucked behind setbacks.
On its own project page, IMC Architecture describes the complex as two connected buildings and lists a slightly different gross figure of roughly 375,000 GSF, along with its internal budget estimate. The firm highlights masonry facades, glazed storefronts and layered terraces as deliberate moves to break down the tower’s perceived size on surrounding blocks.
Approvals and entitlements
The rezoning that unlocked this scale for 1720 Atlantic Avenue wrapped up in late 2025. The Department of City Planning lists the action as adopted on December 4, 2025, and the official posting outlines the new zoning framework for the site.
The legislative path is also documented in the City Council’s file for LU 0423-2025, which tracks committee votes and final approval that granted formal entitlements for the property, according to the New York City Council. NYC Planning provides the official dates and supporting materials for the zoning change.
What sits on the site now
For the moment, the project site is considerably more modest. The property is occupied by a one-story shopping center with active retail tenants and roughly 56 parking spaces, according to the borough president’s ULURP recommendation. The Brooklyn Borough President's Office notes that the project area spans three tax lots bounded by Atlantic Avenue, Michael Griffith Street and Schenectady Avenue.
Where this fits on Atlantic Avenue
The tower is part of the broader Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, a corridor-wide rezoning that city officials and neighborhood leaders promoted as a push for more housing and public investment, according to the New York City Council. Reporting from Brownstoner describes the rezoning as enabling thousands of new homes along Atlantic Avenue, along with targeted streetscape and park upgrades.
Timeline and next steps
One thing the glossy renderings do not show is a schedule. Neither the developer nor public filings have released a construction timeline, and New York YIMBY notes that no start or completion dates have been announced.
New York YIMBY reports a project cost estimate near $172.5 million, while the IMC Architecture project page lists a different budget figure, underscoring how early numbers can still shift. IMC also frames the design as progressing through ULURP era approvals on its site.
Community benefits and concerns
Reviewing officials have credited the project for reserving a portion of units as income restricted and for committing to prevailing wages, while also pressing for deeper affordability and stronger protections for local jobs and manufacturers. The borough president’s ULURP recommendation further urges the developer to give existing tenants the first opportunity to lease commercial space in the new building.
For Crown Heights, these renderings are an early look at how a single consolidated parcel on Atlantic Avenue might be transformed into a dense mix of housing, retail and community space. Neighbors and local leaders will be keeping a close eye on permit filings and any community benefit details as the proposal inches from paper toward actual construction.
