Unity Towers, a 193-unit New York City Housing Authority complex at 2007 Surf Avenue in Coney Island, is officially on deck for a full-scale makeover. The New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust has tapped Fifth Avenue Builders, LLC to lead a multi-year modernization that is slated to wrap design, financing and construction by the end of 2028.
According to the New York City Housing Authority, the Trust board signed off on the selection on June 10. Fifth Avenue Builders is a joint venture between Urban Atelier Group and Camber Property Group, and the team is expected to deliver full apartment upgrades, building system work and environmental remediation. Residents, who have already taken part in workshops and visioning sessions, are set to keep weighing in on finishes and construction phasing. “The residents of Unity Towers voted for meaningful change,” Trust President Vlada Kenniff said in the announcement.
Scope: Apartments, Systems And Abatement
The modernization goes well beyond a fresh coat of paint. Plans call for full kitchen and bathroom renovations, new windows, façade repairs, comprehensive plumbing and ventilation upgrades, in-unit heating optimization and safety and security improvements, according to the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust. The Trust also lists hazardous-material abatement, pest control, waste-management upgrades and landscaping among the planned work. Some households can expect brief, phased temporary relocations while abatement is underway.
How The Contractor Was Chosen
The contractor selection followed a two-step procurement process that started with a request for qualifications, then moved to a request for proposals released in October 2025, as reported by New York YIMBY. From there, a shortlist of firms drew up detailed pitches that had to respond directly to resident priorities, as well as schedule and cost, before the Trust board signed off on the winning team.
Resident Outreach And Next Steps
Residents voted in August 2024 to join the Trust program, and officials say the organizing work has been steady ever since. Visioning workshops, tenant meetings, flyers and robocalls have all been used to shape the renovation plan, according to the New York City Housing Authority. The Trust has committed to covering relocation costs when temporary moves are required and aims to bring residents back to their units within nine months when relocations are tied to abatement work.
Where This Fits In City Policy
Unity Towers is the third NYCHA site to enter the Public Housing Preservation Trust, a model created by state legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, according to the Governor of New York. The structure is designed to keep public ownership intact while tapping federal project-based Section 8 financing. City and Trust officials frame these conversions as a way to modernize aging buildings without privatizing them, and as one tool to chip away at decades of deferred maintenance across the NYCHA system.
What Residents Should Expect Next
With the design-build team in place, Trust officials say the immediate focus is on finalizing design details, lease paperwork and construction phasing before work starts on site. The Trust’s project timeline on the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust shows design, financing and construction on track to be completed by the end of 2028. City and Trust representatives say residents will stay at the center of the process, with ongoing meetings to choose finishes and coordinate any temporary relocations.
