A long-empty state-owned property in Clinton Hill is finally set to be turned into a mixed-use affordable housing development.
The state has selected a coalition of three nonprofit organizations — the Fifth Avenue Committee, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and One Brooklyn Health – to spearhead the transformation of 1024 Fulton St.
The plan is to demolish the existing three-story building to make way for 149,000-square-foot development with 125 affordable units, a community center with programming for seniors and children, and a health clinic operated by OBH.
Gov. Kathy Hochul in a statement said the project “responds directly” to the requests of Clinton Hill residents.
“New York is proving that when we leverage state-owned land and listen to communities, we can build the affordable housing that our neighborhoods and our state needs,” she said. “ … This is community-driven development at its best, and it’s exactly the kind of investment we need to address our housing crisis.”
Apartments will range in size from studios to three bedrooms, and will be priced for those earning 30-80% of the Area Median Income — or $43,740-$116,640 annually for a family of three. At those levels, studios would be priced between $840-$2,268 per month, with three bedrooms at $1,263-$3,370.
More than 40% of households in Community District 2 — which includes Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Downtown Brooklyn — are considered “rent-burdened,” meaning they pay more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. Another 20% are “severely rent-burdened.”
Just over 23% of apartments in the district are affordable for people earning between 30-80% AMI. Median gross rents in the area have skyrocketed in the last decade, according to the NYU Furman Center, from $2,230 in 2015 to $3,080 in 2023.
Once a Brooklyn Union Gas showroom, 1024 Fulton St. has been vacant for decades. The state purchased the property in 1997, intending to build a community center, but structural issues made the project impossible.
Other efforts to sell the building have failed or been thwarted — the building was set to be auctioned off in 2014, but then-Assembly Member Walter Mosley stepped in to have it sold to a specific nonprofit instead. But that sale fell through, too.
The state began hosting community meetings about the future of the property in 2024. Last spring, it issued a request for proposals seeking developers to demolish the building and construct the new project.
APEX Building Group and Henge Development will work with the nonprofits on construction and development of the more than $111 million project. The state’s Office of General Services will assist with the demolition, which must still undergo public review and comment before being finalized.
“Delivering affordable housing on publicly-owned land is a key component of building a city that New Yorkers can afford,” said Leila Borzog, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “I’m proud to see this project moving forward, building on extensive engagement from the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, and thankful for the community members and elected officials who have pushed for so long to make it a reality. I look forward to working with partners across the State and City to deliver even more affordable housing on public sites in the years to come.”
