Second Boerum Hill Parking Lot to Become New Community Asset: New Affordable Housing, Workforce Development Center Coming to Nevins Street

Image Courtesy of HPD

Local non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee selected to develop 100% affordable housing on a city-owned parking lot on the corner of Nevins Street and Wyckoff Street 

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations to be housed in community facility space to expand their workforce training programming in the Boerum Hill community

Following April’s announcement of the development plans for the first of two affordable housing projects resulting from the Nevins and Third Request for Proposals (RFP), HPD is announcing that Brooklyn-based non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) will convert the parking lot at 153 Nevins Street into approximately 70 brand-new affordable, rent stabilized homes. The announcement comes shortly after #NYCHousingWeek2025 where the City announced record production of new affordable rental homes and supportive units for formerly homeless households.

FAC was selected to be the sole and lead developer for the project, 153 Nevins, after extensive community engagement and a months-long competitive review process. Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC (MAP) will lead the architectural design of the new building.

In addition to the vitally needed affordable housing that this project will provide, FAC’s partnership with Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) will utilize approximately 3,000 square feet of community facility space for classes and trainings so that jobless and working poor New Yorkers can gain the skills they need to establish lasting careers. BWI will also locally manufacture sustainable cabinets and do architectural millwork for the project – employing  graduates of their Brooklyn Woods woodworking training program. BWI is an FAC-affiliated organization that has helped more than 10,000 low-income jobless New Yorkers through highly effective job training and placement services since its inception in 2000. Many New Yorkers who participate in BWI’s programming live in NYCHA or HPD-subsidized affordable housing. 

The Development Team:

Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing economic, social, and racial justice in Brooklyn and beyond since 1978. FAC has extensive roots and experience in Boerum Hill and Gowanus. FAC led the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice for over seven years, and has organized community and NYCHA residents, civic associations, and other community-based organizations around land use actions, including 280 Bergen Street, which led to HPD’s Nevins and Third RFP for these two development sites. Read more about FAC here.

Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC (MAP Architects) has over three decades of experience in New York City working with nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and for-profit developers to improve the lives of those who live and work in their communities. Read more about MAP Architects here.

Developed with – and for – the Community:

The plan for 153 Nevins, which will replace the approximately 11,500-square-foot parking lot, was informed by the Nevins and Third Community Visioning Report and the goals outlined in the Request for Proposals (RFP), as well as with input from over 200 community members, local elected leaders, and community organizations. Community members emphasized that housing cost is a barrier to enter and stay in the neighborhood, and deeply affordable housing is needed for people facing housing insecurity. There was a desire for the ground floor use of the new building to serve the needs of the broader community, including nearby NYCHA residents, and help build community in the neighborhood.

Approximately 21 of the 70 new homes will be reserved for formerly homeless families and individuals, and the remaining 49 homes will be available on the NYC Housing Lottery. The proposed project also prioritizes inclusion of two- and three-bedroom apartments.

In addition to the workforce center operated by BWI, the building will have a large community room on the ground floor for residents to gather, host meetings, and work or play, which will open to a residential courtyard with play and seating areas. The building will also contain an emergency generator that will ensure continuous use of building elevators, Wi-Fi, and more. In the event of an emergency or loss of power, the lobby and community room will be made areas of refuge that will be heated and cooled by the generator and will provide receptacles for cell phone charging and refrigerators to cool any critical medications.

Top Notch Amenities for Building Residents:

In addition to new housing, the building will also include:

• A ground floor community room
• In-building laundry facilities for tenants
• An exercise room
• Bike storage
• Outdoor play and seating areas in the backyard.

What Comes Next:

The development team will work with HPD to:

• Communicate project updates to community stakeholders, including community boards 2 and 6, throughout the predevelopment process and during construction.
• Obtain necessary public approvals for the project, including for the disposition of City-owned property.
• Secure financing for the project before construction can begin.