About 4,600 new homes could soon rise along a roughly one-mile stretch of Atlantic Avenue and nearby blocks in Brooklyn, as the New York City Council prepares to vote Wednesday on a long-awaited rezoning plan.
The proposal covers a mostly contiguous area across Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, and Bed-Stuy, long considered Brooklyn’s historic “Main Street.” The plan is a key part of Mayor Eric Adams’ broader initiative to tackle the city’s deepening housing crisis by increasing development in underutilized areas.
Major Affordable Housing Component Included
Roughly 40% of the housing made possible by the rezoning would be priced at below-market rates. That includes approximately 1,000 units earmarked for households earning around 60% of the area median income (AMI), or $97,200 annually for a family of four.
There will also be about 900 units for families earning below 50% of AMI, or $81,000 for a family of four.
“The rezoning single-handedly produces more affordable housing units than have been built over the entire previous decade in the area,” the City Council said in a statement Tuesday.
$215 Million in Community Investments on the Table
In addition to the zoning changes, council members are expected to approve more than $215 million in funding for infrastructure and community programs tied to the plan.
The package includes tenant and homeowner protection measures, upgrades to streets, parks, and the Franklin Avenue station on the A and C lines, workforce development programs, and a $500,000 study on revitalizing the Bedford Atlantic Armory, which will continue to function as a men’s shelter.
Years of Advocacy Pay Off
“After more than a decade of advocacy, Central Brooklyn is finally getting the community-led rezoning it has demanded,” Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who represents the area, said earlier this month.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on the plan at its legislative meeting Wednesday afternoon, potentially paving the way for one of the borough’s most significant housing developments in recent memory.
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