80-unit affordable building for seniors opens in East New York

Photo: James Shanks Photography

An affordable housing building for seniors opened in East New York last week, one of the final pieces of a long-awaited development project. Located at 516 Schroeders Avenue, the building is the sixth phase of the Nehemiah Spring Creek development, which includes the transformation of 45-acres of undeveloped wetlands and landfills into mixed-use, mixed-income Brooklyn community.

Rendering: Monadnock Construction

Designed by SLCE Architects, 516 Schroeders Avenue is a 7-story building with 80 units of housing. The rental units, all of which are one-bedrooms, serve low-income seniors with incomes at or below 50 percent of New York City’s average median income.

The brick building, which faces the entrance to the massive retail complex the Gateway Center, includes a community room, on-site laundry, exercise room, and a landscaped rear yard.

“From affordable homeownership opportunities to the 80 new senior homes we are celebrating today, the Nehemiah Spring Creek project continues to provide transformative affordable housing to the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn,” HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll said in a statement.

In addition to the senior building, this latest phase (Phase 4B-2) includes 20 four-story buildings each with eight units, totaling 160 affordable rental units.

Led by the East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC), made up of multi-faith organizations, homeowners’ associations, schools, and other groups, the creation of Nehemiah Spring Creek began in the early 1980s, with work finally beginning at the site in 2008.

Developed together with the EBC’s affiliate organization the Nehemiah Housing Development Fund Company and Monadnock Construction first three phases have included over 350 single-, two-, and three-family homes.

Monadnock Development, the sister company of the aforementioned group, is partnering with EBC on phase four, which includes 56 single-family homes and 27 two-family homes. Eventually, the phase will yield 1,200 affordable rental units.

Overall, the Spring Creek community has three new parks, an educational center, a supermarket, and an EMS station.

The Nehemiah Spring Creek project joins other major developments that opened in the area over the last 40 to 50 years, including the Starrett City apartments, the Gateway Center shopping complex, Gateway Elton affordable housing, Spring Creek Gardens, and the Fountains Development.

“Today, we celebrate. For over 40 years, East Brooklyn Congregations has organized thousands of New Yorkers to fight for affordable housing with and for our seniors. Today, we see the transformation,” Rev. Dr. David Brawley, the of EBC, said. “We see what can be. Today, EBC commits to stand together with our partners to ensure that thousands of other seniors get the affordable housing they desperately need and deserve.”

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