Mott Haven affordable development approved after just 90 days, thanks to new expedited review
Renderings courtesy of STAT Architecture PC
An affordable housing project that would have taken seven months of review before being approved got the green light from the New York City Council this week after just 90 days. Thanks to the new Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP), a ballot measure approved by voters last November, 351 Powers Avenue in Mott Haven received the fastest land-use approval in decades. The project, which entered review in February, will transform a vacant city-owned lot into more than 80 apartments, a community theater, and public outdoor space, as 6sqft previously reported.
“With new tools like ELURP, we can deliver more affordable housing, more quickly across New York City. I’m thrilled to see this project receive approval just three months after entering ELURP, and grateful for Council Member Elsie Encarnacion and the City Council’s support,” Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg said.
“This is just a preview of the investment in affordable housing that we can deploy together across New York City in the years to come.”
For certain eligible projects, ELURP can speed up review by consolidating the local community board and the borough president’s review to two months, shortening the review by the City Planning Commission to one month, rather than 60 days, and eliminating the City Council review.
But, as 6sqft reported, because the Powers Avenue project involves the disposition of city-owned land, City Council approval was required. This new process involved a 60-day review by the community board and borough president and a 30-day review by the City Council.
Ahead of the review process, the project had gone through six months of community engagement and outreach starting in 2021. The city later released a community visioning report and released a request for proposals. In 2024, the city selected a team of developers to turn the parking lot into an 8-story housing development.
Powerhouse Apartments will include 84 homes for low-income New Yorkers, made up of 24 studios, 18 one-bedrooms, 31 two-bedrooms, and 11 three-bedroom units. There will be 30 units set aside for formerly homeless residents.
Designed by STAT Architecture, the project will incorporate sustainable elements, including high-efficiency heat pumps, light-colored materials, solar panels, green roofs, and plantings. Recessed, angled windows will be oriented away from the sun to reduce heat gain and maximize views of nearby Saint Mary’s Park.
The building will also include a workforce development center with programming for young adults, along with more than 6,400 square feet of outdoor green space.
In a statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the new procedure reflects the administration’s continued efforts to confront the city’s housing crisis.
“Our administration is treating the housing crisis with the urgency New Yorkers deserve,” Mamdani said. “By using the city’s first-ever Expedited Land Use Review Procedure, we cut months off the pre-development process to deliver desperately needed affordable housing in Mott Haven faster.”
“And this is only the beginning. We will continue bringing every part of city government together to confront the housing crisis head-on,” he added.
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