1,500-unit Downtown Brooklyn complex to enter public review next month
Renderings courtesy of Alloy Development
A proposed four-building development in Downtown Brooklyn with roughly 1,500 apartments is set to enter public review next month. The Department of City Planning (DCP) on Friday issued a 30-day certification notice for 240 Nassau Street, a mixed-use development near the Brooklyn Navy Yard with 1,500 homes, a new K–8 public school, a community center, a cultural center, retail space, and public open space. The development team, consisting of NYC Educational Construction Fund (ECF), Alloy Development, and GFB Development, is looking to rezone the site to allow for the 1.4 million-square-foot mixed-use development. The uniform land use review procedure (ULURP) will begin in July, with construction anticipated to start in 2027.
Alloy previously worked with ECF on its five-building Alloy Block project in Downtown Brooklyn, which delivered two new Passive House public schools and more than 1,000 homes, including the city’s first all-electric skyscraper and the world’s tallest Passive House building.
The site currently hosts the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club’s Navy Yard Clubhouse, which Alloy purchased in 2023 after it abruptly closed following the organization’s bankruptcy.
Since acquiring the site, Alloy has led a three-year community engagement process, gathering feedback from more than 1,000 local stakeholders. This included more than 150 meetings with community organizations, nearby NYCHA tenant associations, elected officials, and other neighbors to help shape the project.
The firm later partnered with the club to temporarily restore after-school programming at the community hub, while donating $2 million to support the effort. Alloy has also provided free space to six local community groups offering programming for local youth at 240 Nassau Avenue, according to Yimby.
“As 240 Nassau advances toward public review next month, we’re proud to move this community-driven project forward that reflects more than three years of collaboration with well over 1,000 neighbors, elected officials and local stakeholders,” Alloy CEO Jared Della Valle said.
“The plan for this site includes high quality affordable and senior housing, a new public school, state-of-the-art community facility and cultural centers, and almost an acre of new outdoor space–all shaped by the neighborhood’s needs and priorities.”
The club will receive a new 22,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art community center replacing the existing facility. The space will be operated by a to-be-determined provider selected based on local resident feedback, and will include a large recreation area, a covered outdoor space, classrooms, a dance studio, a kitchen, and a music room.
Roughly 1,500 homes will be distributed across three buildings, including 300 affordable units. Of the total affordable units, 100 will be set aside for seniors in a standalone building designed by Bernheimer Architects, which will include a community room and amenities space.
The project also includes a 15,000-square-foot cultural center, currently envisioned as a permanent headquarters for an expansion of the Cultural Museum of African Art’s Eric Edwards collection, a cherished local collection that currently operates in Bed-Stuy. The new space is expected to include gallery, educational, and research spaces.
A new 120,000-square-foot K–8 public school designed by Architecture Research Office will also be built. Beginning in the 2027–28 school year, PS 287 will temporarily relocate to PS 67 around the corner, while Community Roots Middle School and Community Roots Lower School will permanently move to PS 369, the nearby Susan McKinney Secondary School. The school will remain in the same zone upon its return.
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates will design 28,000 square feet of retail space and 36,000 square feet of outdoor space, including 21,000 square feet of publicly accessible areas with play spaces, an outdoor stage, gathering areas, and café seating.
The proposed plan will reconnect 240 Nassau to the neighborhood by reintroducing a historic street grid, activating the existing streetscape, and streamlining access to nearby parks.
“Seeing 240 Nassau move closer to becoming a reality is inspiring in so many ways,” Tameek Floyd, co-founder of GFB Development, said. “This project is setting a new precedent for what urban revitalization should look like: community centered, purpose driven, and creating generational impact.”
“240 Nassau provides much needed resources to our neighborhood, from affordable housing and a new school to community and cultural space. It reflects our shared commitment to closing the socioeconomic gap, creating safe spaces, and providing opportunities for the next generation to grow and thrive.”
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