Downtown Brooklyn project will deliver over 800 units, half affordable, on a long-vacant city-owned site
Redevelopment of a Long-Dormant Site
Mayor Eric Adams has announced a major housing initiative: the transformation of the vacant, city-owned lot at 100 Gold Street in Downtown Brooklyn into a large-scale, mixed-income residential development. The project, a collaboration between the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and a selected developer, aims to create over 800 new homes, with a commitment that at least 50% will be permanently affordable to low- and middle-income households.
Project Details and Affordability Mix
The development is planned as a multi-tower complex that will include a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. The affordable units will be targeted at a range of income levels, from extremely low-income households to those earning up to 130% of the Area Median Income (AMI), as defined by HPD guidelines. The project will also include ground-floor retail space and significant community facility space, the latter to be determined through ongoing community engagement.
Strategic Use of Public Land
The announcement underscores the Adams administration’s “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” strategy of leveraging underutilized public property to address the housing shortage. The 100 Gold Street site, which has been empty for decades, is considered a prime candidate for infill development due to its proximity to multiple subway lines and the growing Downtown Brooklyn commercial and residential hub. The Furman Center at NYU has extensively documented the critical need for such strategic land use in New York.
Community Process and Next Steps
The project will enter the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), a months-long public review process involving the local community board, borough president, City Planning Commission, and City Council. The administration has pledged to work with local stakeholders to ensure the development includes community priorities, such as supportive services, open space, and local hiring provisions for construction and permanent jobs.
Context of the Housing Crisis
The 100 Gold Street project is framed as a direct response to New York City’s severe affordability crisis, where record-high rents and a vacancy rate near historic lows have pushed housing instability to the forefront of civic concern. While welcomed by many housing advocates, some have already questioned whether the 50% affordability mandate is sufficient, calling for a higher percentage of deeply affordable units on publicly owned land.
A Test Case for Ambitious Goals
This development is positioned as a flagship project in Mayor Adams’s push to “Get Stuff Built.” Its success or failurein terms of construction timeline, ultimate affordability levels, and community integrationwill be viewed as a key indicator of the administration’s ability to deliver tangible results on its housing promises. The project faces the complex realities of rising construction costs, financing hurdles, and neighborhood politics, but its progress will be closely watched as a model for future public land development across the five boroughs.
