Brooklyn’s Gateway Elton Street Moves to Phase II

By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor

Two years after work began on Gateway Elton Street—a three-phase, public-private green housing development in the Spring Creek neighborhood of Brooklyn—representatives of the NYC Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD), along with those from the Hudson Companies, Related Companies and CAMBA Housing Ventures, gathered at the site to celebrate the groundbreaking of the project’s next phase.

The $68 million Phase I at 1149-1166 Elton St. was designed by Danois Architects as a LEED Silver-certifiable residential complex that incorporates a 214,000-watt solar photovoltaic renewable energy system. Gateway Elton Street 1 is a four-building complex totaling 197 low-income energy-efficient rental units that also includes 9,000 square feet of ground level commercial space. As previously reported by Multi-Housing News, 40 apartments at Gateway Elton Street 1 are designated for individuals transitioning from institutional facilities operated by the state Office of Mental Health to independent living.

Gateway Elton Street 2 is being developed under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP), a multi-billion dollar initiative that aims to finance 165,000 affordable housing units for half a million New Yorkers by the end of fiscal year 2014.

Located at 516 and 524 Vandalia Ave. and 526 Schroeders Ave. on a formerly city-owned property, the $43.6 million Phase II was designed by MHG Architects and will comprise 175 low-income rental units and 24,000 square feet of retail space in three buildings. As with Phase I, 30 units will be set aside for mentally challenged individuals transitioning to independent living.

According to a recent press release by HPD, Gateway Elton Street 2 will be a LEED Platinum-certifiable development built to meet the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) energy efficiency standards. The development was designed to reduce energy and water waste thanks to a 300,000-watt system of rooftop solar panels and tight building envelope with well-insulated walls, which will translate in lower bills for the tenants and a significantly reduced carbon print. It is estimated that Gateway Elton Street 2 will generate more than 750 construction jobs during the development process and 40 new permanent jobs once the housing complex is complete in 2014.

Construction at the final phase of the project will begin in 2014 and will result in 302 apartments and 30,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. When fully complete, the development project will carry over one million watts of solar photovoltaic panels that will generate enough electricity for nearly 700 rental units and around 70,000 square feet of commercial space, including a supermarket, childcare center, shops and restaurants.

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Rendering courtesy of Hudson Companies, Inc.