Real Estate Gowanus

Gov. Hochul announces plan to build more than 5,300 housing units in Gowanus

February 9, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
A rendering of the planned development at 340 Nevins St.
A rendering of the planned development at 340 Nevins St., for which ground was recently broken. Photo courtesy of Charney Companies/Tavros Holdings
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Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced that 18 new housing developments will move forward under the Gowanus Neighborhood Mixed Income Housing Development Program. The developments, all in the Gowanus area, will include more than 5,300 apartments, including more than 1,400 affordable units. 

Hochul launched the program last year as an executive order to save thousands of planned units that were stalled by the expiration of the 421-a program, which was a property tax break given to developers of multifamily buildings that included a certain percentage affordable units.

Hochul also announced the groundbreaking of 320 and 340 Nevins St., a 654-unit project, including 154 affordable units, being developed by Charney Companies and Tavros Holdings. This is one of the first projects to move forward under the program.  

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“After years of stalled construction, we’re putting more than 5,300 new homes back on track and unlocking Gowanus’ housing potential,” Hochul said. “New Yorkers are facing the lowest vacancy rates in six decades while costs continue to rise — they can’t afford to wait for solutions to the housing crisis. The only way to fix this crisis is to build our way out, and until we have a statewide solution, I will keep working to give Mayor Adams and leaders across our state the tools they need to let them build.” 

The program, which is being overseen by Empire State Development, is moving forward with 18 individual project sites whose applications were received last fall. Each individual site’s participation in the program will be considered and voted on by the ESD Directors, followed by Public Authority Control Board review.

320 and 340 Nevins Street is slated to be a combined 505,000-square-foot mixed-use two-tower development situated on 2.3 acres fronting the canal in Gowanus. The project includes ground-floor retail space in addition to the more than 650 residential units. The site is part of the Gowanus Public Access Area and near public transportation. 

The development was designed by Fogarty Finger Architects, with design and landscape elements done by James Corner Field Operations. Many projects in the Gowanus area, including 320 and 340 Nevins Street, are being facilitated by the Department of Environmental Conservation’s successful Brownfield Cleanup Program, which gives incentives for the revitalization of former brownfield sites. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul announcing her plan to build 18 new housing developments in Gowanus, which are slated to include more than 5,300 apartments. Photo by Susan Watts/Governor’s Office

A brownfield is a site that has been left undeveloped because of concerns about possible contamination. Brownfields can be former service stations, former dry cleaners, former factories, places where heavy machinery was stored, and more. Possibly the best-known brownfield site in Brooklyn is the “Public Place” on the west side of the Gowanus Canal, the site of a former gas manufacturing plant.

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Western Brooklyn) said, “We’ve worked hard to ensure the housing that is built in Gowanus meets the needs of all the people that call this neighborhood home, and that developers create housing that is truly affordable and stays that way. This is about more than just building housing. It’s about building opportunities for families of all backgrounds to put down roots, live, and thrive here.”

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D-Downtown, DUMBO, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope) said, “The urgency of New York’s housing crisis is clear. I commend Governor Hochul for finding a creative way to secure new housing in Gowanus in a manner that provides the developers with ample time for the comprehensive cleanup of these toxic brownfields.”

Charney Companies Principal Sam Charney said, “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her unwavering support and visionary leadership in championing initiatives like the Gowanus Rezoning and boldly creating the ESD PILOT program. Our projects, and the thousands of units the Gowanus will deliver would have never been possible without the governor’s steadfast commitment to solving the state housing crisis. 

Community Board 6 District Manager Mike Racioppo said, “The reason we (CB6) supported the Gowanus rezoning was to pave the way for much-needed housing.  Governor Hochul is making that reason a reality, ensuring that housing can be built.” 

On the other hand, Katia Kelly of the Voice of Gowanus, a neighborhood organization that opposed the original Gowanus Redevelopment Plan, commented, “Most of the Gowanus development touted by Governor Hochul is on land that remains polluted. Voice of Gowanus has, and continues to request that Hochul, as New York’s governor and chief executive, remediate all inactive hazardous waste disposal sites, brownfields, hazardous substance releases and other documented contamination threats to the Gowanus community in strict compliance with state mandates.

“VoG would like to remind Governor Hochul that she has a duty to safeguard our state’s public health and environment by strictly enforcing applicable laws and regulatory requirements,” she added.  


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