Rezonings will deliver significant community benefits, including new home for Monitor Museum, waterfront connections, and improvements for Hudson River Park and Dewitt Clinton Park

CITY HALL, NY - Today, the New York City Council's Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Committee on Land Use voted to approve the Monitor Point rezoning in Brooklyn and Dewitt Clinton Park North rezoning in Manhattan. Collectively, the two projects will deliver approximately 2,418 new units of housing, 949 of which will be permanently affordable, including 161 deeply affordable senior housing units and over 100 supportive units for formerly homeless New Yorkers. The rezonings will also deliver significant benefits for surrounding communities in North Brooklyn and midtown Manhattan, including new open space, funding to improve existing parks, and investments to facilitate the construction of a new home for the Monitor Museum.

Through negotiations, the Council secured hundreds of new affordable homes for New Yorkers in amenity-rich neighborhoods with excellent access to public transit and opportunity. At Monitor Point, the development will now include 662 affordable homes serving families, older adults, and formerly homeless residents. The Council's negotiations added over 200 units of affordable housing, increasing the share from 40% as presented at the Council's public hearing to 50% of the project, recognizing that this large, publicly-owned waterfront site offers a unique location to maximize affordable housing that will serve a broad range of New Yorkers. The original proposal at the time of the Request for Proposals (RFP) only required 225 affordable units, but through the Council's negotiations, Monitor Point will now deliver nearly triple the number of affordable homes.

Together, the projects demonstrate how the Council has maximized public benefits and affordable housing to address the housing crisis and meet the needs of New Yorkers, both on public land and through private site rezonings. The projects will return to the City Planning Commission for scope approval prior to being voted on by the full Council. A livestream of the committees' votes can be found here.

The City Council, the MTA, and the Mamdani Administration contributed to this public-private partnership on the waterfront, helping to maximize affordability for this project on public, land.

"New York desperately needs more housing, which is why the Council is proud to deliver nearly 2,500 new units, including apartments serving working families, seniors, and formerly homeless individuals, in highly-sought neighborhoods," said Speaker Julie Menin. "These projects reflect what is possible when we demand what New Yorkers deserve: more affordable housing, stronger community benefits, and meaningful investments that make neighborhoods more livable. I thank Chairs Riley and Louis, Council Members Restler and Brewer, the Council's Planning and Land Use Division, and neighbors whose advocacy helped push these rezonings through the finish line."

"Our city is in the midst of a historic affordability crisis, and this project will help address the urgent shortage of affordable homes in Greenpoint," said Council Member Lincoln Restler. "Any development on publicly-owned land must be primarily for the public good. Monitor Point will add desperately needed deeply affordable housing to our community, providing some of our most vulnerable neighbors with stable, dignified homes, while improving critical public infrastructure and expanding public green space. I am grateful to Speaker Menin, Mayor Mamdani, the MTA team, and the Gotham Organization for realizing this dynamic public-private partnership."

"629 West 54 Street and 801 11th Avenue will eventually be built at 54 Street by the Hudson River, and the Hudson River Park Trust will be paid by the developers approximately $29 million for extra height for the buildings and in return the Park's infrastructure will be enhanced," said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "Of the 1094 units, 287 are mandated to be low-income; and as part of the negotiations 12-14 more units will be permanently affordable for middle-income New Yorkers, such as teachers, cops, and firefighters. I always wish more such apartments could fall into this category, but the developers also are contributing a small amount to a public park across the street - DeWitt Clinton Park - and they brought the height of the buildings down a bit. I thank Community Board 4 and the Land Use Division of the City Council for working to provide the best possible project."

"The Monitor Point and Dewitt Clinton Park North projects demonstrate what thoughtful land use planning should accomplish: creating more housing while securing the community investments that make neighborhoods stronger for the people who already call them home," said Council Member Kevin C. Riley, Chair of the Committee on Land Use. "Throughout this process, we worked closely with our colleagues, stakeholders, and project teams to strengthen affordability, maximize public benefits, and ensure these developments deliver lasting value for surrounding communities. As Chair of the Land Use Committee, I remain committed to advancing projects that address our housing crisis through collaboration, accountability, and smart planning that creates stronger, more equitable neighborhoods across New York City."

"At a time when New York City continues to face an unprecedented housing affordability crisis, it is more important than ever that government works together to find solutions rather than deepen divisions," said Council Member Farah N. Louis, Chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. "The approval of the Monitor Point project reflects the constant communication, thoughtful negotiation, and shared commitment among the City Council, the Administration, the MTA, community stakeholders, and local leadership to maximize public benefit. Through that collaboration, we secured 662 permanently affordable units with a total of 1324 new units that will provide housing opportunities for working families, seniors, and formerly homeless New Yorkers while delivering meaningful investments for the surrounding community. I look forward to continuing this collaborative approach as we advance thoughtful housing solutions that strengthen neighborhoods and ensure every New Yorker has the opportunity to live in an affordable, thriving community."

Highlights of the Monitor Point rezoning include:

• Approximately 1,324 total units, of which 662 (50%) are affordable, including:
  • 329 deeply affordable units at 40 to 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI)
  • 172 affordable moderate-income units at 80 to 125% of AMI
  • 161 units deeply affordable senior housing units at 30 to 50% of AMI
    • Approximately 110 (30%) of the affordable and senior units in one of the buildings in the project will be set aside for formerly homeless New Yorkers under the NYC 15/15 program.
• This 50% affordable units will be delivered across two buildings: a mixed-income building with 958 units, 296 of which will be affordable, and a 100% affordable, 366-unit building financed by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
• A new home for the Greenpoint Monitor Museum and funding to facilitate its construction
• The relocation of two MTA facilities away from residential communities and into industrial zones.
• $300,000 annually for the long-term maintenance of Bushwick Inlet Park
• Over 1 acre of new waterfront open space, completing the connection between the Greenpoint waterfront and Bushwick Inlet Park

Highlights of the Dewitt Clinton Park North rezoning include:

• Across two private sites, approximately 1,094 total units, of which 287 are affordable
• Improvements and capital maintenance for Hudson River Park
• $200,000 for improvements to Dewitt Clinton Park

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