Recent initiatives like Governor Hochul’s Pro-Housing Communities Program and “City of Yes” highlight the importance of addressing the affordable housing shortage in New York City, but it’s also vital that New York maintains its industrial hubs that support good paying jobs and drive economic growth. In Brownsville, Brooklyn, there’s a new model for neighborhood redevelopment in which homes and workplaces coexist in underutilized industrial and commercial areas, strengthening local economies and expanding access to quality jobs and housing. The Bridge, a non-profit housing developer with a long history of providing supportive housing across the city, teamed up with Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center to transform a former chocolate syrup factory into an innovative development that brings substantial economic opportunity to the surrounding community.
Completed in 2024, the award-winning Bridge Rockaway – GMDC Brownsville Industrial Center represents a first-of-its-kind mixed used development that combines residential apartments, light manufacturing and community space, proving that new housing and industrial creativity can thrive side-by-side. The project was also the inspiration for the New York City Regional Economic Development Council’s ACHIEVE (Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion) competition proposal, which was awarded $50 million to assist eight similar projects across New York City.
The $118 million complex includes 39,000 square feet of affordable, top-of-the-line industrial space on the ground floor divided into units ranging from 1,250 to 6,000 square feet. The GMDC Brownsville Industrial Center is ideal for light manufacturing and small business tenants who will enjoy access to a loading dock equipped with a hydraulic lift, industrial power inputs, high ceilings, and a finishing room. The Industrial Center is also outfitted with advanced air ventilation systems and sound dampening walls to ensure manufacturing operations don’t interfere with residents living above.
The Bridge Rockaway residential portion of the development is made up of 174 units tailored for New Yorkers earning between 30% and 70% of the Area Median Income. Eighty-seven units are specifically set aside for those who need it most, including individuals transitioning out of homelessness (veterans, seniors, adults with serious mental illness). Bridge Rockaway includes 11,000 square feet of green space that will host community programming and improve the quality of life for residents.
The successful completion of this project represents the power of an innovative development solution and public-private partnerships to transform underutilized parts of the city into community assets that make New York a better place to live and work. Bridge Rockaway – GMDC Brownsville Industrial Center is a model that will shift the public conversation from a false choice between jobs or housing to a more productive push for jobs and housing.
New York State support includes a $1.6 million capital grant from Empire State Development through the New York City Regional Economic Development Council. New York State will also provide $11.4 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $46 million in equity, and $16.9 million in subsidy through New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $6.5 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, as well as rental subsidies funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.
Congratulations to The Bridge and Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, whose hard work and commitment made this project possible!
Photo Copyright: Frederick Charles