$270M Affordable Housing Project Breaks Ground At NYC Megachurch Campus

BROOKLYN, NY — Construction has officially begun on a game-changing $270 million project in East New York that will deliver hundreds of affordable homes and exciting new commercial space, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week.

The project, currently named Innovative Urban Village, will add 385 apartments to East New York. Approved under New York City’s zoning regulations, the development is a joint venture between the Christian Cultural Center, The Gotham Organization and Monadnock Development.

All 385 apartments will be affordable to households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Of these, 94 units are reserved for residents eligible for on-site support services, including individuals experiencing homelessness.

Services provided will include case management, legal assistance, nutritional support, and social services, officials said.

“New York remains committed to keeping our state affordable and ensuring everyone has a safe and modern home to call their own,” Hochul said. “This project is helping us fight the housing affordability crisis while also prioritizing improvements that will make the neighborhood more livable for families.

This project is part of a larger, multi-phase effort to redevelop the Christian Cultural Center’s campus. Once complete, the development will feature nearly 2,000 affordable apartments spread across 10 buildings.

Beyond housing, the plan includes space for a grocery store, as well as community facilities providing childcare, senior services, workforce development programs and a new performing arts center.

"The best way to tackle our city’s housing crisis is to build more affordable housing, and that is exactly what our administration is doing," Mayor Eric Adams said. "'Innovative Urban Village' will bring more homes, more jobs, and more joy to Brooklyn, while giving more New Yorkers access to a brighter future in this vibrant community."

In addition to the new buildings, streets will be extended to connect with the existing neighborhood grid, improving walkability through linked pedestrian pathways and creating three acres of publicly accessible open space.

"New Yorkers deserve access to affordable, secure, and modern housing. This development will help revitalize Christian Cultural Center’s campus, deliver critical support services for our most vulnerable, and bring another much-needed grocery store to East New York," Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said.

The Innovative Urban Village project will be financed through a mix of funding sources, including a state tax credit program, state and city housing initiatives, and investment from Goldman Sachs’ Urban Investment Group.

The groundbreaking took place this week as part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s $25 billion, five-year housing plan, which aims to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York State.

Construction on the project is expected to be completed by July 2026.