Controversial Atlantic Avenue Towers Get Green Light From City Council

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Two controversial apartment towers on Atlantic Avenue have officially been approved by City Council.

The full legislature voted Thursday to approve a modified version of the 1034 and 870 Atlantic Ave. complexes, whose approval was all but certain after they won support from City Council Member Crystal Hudson in a last-minute deal earlier this month.

The deal — which added more affordability to the towers and secured a commitment for city planners to study the corridor — paved the way for the full council support given tradition of deferring to local council members on land use decisions. Hudson previously didn't support the towers, but said the deal represented a win for the neighborhood.

"I want to make it clear these two applications represent a paradigm shift — today we have shown that developers can do more," Hudson said at the time, noting that the negotiated affordability goes beyond what is required in the city's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. "We can ask all developers at a minimum to do the same thing going forward."

The Atlantic Avenue towers, both standing 17 stories, will bring 228 apartments between Vanderbilt and Underhill avenues and 210 units between Grand and Classon avenues, according to the plans.

Perhaps the most significant part of Hudson's deal was a commitment from City Planning to take on a study of the Atlantic Avenue area that advocates have been pushing for nearly a decade.

Some residents had most recently urged officials to reject any individual developments until the city undertook such a plan, which they hope would curb rampant gentrification by setting parameters for the development boom and beef up infrastructure and other resources.

Asked about a timeline for the plan, city planners told Patch that it would get "underway in the months to come."

Hudson's deal also included adding more — and cheaper — affordable apartments to the two buildings and getting developers to contribute $200,000 to organizations fighting displacement in the neighborhood.

Under the deal, 35 percent of the 200 or so apartments in each building will be set aside as affordable. Nearly all the affordable spots will go to those making between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income, or between $38,000 and $57,000 a year for a family of two, Hudson said. A small portion will go to those making 80 percent of the area median income, or $76,000 for a family of two.

Even with the Hudson's deal, some advocates have told Patch they are still against the Atlantic Avenue towers.