Hudson Companies, St. Nicks Alliance, Officials Break Ground On Kingsland Commons

The Hudson Companies and St. Nicks Alliance, in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC), Capital One Bank, BNY, Hudson Housing Capital, and local elected officials, today celebrated the groundbreaking of the second phase of development for Kingsland Commons, the former Greenpoint Hospital campus. The groundbreaking comes after Hudson Companies and St. Nicks Alliance closed on $235 million in financing in July 2024 for the project’s construction. Once complete, the second phase of Kingsland Commons will deliver an 18-story building with 311 permanently affordable homes for extremely low-income and very low-income residents, including formerly homeless individuals and families. Broadway Builders is constructing the second phase of the project, which is expected to be completed in 2027.

“In transforming a historic former hospital campus into a vibrant community of affordable housing, retail, and community services, Kingsland Commons is a prime example of what our city needs more of–developments that not only provide homes but make a positive impact on the neighborhood for generations to come,” said Ernesto Padron, Development Director of Hudson Companies. “As we officially begin the second phase of redevelopment at Kingsland Commons, we look forward to soon welcoming 311 new families, including those who are formerly homeless, to our growing community. We are grateful to our partners at St. Nicks Alliance and those in the city government who made today’s milestone a reality.”

“We are honored to work alongside GREC community leaders, whose passion and determination over the past 40 years have made this development possible,” said Michael Rochford, Executive Director of St. Nicks Alliance. “We are also proud to partner with Hudson Companies, which has committed to providing skill training for 25 local residents, helping them build lasting careers, and investing $1 million with us in improvements to Cooper Park and the nearby School Settlement Community Center.”

“Today’s groundbreaking ceremony represents a critical step towards delivering over 300 new, deeply affordable homes to the Greenpoint community,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “HDC is proud to join our partners in addressing the ongoing housing crisis through innovative projects like Kingsland Commons.”

“Kingsland Commons is giving new life and purpose to an underused space in northern Brooklyn, while creating new housing opportunities for the hundreds of New Yorkers that will be calling this place home,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión, Jr. “Today’s milestone is the result of an effective public-private partnership and testament to our hands-on approach to build more affordable housing in every neighborhood.”

“Our commitment to affordable housing for low-income residents is ironclad, and Kingsland Commons’ second phase is proof of that,” said Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce. “Our housing agencies and private partners worked extremely hard to provide quality affordable housing in FY24, and it’s outstanding that we can see the result of that work so quickly with Kingsland Commons.”

“It is fantastic to see the second phase of development for Kingsland Commons break ground, paving the way for 311 New York families to move into affordable homes,” said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “The renovation of the former Greenpoint Hospital campus into a thriving community with housing and a mix of amenities for residents to enjoy, is a strong reflection of what a public-private partnership in New York City can accomplish for families throughout the City.”

“Broadway Builders is honored to be part of the Kingsland Commons development, a project that addresses the urgency of New York City’s housing crisis while preserving the historic character of the neighborhood,” said Bernard Ruf, President of Broadway Builders. “We are grateful to our entire team—from project managers to tradespeople—whose hard work and dedication are helping to bring much-needed housing to this vibrant community.”

“The Kingsland Commons 2 groundbreaking exemplifies the positive outcomes that stem from public-private collaboration with the community,” said Loretta Duffy, Senior Director of Community Finance at Capital One Bank. “Capital One is proud to be a lender and investor for Kingsland Commons 2 and help advance the community’s goal of transforming this campus to provide safe, quality and affordable housing to New Yorkers who need it most.”

In September 2018, HPD designated Hudson Companies, St. Nicks Alliance, and Project Renewal to develop the multi-phased project at the former Greenpoint Hospital campus. Shortly after receiving ULURP approval in November 2021, the development team broke ground on the project’s first phase, an adaptive reuse of the former hospital’s nurses residence that will serve as a 200-bed men’s shelter named after Barbara Kleiman. Project Renewal, a venerable non-profit provider for the homeless, will operate and provide client care coordination and services for residents in the shelter. The 54,000-square-foot facility will be converted in partnership with the New York State Historic Preservation Office to preserve the historic façade and character of the building, restore some of the interior elements, and install brand-new building systems, finishes, and landscaping. Construction for the project’s first phase is being done by Broadway Builders and is expected to be completed in 2025.

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Directly adjacent to the project’s first phase, the project’s second phase will construct an 18-story building with 311 deeply affordable homes for low-income families earning between 30 and 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). Additionally, 93 of the units will be set aside for formerly homeless individuals. The newly constructed apartment building will offer a range of studios, one, two, and three-bedroom units and include amenities such as an outdoor courtyard and playground, a rooftop terrace, laundry room, fitness center, bike storage, a children’s playroom, and a tenants’ lounge.

Once the fourth and final phase is completed, the project will rehabilitate and transform two existing buildings and construct two new buildings containing approximately 557 affordable homes for seniors and families, a 200-bed men’s shelter, a health clinic, a senior center, a workforce development center, a cafe, and public open space.

Kingsland Commons is within walking distance from the Graham Avenue L subway station and only forty-five minutes from Harlem.

Hudson Companies

At Hudson, we develop housing for everyone. From townhouses to high rises, and gut rehabilitation of warehouses to modest renovations of 100-year-old walk-ups, we have touched all housing typologies. Our collaborative team is guided by entrepreneurial vigor, civic spirit, and deep expertise. We are fully integrated, having close affiliates that handle property management and leasing, Lisa Management, general contracting construction services, and Broadway Builders, a WBE firm. Our team is diverse, and our motivations arise from varied personal and professional experiences, but our crucial commonality is a desire to thoughtfully add to New York’s great blocks and boroughs. Hudson has completed over 8,000 residential units, with almost 7,000 more in the pipeline. https://www.hudsoninc.com/

St. Nicks Alliance

Founded in 1975, St. Nicks Alliance has built over 2,800 units of housing; is developing an additional 1,800 units of housing and currently manages 1,750 affordable apartments. The organization serves over 17,000 people annually and seeks to transform lives of low- and moderate-income people through employment, education, housing, and health care. We do this by delivering impactful services with measurable outcomes to children, adults, and the elderly. As a civic anchor we carry out this mission within the context of building a sustainable community for all people through the arts, environmental advocacy, and urban planning. www.stnicksalliance.org

Photo credit: 1) Hudson Companies. 2) Architecture Outfit and Magnusson Architecture & Planning.