Work Starts on Affordable Housing at East Williamsburg's Former Greenpoint Hospital

By Gabriele Holtermann, Brooklyn Paper

Local and state officials joined the Hudson Companies and St. Nicks Alliance on September 18 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the second phase of the Kingsland Commons development at the 3.4-acre site of the former Greenpoint Hospital campus in East Williamsburg.

The Greenpoint Hospital, which served the community for over 70 years, shut its doors in 1982, leaving the brick and limestone building at 288 Jackson Street abandoned for more than four decades. After years of advocacy to bring affordable housing and a high-quality shelter to the site, the first phase of Kingsland Commons, a mixed-use development, broke ground in 2023.

The second phase of construction follows Hudson Companies and St. Nicks Alliance securing $235 million in financing in July 2024. The second phase will add an 18-story building adjacent to the project.

Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce, emphasized her office’s dedication to affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers.

“Our housing agencies and private partners worked extremely hard to provide quality affordable housing in fiscal year 2024, and it’s outstanding that we can see the result of that work so quickly with Kingsland Commons,” Torres-Springer said.

The apartment building, expected to be completed in 2027, will feature 311 permanently affordable studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom units for low-income families earning between 30 percent and 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Ninety-three units will be designated for formerly homeless individuals. The building’s amenities will include an outdoor courtyard and playground, a rooftop terrace, a laundry room, a fitness center, bike storage, a children’s playroom, and tenant lounge.

Ernesto Padron, development director of Hudson Companies, expressed his excitement about the project.

“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,” Padron said.

St. Nicks Alliance Executive Director Michael Rochford acknowledged the decades of work led by the Greenpoint Renaissance Enterprise Corporation in advocating for the site’s redevelopment.

“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,” Rochford said.

Bernard Ruf, president of Broadway Builders, the company constructing the second phase, spoke about the importance of the development amid New York City’s housing crisis.

“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,” Ruf said.

Officials from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Development Corporation praised the project for addressing the city’s critical need for affordable housing. According to a 2023 survey by HPD, only 1.4 percent of the city’s rental units were available.

HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. added that the development underscores the city’s commitment to creating affordable housing in every neighborhood.

“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,” he said.

Kingsland Commons is within walking distance of the Graham Avenue L subway station. Once the multi-phase project is completed, it will have rehabilitated and transformed two existing buildings and constructed two new ones, providing 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.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

Related Stories

• Work Begins on Men’s Shelter at Former Greenpoint Hospital Site
• Long-Awaited Greenpoint Hospital Affordable Redevelopment Gets More Details, New Look
• City Picks Hudson to Develop Long-Stalled Greenpoint Hospital Site in East Williamsburg

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