Affordable Housing Lottery Opens for 20 Units in Bushwick, Starting at $2,150 a Month

An affordable housing lottery has opened for 20 apartments in six-story building at 594-600 Bushwick Avenue in Bushwick. Located between Jefferson and Melrose streets, the building is in the process of being converted and expanded from a two-story early 20th century commercial building as well as a three-story 19th century building next door at 592 Bushwick.

Of the affordable apartments, there are seven studios and 13 two-bedroom units. Monthly rents start at $2,150 and top out at $2,709.

The lottery is set at an area median income range of 130 percent, which means the actual affordability of these apartments is questionable. Eligible incomes range between $73,715 and $149,890 for households of one to five people.

Building permits show there will be a total of 66 apartments in the building. Retail stores and a medical office will occupy the ground floor, with the medical office also taking space in a mezzanine area of the building. Bicycle storage will be on the ground floor with, unusually, parking for 32 vehicles located on the second floor. On the top floor, as well as the roof, there will be private terraces.

The main commercial building that formerly stood on the property was used by a variety of companies over the years as a garage and stood out in the neighborhood for its bold blue color. In the mid-2000s, it was also the home of a DIY venue that was booked by Todd Patrick, a well-known organizer of independently produced concerts in Brooklyn, that was appropriately called “Above the Auto Parts Store.” The Silent Barn, another well-known DIY venue, was once located right across the street.

The developer is Cayuga Capital Management, who purchased the two lots for $525,000 in 2005. The firm is also behind a block-long development down the street at 616-628 Bushwick Avenue, which converted the Theobald Engelhardt-designed St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and School into 99 apartments and removed the church’s iconic steeple.

David Butler of Hustvedt Cutler Architects is the applicant of record. Renderings show a facade of two different shades of grey, with cantilevered bump-outs on the front and corner of the building. In July 2019, the building topped out and the exterior was almost finished.

Applications for the affordable housing lottery must be submitted by March 24, 2020. Apply through NYC Housing Connect. To learn more about how to apply for affordable housing, read Brownstoner’s guide.

Related Stories

• Building of the Day: 600 Bushwick Avenue
• Six-Story, Garage-Replacing Residential Building Inches Toward Completion in Bushwick
• This Six-Story Apartment Building Will Replace Early 20th Century Garage on Bushwick Avenue

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