Affordable Housing Lottery Opens in Gowanus With $961 One-Bedrooms

A new 17-story apartment tower that has risen on Gowanus’ 4th Avenue and was made possible by the area’s rezoning has launched an affordable housing lottery.

The Douglass Street Apartments building, which replaces a BP gas station, will have a total of 188 apartments and climbs to 175 feet, according to building permits.

Included in the lottery for the under-construction development at 164 4th Avenue (also 366 Douglass Street) are 48 units, all rent stabilized and income restricted, 38 of which could be deemed truly affordable. Those are targeted at households of one to five people earning between $33,875 and $67,080 a year, or 40 percent of Area Median Income, according to the listing.

There are three studios at $903 a month, 29 one-bedroom units at $961 a month, and six two-bedroom apartments renting for $1,142 a month. The remaining 10 apartments are targeted at families earning 130 percent AMI, or $118,183 to $218,010 a year, with one-bedrooms for $3,689 and two-bedrooms for $4,415 a month.

Developed by JLL Capital Markets and designed by Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects, DPC, according to the new building permit, the complex includes a gym, yoga studio, music room, sports court, pet spa, and shared laundry room, according to the listing. A $100 a month amenity package includes the gym, rooftop terrace, music room, and lounge on the 17th floor. Tenants must pay for electricity, which covers a stove. While the building allows pets, there is a refundable pet deposit of $300 and a two-pet limit per household.

Units include dishwashers and air conditioning. Renderings show the apartments have wooden floors and cabinetry, with a brick backsplash in the kitchen.

While interior work is not yet complete, the building already spans almost the entire block of 4th Avenue between Douglass and Degraw streets, and towers over its two-story brick neighbor on the corner of Degraw Street and 4th Avenue with its copper paneled glass facade. A setback at the 12th floor will have some exterior planting, the renderings show. The commercial ground floor is floor-to-ceiling glass panels.

Prior to the new development, a BP gas station was located on the site. In 2011, JLL Capital purchased the site through Heron Fourth Avenue LLC for $1.8 million, according to city records.

Prior to the 2021 rezoning of Gowanus, a number of commercial and industrial sites with low lying structures were bought up by developers with plans to replace them with large residential developments when the rezoning passed. Over the last few years, many of those buildings have started to rise.

The gas station was still standing in 2022, but by the end of the year a construction fence surrounded the site, Google Maps shows. A full demolition permit was issued for the gas station in 2022.

Because the development is taking advantage of the rezoning, it is required to include affordable units under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. It is also expected to receive the 421-a tax break, according to the listing.

The Douglass Street Apartments lottery closes on March 17. To apply, visit the listing on New York City’s Housing Connect website.

[Renderings via NYC Housing Connect unless noted otherwise]

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