Sunset Ridge Apartments

Organization Name: Fifth Avenue Committee

Project Title: Sunset Ridge Apartments

Project Location: Sunset Ridge, Brooklyn

Project Description:
Sunset Ridge Apartments, also known as 6309 4th Avenue, is an 84-unit senior affordable housing development with space for 5 Universal Pre-Kindergarten classrooms in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. Fifth Avenue Committee, a 46-year-old nonprofit community development corporation whose mission is to advance economic, social and racial justice in New York City, was selected by the Metropolitan New York Synod via RFP to acquire and redevelop a site previously occupied by a church, a school, and two townhomes at 63rd Street and Fourth Avenue. The church and school buildings were demolished to make way for a new 9-story, 76-unit multifamily apartment building with community space for residents on the cellar, first, second and ninth floors, and a second-floor roof deck. The two adjacent townhomes were combined and renovated to create an additional 8 units. The ground and basement level community space in the new building reverted back to the Synod’s ownership upon permanent loan conversion for build out by the New York City School Construction Authority for UPK classrooms. The project is all-electric, including heat, hot water, and cooking. The project also includes a 27 kW rooftop solar array.

Community Impact:
This project is the first new affordable housing for seniors built in Sunset Park in over 15 years. The project serves very low-income senior citizen households earning between $0 to $55,000 annually. The 83 affordable units are reserved for seniors (age 62 years or older) earning from 0% to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI). All of the units benefit from a project-based Section 8 contract, ensuring that no household pays more than 30% of its income in rent and utilities. Twenty-six of the units, or 30%, are set aside for formerly homeless individuals referred from NYC’s shelter system. Over 42,000 affordable housing lottery applications were submitted via NYC Housing Connect for the remaining 57 apartments, demonstrating deep community need. The Bay Ridge Senior Center provides on-site services to tenants, as well as connecting them with services and programs throughout the community. The project also represents an innovative pairing of 100% affordable senior housing and Universal Pre-K space in one building, serving multiple community needs in one space.

Organization Description:
Fifth Avenue Committee’s mission is to advance economic, social, and racial justice in NYC through integrated, community-centered affordable housing, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and transformative education, training and services that build the power to shape the community’s future. FAC builds physical infrastructure; fosters community through organizing; and transforms the lives of individuals and families with direct services. FAC has developed over 1,400 affordable homes and has a development pipeline totaling more than 2,000 units.

Team Members:

Fifth Avenue Committee
Magnusson Architecture and Planning
Bruno Frustaci Contracting
NYS HCR
NYC HPD
NYSERDA
JP Morgan Chase
Hudson Housing Capital