Fountain Seaview

Organization Name: The Arker Companies

Project Title: Fountain Seaview

Project Location: East New York, Brooklyn

Project Description:
Fountain Seaview is a newly constructed, 6-building development with 1,163 units of affordable housing, commercial and community facility space. Fountain Seaview was developed in an effort to support the State and City’s commitment to redeveloping the community of East New York. Exemplifying how to revitalize a disinvested neighborhood without displacing longtime residents, Fountain Seaview brings deeply affordable housing, neighborhood-serving retail, and thoughtful urban design elements to the local community. The Fountain Seaview site was previously operated by the State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). The former facility, Brooklyn Development Center (BDC), served as a residential center for people with developmental disabilities. The 1,163 units are affordable to households from 30% to 80% AMI to provide housing options to New Yorkers at a range of income levels. Approximately 20% of the total units are reserved for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Community Impact:
As it approaches full occupancy, Fountain Seaview is becoming a vibrant new community that many New Yorkers, including some of the city’s most vulnerable, can now call home. Developed on a large, underused site, Fountain Seaview will have a transformative impact on the surrounding neighborhood by bringing new residents and commercial space as well as revitalizing the streetscape. New publicly accessible spaces have been constructed for the local community to use, including the pedestrianized block of Schroeder’s Walk, with seating, landscaping and lighting. Along the ground floors, new restaurants and retailers are moving in, creating a lively and inviting environment along a previously barren street.

Fountain Seaview’s new residents include people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are provided a dignified and integrated environment, with services available onsite. The onsite supportive services are provided by Block Institute, who along with OPWDD are occupying brand-new offices on the ground floor of the buildings. The development team’s goal is to continue serving the communities that have used the site in the past while bringing new life to a neglected neighborhood.

Organization Description:
The Arker Companies is a fully integrated development, construction, and property management company with more than 200 employees. It is a third-generation family business, founded in 1949. Its principals are Allan Arker, Alex Arker and Daniel Moritz. The Arkers have developed more than 9,000 affordable housing units for very low and low-income residents, while focusing on supportive services, superior examples of architecture and engineering, green and energy efficient design and the preservation of historic landmarks.

Team Members:

Architect: Aufgang Architects, LLC
Structural: Brooker Engineering PLLC
MEP: Ettinger Engineering Associates
Service Provider: Block Institute