Hanson Place Community Plaza

Organization Name: MDG Design & Construction

Project Title: Hanson Place Community Plaza

Project Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Project Description:
Hanson Place Community Plaza is a 13-story, 104-unit affordable, mixed-income housing development in Brooklyn, New York’s Fort Greene neighborhood. Located at 150 Portland Avenue, the new building offers affordable options for a range of extremely low- to moderate-income households and boasts 22,000 square feet of community space. The $65.7 million project aims to create a long-term bastion of affordable, mixed-income housing while also providing a state-of-the-art facility for Hanson Place Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) to administer services to the community.   Hanson Place Community Plaza incorporates green and sustainable design features in addition to many welcoming amenity spaces, multiple terraces, and spectacular views from the upper levels. The development also includes a vibrant 3,500-capacity community area equipped with state-of-the-art audio and video technology and a commercial kitchen designed for hosting community events. Additionally, the project participated in HPD’s M/WBE Build Up Program, which champions the participation of M/WBEs in the construction process. 

Community Impact:
Hanson Place Community Plaza offers 22,000 square feet of community space, including an 8,000 square foot medical center with affordable healthcare programming for the community; conference rooms and office space to expand Hanson Place Church Support Corporation’s impact and reach in Fort Greene; and a 250-person multi-purpose room with adjustable partitioning for versatility in space management. 

The multi-purpose room was designed to act as a hub for community programs, like the Hanson Place Church Support Corporation’s Adventurers Youth Mentoring Program dedicated to strengthening parent-child relationships through collaborative activities, music education, and enrichment programs. Local nonprofits and organizations will also have access to this substantial space, allowing them to continue and further their vital work, including substance abuse counseling and social service referrals to over 200 women each week. The community space will allow Hanson Place Church Support Corporation to expand a music program and reach an additional 75 children as well, offering individual and group lessons on piano, strings, and saxophone while filling the void left by discontinued public school music programs.

Organization Description:
The project is a partnership between Metropolitan Real Estate Development LLC (MDG)—a leading affordable housing contracting and development firm specializing in the rehabilitation and new construction of quality affordable housing—and the Hanson Place Church Support Corporation—a community affiliated not-for-profit of the Hanson Place Seventh-Day Adventist Church. HPCSC has acquired real estate and become a social services advocate for needed services in the Brooklyn community for over thirty years with an attention on health issues.

Team Members:

Hanson Place Church Support Corporation, MDG Design & Construction, Concord Management of NY, NYC HPD, NYC HDC, Citi Community Capital, The Richman Group.