Livonia

Organization Name: BRP Companies, HELP, Community Solutions, with Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC

Project Title: Livonia

Project Location: 453 Hinsdale St and Livonia Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Project Goals:
Livonia is an affordable housing development in the rapidly changing neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn. When complete these four new buildings will provide 288 new affordable rental units and 50,000 square feet of community and retail space to the neighborhood.

Project Description:
The 271,000 square foot development by BRP Companies, is comprised of four buildings adjacent to the L Train at Livonia Avenue. The massings negotiate sight lines, noise and light issues with the adjacency to elevated train tracks. The facades are gently angled to turn apartment windows slightly askew from the train line, creating more privacy for apartment residents and varied vista above the track level. Apartment units will be a mixture of transitional, supportive and traditional affordable housing. The buildings will include ground-floor retail space, commercial space, and supportive services through HELP/USA. The new buildings are designed to achieve an active and pedestrian friendly envi- ronment at street level, with new plantings and large retail windows. Green design elements include solar panels, water saving plumbing systems, energy efficient boilers and multiple green roofs, anticipating LEED for Homes Silver certification.

Community Impact:
The quality of housing and community spaces in East New York makes a critical impact on the health and overall well being of local families,” said Rosanne Haggerty, President of Community Solutions. “Livonia II is designed specifically to promote safety and stability, and answers a call from the community to revitalize this central neighborhood corridor.”

Organization Description:
Magnusson Architecture and Planning is a creative design firm based in New York City. For 30 years MAP has been committed to the original intent of creating thriving and sustainable communities through excellence in design and planning. BRP Companies is a New York based real estate firm that has successfully evolved into a vertically-integrated organization offering a full complement of development, acquisition, construction, property management and New Markets Tax Credits financing. Community Solutions works toward a future without homelessness, in which poverty never follows families beyond a single generation. Community Solutions helps communities become better problem solvers, so they can fix the expensive, badly designed systems that low income people must rely on every day. HELP USA is a national homeless service provider and low-income housing developer serving at-risk populations including families, veterans, and victims of domestic violence.