Housing Equity & Affordability

New York City faces a growing population, limited developable land, and an aging housing stock. The Greenpoint community has identified housing as a top priority for the district, particularly affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers. The Monitor Point project will include Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) units, which means the affordable units in the building will be permanently affordable and at a larger percentage of affordability, exceeding what is currently required and what other programs such as Voluntary Inclusionary Housing (VIH) would include.

Solutions:

Monitor Point will result in a significant number of new homes for New Yorkers, with at least 25% dedicated toward affordable housing units for renters in low-income bands, which is a higher percentage of affordability than what’s currently required.

Benefits:

This will help alleviate housing shortages in an area with high demand and a substantial portion dedicated to affordable housing.
The project will also provide equitable and affordable rents for households and families seeking permanent housing.

*This image is a conceptual rendering and is for illustrative purposes only.

Open Space

The current MTA facility at 40 Quay Street is incompatible with the neighborhood and creates a wall to the waterfront. Additionally, In the Greenpoint community, only 5% of the land is dedicated to open space.* There is a need for more open space in the area.

View Looking south from West St. : Blocking view/access to Bushwick Inlet

Solutions:

The Monitor Point Project will create approximately 700 feet of shore public walkway and open space along the waterfront. There will be annual payments to the Parks department, creating a long-term contribution towards the maintenance of the adjacent Bushwick Inlet Park.

Benefits:

The project will create a link between West Street and the newly constructed Bushwick Inlet Park, as well as a link between the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfronts.

*Source: https://www.ny4p.org/client-uploads/pdf/District-Profiles-2021/NY4P-Profiles_BK1.pdf

Box Street

The current MTA Emergency Response Unit (ERU) at Box Street in Northern Greenpoint is not compatible with the neighborhood, preventing the full revitalization of Box Street Park.

Solutions:

As part of the proposal, the development team will build an approximately 143,000-square-foot consolidated MTA facility and relocate the existing ERU facility. The relocation will allow that property to be incorporated into the future Box Street Park.

Benefits:

This will allow the full revitalization of Box Street Park. Moving the ERU site will also remove MTA Emergency Vehicles from the neighborhood.

Proposed Site Plan of Box Street Park from NYCGovParks.org

Sustainability & Resiliency

As the climate continues to change, the risk of coastal flooding grows more severe. Rising sea levels and an increase in both the frequency and intensity of storms threaten coastal communities. Higher water levels, combined with wave action, relentlessly erode the shorelines, reshaping the landscape.

Solutions:

Critical improvements to the shoreline to counter the impacts of rising water levels and climate change. Raised waterfront plaza and ground floor above design flood elevation.

Benefits:

A raised waterfront plaza and installation of critical building infrastructure above the design flood elevation will mitigate against future water intrusion.

*This image is an example of a resilient shoreline

Greenpoint Monitor Museum & Educational Benefits

The Greenpoint Monitor Museum was founded in 1996 and was set out to establish a home on the shores of Brooklyn, where the USS Monitor was built in Greenpoint. Despite trail markers and local programming celebrating the USS Monitor, the Greenpoint Monitor Museum currently has no home.

The USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the Civil War. It played a key role in the Battle of Hampton Roads fighting the CSS Virginia to a stalemate. Notable for its revolving turret designed by Theodore Timby, the Monitor's design set the standard for future American naval warships.

Solutions:

The purchase of development rights from the Monitor Museum-owned site will help support the construction and ongoing operation of a new Greenpoint Monitor Museum.

Benefits:

Nearly two-thirds of the privately held Monitor Museum site will be designed and constructed as open space with the balance being occupied by the new Museum.
Monitor Point will create a new cultural and educational destination on the waterfront

Education Partners: P.S. 110 The Monitor School, P.S. 31 Samuel F. Dupont, P.S. 34 Oliver H. Perry, John Ericsson M.S. 126, Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy

“As fifth-generation Greenpointers, we are deeply rooted in the history and community of this vibrant neighborhood. The Monitor Point Project represents a transformative opportunity for the Greenpoint Monitor Museum, we will finally have a dedicated home on the waterfront. This new space will not only preserve our rich heritage but also amplify our educational outreach in schools, inspiring future generations with the remarkable legacy of the USS Monitor.”

— The Greenpoint Monitor Museum President, Janice Lauletta-Weinmann

Other Community Benefits

Street Safety

Elimination of significant industrial truck traffic to and from existing MTA facilities in a residential area
Design of ground surface to promote pedestrian-friendly and accessible connections through the site to the waterfront

Support Critical Infrastructure

Relocation of the MTA’s Mobile Wash and Materials Control units from Quay Street and ERU from Box Street
Create a new modern and energy-efficient facility
Eliminate MTA vehicular traffic from the neighborhood

Employment & Commercial Opportunities

Creation of unionized building maintenance jobs
Construction jobs targeting MWBE and local employment
Neighborhood-focused commercial and retail