The proposed rezoning at 960 Franklin would transform a vacant and underutilized plot of land into a 34-STORY PROPOSED mixed-income residential development with 50% market-rate apartments and 50% workforce and affordable housing. The residential towers would include 789 units of affordable and workforce housing, 789 market-rate units, space for local retail, an indoor community area, a courtyard partially open to the public and 180 parking spots. With the promise of 789 units of workforce and affordable housing, the rezoning at 960 Franklin represents an unprecedented opportunity to provide a large number of permanently affordable apartments to individuals and families across all levels of incomes, including the working and middle-class. NEW! In an effort to be more compliant with contextual zoning, we are now offering a reduced 17-STORY ALTERNATIVE -- with 75% market-rate apartments and 25% workforce and affordable housing. It should be noted that in this 17-STORY alternative, the residential towers would only include 292 units of affordable and workforce housing (compared to 789 units).

Simply put – the need for affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues facing our city. We must put the need to house New Yorkers front and center. Furthermore, affordable housing is the first of Brooklyn Community Board 9’s (“CB 9”) three most pressing issues as listed in their statement of community needs for the 2021 fiscal year. And with 48% of households in CB 9 spending 30% or more of their income on rent, there is an urgent need for affordable housing in the community. Building beyond the existing height and density limitations at 960 Franklin will provide housing assistance to 789 individuals and families that are currently rent burdened and potentially at risk of housing instability. Every New Yorker deserves a safe and affordable place to live. Additionally, it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity to grow the city responsibly, especially when building significant permanently affordable housing for low, working and middle-income families. This means added density where it’s supported by existing mass transit. 960 Franklin, a few blocks away from both Franklin Avenue and Prospect Park subway stations, makes perfect sense for that type of growth.

Prior to introducing our plan to develop the first-ever 50% market-rate / 50% workforce and affordable housing program on private land, Continuum Company engaged community leaders, religious leaders and elected officials in Crown Heights who provided extensive input regarding the neighborhood’s needs. Across all stakeholder groups, there was an emphasis on the need for more affordable housing for individuals and families across all income levels, esoecially for working and middle-income families. In fact, affordable housing is the first of Brooklyn Community Board 9’s (“CB 9”) three most-pressing issues for the 2021 fiscal year. At the same time, we received feedback regarding contextual zoning, the height of the buildings and the impact that shadows could have on the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. As a result, Continuum Company set forth two options: A 34-STORY PROPOSED residential development with 50% market-rate apartments and 50% workforce and affordable housing. A 17-STORY ALTERNATIVE with 75% market-rate apartments and only 25% workforce and affordable housing.

It’s true – plants need sunlight to survive. And yes, in addition to providing 789 affordable apartments, our proposed 34-STORY development would result in up to 4 hours of “traveling” shadows across the open space of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. BUT, as shadows are not static and move from west to east throughout the day, it’s also true that the impact of the shadows has been grossly overstated. Even with the 34-STORY development, a minimum of approx. 75% of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens would continue to receive uninterrupted sunlight throughout the day. All vegetation requiring direct sunlight – including that within the Garden’s enclosed conservatories and greenhouses – would continue to receive AT LEAST 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, which, according to the CEQR Technical Manual, is the general minimum requirement for the survival of vegetation during the growing season.

If the 960 Franklin rezoning isn’t approved, Continuum Company will build an AS-OF-RIGHT residential development with approximately 518 market-rate condominiums and no affordable or workforce housing.

Housing is considered affordable if it costs about one-third (30%) or less of what people earn, also known as Average Median Income (AMI). The median income for all cities across the country is defined each year by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The 34-STORY PROPOSED development at 960 Franklin would provide 789 units of desperately needed, permanently affordable housing for individuals and families of all spectrums of incomes. In the 17-STORY alternarive, 960 Franklin would provide 292 units of affordable and workfroce housing. They will consist of studios, one-, two- and three-bedrooms. Use the affordability charts to understand the % AMI income band you fall into and the number of units that could be available for your income level if the rezoning application for this developemnt is approved. NOTE: Your household income cannot exceed the stated income limit is order to qualify for reduced rent.

The rezoning at 960 Franklin will be union built -- providing 3000+ jobs with family-sustaining wages to a combination of the AFL-CIO Labor Unions, 100 Blacks in Construction and the Greater NYC Building + Construction Trades. Furthermore, when hiring workers for 960 Franklin, the unions have agreed to engage in robust, zip-code-based outreach to Crown Heights community residents to ensure they receive the most job benefits.

New York City’s union construction sector employs a greater share of black workers and pays them more than the nonunion construction sector. Furthermore, when hiring workers for 960 Franklin, the unions have agreed to engage in robust, zip-code-based outreach to Crown Heights community residents. So, 3,000 union construction jobs = 3,000 jobs with family-sustaining wages that benefit thousands of residents across Crown Heights and the city as a whole.