NYCHA parking lot in Boerum Hill will give way to this 16-story building

More than two years after the city announced that it would bring new, mixed-income developments to so-called “underutilized” New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) land, a developer has been selected for one of those projects.

The New York Daily News reports that prolific Brooklyn developer Two Trees, along with affordable housing developer Arker Companies, will helm the NextGen Neighborhoods project at Boerum Hill’s Wyckoff Gardens. The new building will rise 16 stories, per the Daily News, and will have 500 apartments—half will be market-rate, and half will be affordable.

The new structure will be built on two parking lots at Wyckoff Gardens, which is bounded by Third Avenue, Nevins Street, Wyckoff Street, and Baltic Street. A rendering for the project, by Aufgang Architects, shows how it will fit in with the existing NYCHA buildings. Unlike the NextGen project at the Upper East Side’s Holmes Towers, the new building won’t be a tall tower, and will blend in a bit better with its surroundings.

The Wyckoff Gardens project is one of several that will bring new housing to NYCHA land; in addition to the Holmes Towers project, there are also 250 new units coming to the Cooper Park Houses in East Williamsburg, and the city is still deciding on a developer for the LaGuardia Houses in the Lower East Side.

But the proposals have faced pushback from neighborhood residents, many of whom are concerned about the effects of adding more market-rate apartments to these neighborhoods, along with the loss of amenities like playgrounds and parking.

NYCHA argues that the developments are necessary to help fund the cash-strapped agency’s many properties. As part of the agreement, “two developers will pay the Housing Authority $37 million toward NYCHA repairs, including $18.5 million steered to Wyckoff Gardens,” per the Daily News.

In a statement to Curbed, a spokesperson for Two Trees said, “We are eager to bring in much needed affordable housing to Brooklyn and to provide NYCHA with the necessary funds to make critical repairs to Wyckoff Gardens and its other developments. In addition to working closely with NYCHA and the local community, we’re committed to providing affordable retail and open space for the surrounding neighborhood.”

• City hires major de Blasio donors for luxury housing project on NYCHA land [NYDN]