4,600 new homes coming to Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights after NYC Council approves Atlantic Ave rezoning
Rendering of Atlantic Avenue’s improved, and safer streets, courtesy of DCP
Thousands of new homes will be built along a largely industrial stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights. The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to approve the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, which rezones 21 blocks to allow for 4,600 apartments, including 1,900 permanently affordable units, more affordable housing than has been constructed in the area over the last decade. The plan also comes with $235 million in community investments, park renovations, and infrastructure upgrades.
“This process has shown what’s possible when planning is driven by community: we build more affordable housing and deliver real, lasting benefits to our neighborhoods,” Council Member Crystal Hudson, who represents the area and led the rezoning effort, said. “I hope AAMUP is just the beginning — and that more communities across the city begin the deep, consensus-building work needed to create safer streets, better parks, and stronger, more affordable neighborhoods.”
The rezoning encompasses a stretch of Atlantic Avenue and neighboring streets in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy between Vanderbilt Avenue. Since the 1960s, this area has been zoned for one- to two-story industrial buildings and storage and does not permit new housing, as 6sqft previously reported.
High-density housing, including permanently income-restricted and rent-stabilized affordable units, would be paired with mixed commercial uses to create “active ground floors.” The plan aims to transform an area now dominated by vacant parking lots, self-storage facilities, and auto shops into a vibrant neighborhood with new housing and 800,000 square feet of commercial and manufacturing space.
Mayor Eric Adams also announced a $235 million investment in infrastructure improvements. To improve pedestrian safety along the notoriously dangerous corridor, the city will add raised curb extensions, daylighting at intersections, bike corrals, and a new bike lane on Bedford Avenue.
The plan also dedicates $100 million to public open space, with improvements slated for six parks: Hancock Playground, Potomac Playground, Dean Playground, James Forten Playground, the PS 93 schoolyard, and the Lefferts Place Community Garden.
Another $24.2 million investment will go towards upgrades at St. Andrew’s Playground. Enhancements include a new synthetic turf multi-use field with a running track, upgraded basketball and handball courts, renovated playgrounds, a remodeled public restroom, new seating, shade trees, plantings, and other green infrastructure.
Lowry Triangle, situated near Atlantic Avenue and Washington Avenue, will also be upgraded to serve as a more vibrant community space, as 6sqft previously reported.
Other features of the rezoning include a zoning incentive for new publicly accessible open space and stormwater and sewage upgrades that are already underway. This includes the installation of subsurface stormwater detention systems and 140 rain gardens throughout the neighborhood.
“At a time when residents are being priced out from the city due to rising costs and an affordability crisis, this Council is taking decisive action to build more affordable homes and deliver much-needed investments in our communities,” Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said.
“The Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan will produce more affordable housing units than was built collectively over the past decade in this area of Central Brooklyn and provide over $235 million for community investments and infrastructure successfully negotiated by the Council.”
The approval marks the culmination of over a decade of advocacy and planning. In September 2023, the Department of City Planning (DCP) released a preliminary rezoning framework, which saw potential for up to 1,550 income-restricted homes.
In October 2024, the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan began the seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, securing approvals from Community Boards 3 and 8 and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
The Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan is one of several rezonings initiated by the Adams administration in recent years. In August, the City Council approved the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan, which will rezone 46 blocks surrounding four new Metro-North stations in Co-op City, Hunts Point, Morris Park, and Parkchester/Van Nest. The plan is poised to bring thousands of new homes, jobs, and public realm investments to the Bronx.
In January, the public review process began for the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan, which proposes rezoning 42 blocks of the neighborhood to permit the development of about 9,700 new homes in areas where outdated zoning regulations have restricted new housing.
In March, the DCP began the approval process for a rezoning in downtown Jamaica, Queens, which seeks to rezone about 300 blocks in the neighborhood to allow for thousands of new homes, including 4,000 units that would be income-restricted. If approved, the rezoning would create the city’s largest Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area, add two million square feet of commercial space, and generate more than 7,000 new jobs, as 6sqft previously reported.
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