This morning, SCAPE joined Governor Kathy Hochul alongside key partners, stakeholders, and community members to break ground on Alafia—a transformative $1.2 billion redevelopment of the former 27-acre Brooklyn Developmental Center property in East New York.
The project, a key part of the state’s Vital Brooklyn initiative, will introduce over 2,400 affordable apartments to the neighborhood, including units for the formerly homeless, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and seniors. It will also include over six acres of new open space designed by SCAPE, including an urban farm.
“We are not just building housing for the people of East New York, we’re investing in a community so that generations of New Yorkers can flourish and thrive,” Governor Hochul said. “By creating 2,400 new quality homes and expanding access to social services and health care, Alafia will make this neighborhood a more affordable, more inclusive and healthier place to live. This truly transformative investment will put us on the path toward mending the societal cracks in the system to ensure all New Yorkers have a chance to prosper.”
The initial $373 million phase will create 576 affordable homes, a new 15,000-square-foot outpatient medical clinic, and 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.
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The development team for Alafia includes Apex Building Group, L+M Development Partners, Services for the UnderServed (S:US), and RiseBoro Community Partnership. The design team includes Dattner Architects, SCAPE, Langan, VHB, and Cosentini Associates. Public partners on the project are Empire State Development and New York State Homes and Community Renewal.