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Brewery Site Provides Workforce Housing in Brooklyn

Winner of the NAHB Innovation in Workforce Housing Award, Rheingold Gardens Partnership Homes in Brooklyn, N.Y. is comprised of more than 150 dwelling units, including two-family homes, three-family homes and condominiums.

The project is part of a 6.7-acre brownfield redevelopment on the site of the former Rheingold Brewery. The entire project consists of more than 400 units of housing, including low-income rental apartments and an affordable housing cooperative. The completed project will include a day-care center, a senior home care office and training center and retail space.

Developed by the Bluestone Group of Fresh Meadows, N.Y., the project is an important part of the revitalization of Brooklyn’s Bushwick area.

Major stakeholders in the project included the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council , which acted as community sponsor and marketing agent for the Partnership homes and developer for the other components of the Rheingold redevelopment; The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development; the Housing Partnership Development Corporation; New York State Affordable Housing Corp.; and JP Morgan Chase.

“The Bushwick area is facing market pressures of rising housing prices due to gentrification, but has not seen significant increases in real incomes,” said Eric Bluestone, who accepted the NAHB award. "Our goal was to produce workforce housing for people in the community. The housing had to be affordable to households with family incomes between $40,000 and $75,000."

"It is my pleasure to bring attention to projects that are designed to meet the needs of America's working families," said NAHB 2004 President Bobby Rayburn. “The Innovation in Workforce Housing Awards emphasize creativity in community design, financing and in partnering with other community groups. I can’t think of a better way to single out builders and developers who are ahead of the curve on addressing this critical need.”

For more information about workforce housing and these awards, including eligibility requirements, click here, or e-mail Kym Kilbourne at NAHB or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.

Award photo by Oscar Einzig Photographers

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