Chestnut Commons Ribbon Cutting
Yesterday we officially cut the ribbon on Chestnut Commons Apartments! We were honored to be joined by so many people who helped make this project a reality.
Chestnut Commons Apartments has provided an opportunity for MHANY to positively impact East New York, the neighborhood of our origin. Chestnut Commons Apartments, jointly with CHLDC and Urban Builders Collaborative, is the culmination of a partnership with a creative design team at Dattner; open-minded public partners at HPD and HDC as we negotiated the income levels to target for families specifically in ENY; supportive local elected officials; a skilled supportive service team in Housing Plus; and a willing partner to actualize our dream in construction with Lettire. All of this hard work is gratifying beyond any expectation we may have had as we watch each family walk into their new home. MHANY believes where there is a will based on deep understanding of the community within which we are building and a respect for and towards each other the outcome is not only beneficial to the occupants but a cornerstone and beacon available to and embraced by the entire community.
Chestnut Commons Apartments is a 14-story, mixed-used building designed to meet passive-house standards and provide 275 deeply and permanently affordable apartments. It is also the new home for Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation community center and three commercial spaces; one being the Brooklyn Cooperative Credit Union.
The residential building includes 275 creatively designed affordable apartments with modern finishes for low and moderate income and formerly homeless individuals and families. Residents will benefit from an on-site fitness room, passive outdoor recreation area, and on-site laundry. The building owners have created a full recycling program for residents that includes composting of organic waste.
The community center will create a service hub in the neighborhood, offering Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation's programs for workforce development, college success and youth and family services, a satellite campus for CUNY Kingsborough Community College, support services for homeless families from HousingPlus, music instruction from Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, advanced IT training from Per Scholas and a café run by Collective Fair.