The Prospect Plaza Houses is a complex owned by the

New York City Housing Authority The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation which provides public housing in New York City, and is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the U ...

(NYCHA) in the Ocean Hill section of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

and is bordered by St. Marks and Sterling Place, Howard and Saratoga Avenues. It was the first NYCHA development to be completely demolished.

Former development

Prospect Plaza Houses had four buildings, 12 and 15 stories tall with 368 apartments and approximately 1,171 residents. It was completed on June 30, 1974.

Demolition

In 1999, NYCHA applied for a $21.4 million

HOPE VI HOPE VI is a program of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is intended to revitalize the worst public housing projects in the United States into mixed-income developments. Its philosophy is largely based on New Urban ...

grant from the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Urb ...

(HUD) to rebuild the complex after noting its deterioration. The proposed plan contained approximately 670 units, 323 of which are public housing rental units, 273 are non-public housing rental units and 37 are two-family homeowner units. The total project was anticipated to cost over $255 million. Developer Michaels Development Company was hired in 2003 and the first building was torn down in 2005 and the New York City Housing Authority plans to demolish the other buildings and build new apartments as this would be cheaper than renovating the existing units. In 2007, NYCHA terminated its agreement with Michaels. Michaels sued the agency for $5.6 million for breach of contract. Against federal guidelines, New York City amended its 2010 annual plan with HUD, after the public hearing. Instead of adding one building, it would tear down the entire development and replace it with 80 public housing rental units and add affordable housing. In the summer of 2014, the other three buildings were torn down and new buildings are currently being built. Construction has started on the buildings on Prospect Place. The buildings are set to be completed in the summer/fall of 2016.

Residents reactions

Over 1,000 residents were displaced and were scattered around the city with the last of the tenants leaving in 2003, costing taxpayers roughly $6 million. According to reports the deal offered residents of Prospect Plaza Houses temporary townhouse styled housing while their apartments were renovated. Many of these residents were instead given vouchers to alternative Section 8 housing. Many former residents have expressed dissatisfaction with what they claim was an unfair deal to remove them in order for the city to turn the buildings into condominiums and bring in more money.

New development

Construction of the new development finished in 2017 with 284 apartments. 80 units are being managed by NYCHA, while the rest for households making no more than 60% of the Area Median Income. The development was designed by Dattner Architects.

Notable residents

* Latrice Walker,

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

member

References