Leasing for 535 Carlton seems delayed; will move-ins start in March or April?

When will 535 Carlton start leasing up?

Well, the Work in Progress sign on the scaffolding long said "Anticipated Completion: 4th Quarter 2016." (See photo at right.) That didn't happen.

The lottery for those "100% affordable" (but mostly middle-income) apartments began in mid-July, and is part of a process that typically leads to occupancy in six months, according to a handbook produced by the New York City Housing Development Corporation. (See graphic below.)

If so, occupancy should be starting right about now.

There's more facade now

That doesn't seem likely. As one applicant said 11/21/16 on a message board, "they are anticipating a move in date of March or April of 2017 and since they took so long with the Dean street lotto [my coverage] they are under some pressure to make this as efficient as possible."

Another, on 12/15/16, said she was told by her interviewer to expect a decision in January or February and move-in two months later. But another said 12/16/16 that they were told it would take some two months to hear back, but then six to eight months to move in.

On 1/3/17, the Department of Buildings issued a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for 535 Carlton, covering floors 1 through 6. So the building is getting closer.

Since the lower floors do open first, maybe there is a shred of rationale for the apparent--though denied--plan to concentrate the lowest-income households on the lower floors. They'd get in a few months earlier. Of course, later, when part of the building goes condo, the more valuable units are concentrated on higher floors.

(Note: no new document has been filed to indicate any new plan for the location of the low-income units.)

From NYC HDC's Marketing Handbook

Applicants worrying, wondering

Just as with the cohort of applicants with the 461 Dean affordable housing, a City Data online forum shows people anxious, hopeful, and underinformed.

Some worry about affordability. One wrote:

Okay, will someone please tell me how this is "affordable"?
For my income bracket I'd need to pay over $2100 for a 1 bedroom apartment! Isn't that market rate? Or above market rate in Brooklyn?
Not to mention almost double what I'm paying now on the open market.
This is nuts.

A response: "Market rate in downtown brooklyn is like 2700-3000, 2100 is actually a discount." (I'd note that affordable 1 BR units for this building go up to $2,680, as shown in the graphic below.)

Worrying about paperwork

Others are concerned about meeting the requirements:

"I spent all afternoon finalizing my paperwork for 535 Carlton. If this file folder dropped on my foot I'd have broken bones."
"We brought in our entire life and still somehow needed more paperwork things that werent on the list but advised that we needed."

A safe area?

Another worried about problems with an affordable building:

I read up on a similar building through this forum that opened this summer in the Bronx. It didn't have any market rate units (just like 535 Carlton) so it sounded like the building had non-responsive management and several people who won the lotto and moved in wanted to get out immediately and regretted the move. Within a couple months of moving in, they complained of gross laundry room conditions, trashed public spaces, and disrespectful neighbors. I have some fears about moving into a building that may be managed poorly like this because it's not a 80/20. Does anyone have reason to believe 535 Carlton will have better management?

The response was reassuring:

I know that area like the back of my hands, it will be nothing like what you experienced in the Bronx. Also more than 80% of the units are skewed towards people making $60,000- $150,000 so I'm pretty sure you won't have any issues with your neighbors and the building its self is brand spanking new with state of the art appliances by cook+fox architects. This building will feel like your in a 80/20 building even though it's 100% affordable because of the way they skewed most of the units towards the very top income brackets. I've heard some where they may have a poor door system [as I wrote] in this building where they have the lowest paying renters be situated at the lower floors of the building as oppose to the highest renters living on the tops floors with better views of downtown Brooklyn.

Is disruptive construction a deal-breaker?

One pointed out ongoing construction:

Are you guys at all concerned about the construction that's going to be happening on three sides of this building? I biked around the site a few weeks ago. They haven't even begun to cap the rail yards leading into Atlantic Terminal. Seems like a construction project that will take years and years, no?

Another responded that it was worth it:

From what I read, it'll end sometime in 2020-something. Not too concerned because the apartment building is beautiful and a roof over our heads is the goal. I'll live with the sounds of construction lol

Added another:

It's better to be around buildings going UP and getting built than being around buildings becoming abandoned and crumbling.

Continued uncertainty

The uncertainty continues, with a recent post:

I check it everyday but Nothing on my end. I check the mail everyday waiting for a rejection letter or ANY sort of news really and I haven't heard a peep. I am tempted to call but most people do not have much luck with that. I guess we just continue to wait. Its been 2 months since our intake interview, hopefully we will hear something soon.

 Another wrote:

I had my first interview first week of December and the guy said if I hear anything before four months it's most likely a rejection letter or more info is needed. He apologized too.

Another wrote:

I was told when I went in (Early Nov) that I should hear something in about 2 months for second interview and it would take about another 2 months until approval than another month or so to move in but it is clear it is taking much longer than expected. After 120 days you would need to resubmit your paperwork. 

If you are selected to move on to the next round you would actually be interviewed ( the first one is more like an intake interview) and more than likely shown the apartment that would be offered to you at that point you have the option to say whether or not you want the apartment as some people do decide to turn it down.

I am also a pretty anxious person and we are looking to move by May the latest so I REALLY REALLY hope that its into this building.

Another wrote under the screen name "Waiting-game":

I interviewed the first week of Nov and received a rejection letter on Friday stating that I did not turn in my savings account information. That is actually inaccurate and I will be appealing and resubmitting the required information once more.

Others chimed in with related experiences. "Waiting-game" followed up: "I was informed that the building is pretty much complete and I should again here something back in regards to a second interview within 2 to 10 months."