Modular housing in East New York seven stories high, far less ambitious than 461 Dean; enthusiasm recurs, without caveats
FullStack Modular, the Brooklyn Navy Yard-based successor to FCS Modular and FC Modular, the companies that built modules for the ill-fated 461 Dean tower, has a new contract, for a city-owned site in East New York, at 581 Grant Avenue.
“FullStack Modular is honored to be chosen by the City of New York to help prove the efficiency and cost predictability that modular housing can bring. We are also proud to be part of an all-star NYC-based development team with deep roots in Brooklyn, and are excited to have a factory humming with good-paying jobs for New Yorkers,” said FullStack Modular Founder and CEO Roger Krulak, in the press release below.
Note that the building looks to be seven stories tall, a far less ambitious project than the 32-story 461 Dean. As I wrote in my round-up for TreeHugger, the height of 461 Dean complicated construction, which included delays and leaks. (Developer Forest City Ratner and contractor Skanska USA are embroiled in lawsuits blaming each other for, respectively, poor design and poor execution.)
Also note that, at least based on clues from the FullStack Modular web site, this is the firm's only current project.
Still, the enthusiasm
Either way, given the problems at 461 Dean (see my City Limits coverage), it's a little jarring to see the same enthusiasm that was exhibited pre-construction to recur, as in National Review coverage ny Michael Hendrix:
Or, even, this October 2017 article from Curbed on prefab:
CITY ANNOUNCES PLANS TO BUILD OVER 160 UNITS OF MODULAR HOUSING IN EAST NEW YORK
Development team led by Thorobird and nonprofit BACDYS will partner with Brooklyn-based manufacturer FullStack Modular to create 167 units of affordable housing and a new community medical center on City-owned land using cutting-edge construction methods
NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced today plans to develop 167 units of affordable housing on City-owned land in the East New York section of Brooklyn. A development team led by Thorobird Companies along with nonprofit partner Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services (BACDYS) was selected through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process to move forward with their proposal to build a 100 percent affordable, mixed use development.
“Through Housing New York, we aren’t just producing affordable housing at record pace, we are looking to harness new solutions and innovative technologies to meet the needs of New Yorkers as quickly as possible. Modular construction is the next frontier in housing, and this project will help advance this new construction trend, while bringing 167 affordable homes to East New York, making good on a promise to the community. With the selection of a local minority-owned real estate firm and a trusted non-profit partner, this community-driven proposal represents a real win-win,” said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “I want to thank Thorobird Companies, BACDYS, FullStack Modular, and all our partners for helping us to write the next chapter in New York City’s housing history.”
"Affordable housing is welcomed and greatly needed in Brooklyn, especially in East New York. The number of low-income individuals and families who are unable to make ends meet or even have a place to call home is unacceptable," said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. "I commend the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's efforts in tackling this dire issue and look forward to the completion of the 167 units which will become home to the neediest members of our community."
The City sought proposals for development on the Grant Avenue Municipal lot in East New York, Brooklyn. The proposal reflects priorities and needs identified in the Community Visioning Report that was completed in 2018 and includes a mix of studios, one, two, three, and four-bedroom homes affordable to extremely-low, very-low, low-income, and formerly homeless households. The proposed project also features significant community space to be operated by a local nonprofit, a new medical clinic, and supportive services for homeless New Yorkers.
“The modular design allows us to provide not only the tailored affordable homes and related community amenities that the City Line community demands, but also an optimal production process. The homes will arrive faster, in a better quality and at a lower cost. Active design excellence includes a ground-breaking stepped down green roof and a ground level public plaza designed to give open space back to the community. In these ways, we are well-positioned to maximize positive social impact,” said Thorobird Managing Member Thomas R. Campbell.
“BACDYS is thrilled to be a part of this project in our community where we have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of residents. Our presence at this highly visible transit-oriented site will allow us to reach a significantly larger segment of the City Line population, enabling us to provide our signature services for women, immigrants, youth, and other local residents,” said BACDYS Founder and CEO Misba Abdin.
Manufacturing of the development will be completed by Brooklyn-based FullStack Modular, and design for the Grant Avenue project will be overseen by Think! Architecture and Design. The site is located at 581 Grant Avenue, next to the Grant Avenue subway station, within Brooklyn Community Board 5.
“FullStack Modular is honored to be chosen by the City of New York to help prove the efficiency and cost predictability that modular housing can bring. We are also proud to be part of an all-star NYC-based development team with deep roots in Brooklyn, and are excited to have a factory humming with good-paying jobs for New Yorkers,” said FullStack Modular Founder and CEO Roger Krulak.
Nonprofit partner BACDYS will oversee programming in the community space that will focus on serving immigrants, women and low-income community members. Additionally, there will be a medical clinic operated by Brooklyn-based BMS Health and Wellness, a Federally Qualified Health Center that sees patients regardless of their ability to pay or health insurance status, and supportive services for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness offered by Urban Pathways.
“FullStack Modular is honored to be chosen by the City of New York to help prove the efficiency and cost predictability that modular housing can bring. We are also proud to be part of an all-star NYC-based development team with deep roots in Brooklyn, and are excited to have a factory humming with good-paying jobs for New Yorkers,” said FullStack Modular Founder and CEO Roger Krulak, in the press release below.
Note that the building looks to be seven stories tall, a far less ambitious project than the 32-story 461 Dean. As I wrote in my round-up for TreeHugger, the height of 461 Dean complicated construction, which included delays and leaks. (Developer Forest City Ratner and contractor Skanska USA are embroiled in lawsuits blaming each other for, respectively, poor design and poor execution.)
Also note that, at least based on clues from the FullStack Modular web site, this is the firm's only current project.
Still, the enthusiasm
Either way, given the problems at 461 Dean (see my City Limits coverage), it's a little jarring to see the same enthusiasm that was exhibited pre-construction to recur, as in National Review coverage ny Michael Hendrix:
So we must build differently, and this is where modular housing can help. This moment is how FullStack Modular’s waterfront warehouse gave to Brooklyn the company’s 32-story modular tower — the world’s tallest — a reddish and gray-hued stack of residences staring down at the borough’s Barclays Center.(See my Twitter exchange with the author.)
Gazing up at the Tetris-like 461 Dean on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue, the massive tower of blocks that gave birth to FullStack Modular, imagining the future of housing doesn’t seem so hard anymore.
Or, even, this October 2017 article from Curbed on prefab:
In Brooklyn, Roger Krulak believes the time is right for his startup to crack the 10- to 45-story market. “There’s still a little hesitancy, but that hesitancy is diminishing,” he says. The 32-story 461 Dean project in Brooklyn is high-profile proof that it can be done, he says. And on the production side, the availability of advanced building technology helps, as do increasingly applicable best practices from the Japanese prefab industry—practices Krulak is gradually integrating into his own factory. In the end, it’s all about making it easier to get stuff built. If prefabrication offers an advantage over conventional construction—whether by lowering cost, shortening construction time, or reducing reliance on a shrinking pool of skilled labor—to Krulak, the choice seems clear.The 3/4/19 NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development press release, in full
CITY ANNOUNCES PLANS TO BUILD OVER 160 UNITS OF MODULAR HOUSING IN EAST NEW YORK
Development team led by Thorobird and nonprofit BACDYS will partner with Brooklyn-based manufacturer FullStack Modular to create 167 units of affordable housing and a new community medical center on City-owned land using cutting-edge construction methods
 |
| Renderings courtesy of Think! Architecture and Design |
“Through Housing New York, we aren’t just producing affordable housing at record pace, we are looking to harness new solutions and innovative technologies to meet the needs of New Yorkers as quickly as possible. Modular construction is the next frontier in housing, and this project will help advance this new construction trend, while bringing 167 affordable homes to East New York, making good on a promise to the community. With the selection of a local minority-owned real estate firm and a trusted non-profit partner, this community-driven proposal represents a real win-win,” said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “I want to thank Thorobird Companies, BACDYS, FullStack Modular, and all our partners for helping us to write the next chapter in New York City’s housing history.”
"Affordable housing is welcomed and greatly needed in Brooklyn, especially in East New York. The number of low-income individuals and families who are unable to make ends meet or even have a place to call home is unacceptable," said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. "I commend the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's efforts in tackling this dire issue and look forward to the completion of the 167 units which will become home to the neediest members of our community."
The City sought proposals for development on the Grant Avenue Municipal lot in East New York, Brooklyn. The proposal reflects priorities and needs identified in the Community Visioning Report that was completed in 2018 and includes a mix of studios, one, two, three, and four-bedroom homes affordable to extremely-low, very-low, low-income, and formerly homeless households. The proposed project also features significant community space to be operated by a local nonprofit, a new medical clinic, and supportive services for homeless New Yorkers.
“The modular design allows us to provide not only the tailored affordable homes and related community amenities that the City Line community demands, but also an optimal production process. The homes will arrive faster, in a better quality and at a lower cost. Active design excellence includes a ground-breaking stepped down green roof and a ground level public plaza designed to give open space back to the community. In these ways, we are well-positioned to maximize positive social impact,” said Thorobird Managing Member Thomas R. Campbell.
“BACDYS is thrilled to be a part of this project in our community where we have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of residents. Our presence at this highly visible transit-oriented site will allow us to reach a significantly larger segment of the City Line population, enabling us to provide our signature services for women, immigrants, youth, and other local residents,” said BACDYS Founder and CEO Misba Abdin.
Manufacturing of the development will be completed by Brooklyn-based FullStack Modular, and design for the Grant Avenue project will be overseen by Think! Architecture and Design. The site is located at 581 Grant Avenue, next to the Grant Avenue subway station, within Brooklyn Community Board 5.
“FullStack Modular is honored to be chosen by the City of New York to help prove the efficiency and cost predictability that modular housing can bring. We are also proud to be part of an all-star NYC-based development team with deep roots in Brooklyn, and are excited to have a factory humming with good-paying jobs for New Yorkers,” said FullStack Modular Founder and CEO Roger Krulak.
Nonprofit partner BACDYS will oversee programming in the community space that will focus on serving immigrants, women and low-income community members. Additionally, there will be a medical clinic operated by Brooklyn-based BMS Health and Wellness, a Federally Qualified Health Center that sees patients regardless of their ability to pay or health insurance status, and supportive services for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness offered by Urban Pathways.
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