From crime scenes to affordable homes: Brownsville’s abandoned police station gets new life
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A boarded-up NYPD station in Brownsville is trading its handcuffs for house keys—but not everyone’s celebrating.
The 1980s-era precinct at 1546 East New York Avenue will soon become 95 affordable apartments, sparking fierce debate in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
"Everything’s expensive nowadays. We definitely need affordable housing," said Randy Placencio, who walks past the decaying building daily. "If it’s just a rundown property no one’s using, let’s make it space, let’s make it affordable."
Developers Xenolith Partners and Family Services Network of New York plan to reserve 60% of units for residents needing mental health, addiction, or HIV/AIDS support services, with rents capped for households earning 40-60% of the area median income. The $51.5 million project—funded by tax credits and public-private financing—will include a community health center, fitness room, and laundry facilities.
Yet some neighbors push back. "They put tenants in for a couple of months and put them out. That’s not nice," one resident told PIX11. Another worried the development could "bring all the ghetto into it."
The stationhouse’s transformation comes as another affordable building rises nearby. For Placencio, the project represents redemption: "If it had a bad rep in the past, it could be something positive in the future."
Demolition is expected this spring.