April 28, 2022

$65.7M development of Hanson Place Community Plaza will offer 104 quality, affordable homes and new community and healthcare resources

Brooklyn, NY, April 28, 2022 – Today, Hanson Place Church Support Corporation (Hanson Place SDA), MDG Design + Construction (MDG), New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Citi Community Capital (CCC), The Richman Group, and partners celebrate the groundbreaking of Hanson Place Community Plaza. The $65,708,000 Hanson Place Community Plaza project will stimulate economic growth and revitalize the Fort Greene neighborhood through the creation of 104 quality, affordable homes and 22,000 square feet of community space.

Located in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, Hanson Place Community Plaza will offer an 8,000 square foot medical center with affordable healthcare programming for the community; conference rooms and office space to expand Hanson Place SDA’s impact and reach in Fort Greene; and a 250-person multi-purpose room.

The multi-purpose room is being designed specifically for three community programs: Adventurers Youth Mentoring Program, designed to strengthen parent-child relationships through weekly, specialized activities for children between the ages of 6 and 16; music education and enrichment programs held by Hanson Place SDA; and a nonprofit meeting space for local organizations to gather.

“We have been working and waiting a long time for this day, so I am so excited to be breaking ground on the Hanson Place Community Plaza project,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “I supported this project as borough president, and I’m proud to be here as the mayor to see it get underway. We are creating housing, creating jobs, and creating community — this is exactly what our city needs.”

“This project is a dream come true for the leadership and membership of the Hanson Place Seventh-day Adventist Church,” said Elder Jeremiah Cox, President of the Hanson Place Church Support Corporation, sponsor of the project. “Since our coming into the Fort Greene community sixty years ago, the church has impacted the community through religious, educational, cultural and welfare programs, and now, we cherish the opportunity to break into the area of providing affordable housing for community residents. We are indeed grateful to the developers and those agencies that combined to provide the funding to make this project possible.”

The 13-story site will have rents affordable to extremely low- to moderate-income households and will incorporate green and sustainable design features. Additionally, the project will be involved in HPD’s M/WBE Build Up Program with the goal of exceeding the participation of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises required for construction.

“Hanson Place Community Plaza showcases the City’s efforts to pair affordable housing investments with neighborhood amenities that will strengthen the community,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “When complete, the project will bring more than 100 affordable homes, a new medical center, and community space operated by nonprofit Hanson Place SDA. Thanks to our development partners for making this impactful project possible.”

“With the addition 104 affordable homes, healthcare services, and vital social programming for our youth, Hanson Place Community Plaza will strengthen the Fort Greene neighborhood and ensure greater opportunity for future residents,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “Thanks to Hanson Place SDA for all they do to support the community and congratulations to all our partners on the start of construction of this dynamic project.”

“Projects like Hanson Place Community Plaza that lift up and support the local community are critical to the continued growth of Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, and we at MDG are thrilled to be breaking ground on this exciting new project today,” said Michael T. Rooney, founding principal of MDG Design + Construction. “Thank you to all our incredible partners and their shared commitment to cultivating neighborhood growth throughout New York City.”

Financing for the project includes funding from HPD and HDC’s Mix & Match Program and $2.8 million in Resolution A (Reso A) Capital Funds from Mayor Eric Adams, former Borough President, and Council Member Laurie Cumbo.

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About Hanson Place Church Support Corporation
Hanson Place Church Support Corporation (HPCSC) is a community affiliated not-for-profit of the Hanson Place Seventh-day Adventist Church. HPCSC has acquired real estate and become a social services advocate for needed services in the Brooklyn community. Currently, HPCSC’s primary services are a food pantry, a music program for the community, and providing a meeting space for an women-led AA group.

The organization’s mission is to:

1. Develop programs in connection with the education of disadvantaged children, youth, and adults.
2. Cooperate with other organizations serving the educationally disadvantaged.
3. Encourage parent and community involvement to expand educational and other service facilities for children and adults in Fort Greene.
4. Give primacy to the human and spiritual values of life and to encourage honesty, charity, and sobriety.
5. Purchase, plan, develop, and provide services without any restrictions or limitations to the community.

About MDG Design + Construction, LLC
MDG Design + Construction (MDG) is a leading real estate firm that develops, constructs, and manages quality affordable housing. MDG specializes in the moderate rehabilitation and new construction of residential apartment buildings in New York, New Jersey, and Florida, and is the industry leader in occupied rehabilitations. For nearly 30 years, our hands-on approach and people-first philosophy has resulted in effective collaborations with developers, tenant organizations, community groups, and staff to produce high quality homes that residents are proud to live in. To date, MDG has created or preserved 19,000 units of affordable housing and is responsible for over $1.9 billion in construction and development. Learn more at www.mdgny.com.