Bay View Houses

Designing

Nov 6

Written By Sustainable Digital

Location
Brooklyn, NY

Status
Designing

Construction Completion
Estimated 2029

Site Area
34 acres total; 27 acres of open space

Construction Cost
$12.5M

People Served
3,459 residents

Concept Plan
New City Parks

Harlem PACT Partner Team
MDG Design & Construction, Infinite Horizons, Wavecrest Management

Contractors
MDG

Special Features
Open Lawns, Walking Paths, Improved Recreational Areas, Stormwater Management Resiliency Features

Located in the Canarsie neighborhood in Brooklyn, Bay View Houses includes 23 residential buildings, housing 3,459 residents with 27 acres of open space. Built over 70 years ago and named for its sweeping views over Jamaica Bay, it was once considered the ‘country club’ of NYCHA developments. Over time, the infrastructure and landscape have severely deteriorated. Its location on the Bay now presents significant resiliency challenges. The campus is situated within a 100-year floodplain and a Hurricane Category 3 evacuation zone, making it highly vulnerable to storm surge–related flooding. In addition, during the summer months, the campus faces a Level 4 heat vulnerability index.

Partnering with NYCHA, Bay View PACT LLC (MDG Design & Construction, Infinite Horizons, and Wavecrest Management) and the Bay View Resident’s Association, New City Parks is transforming Bay View’s abundant but underutilized open space by realigning designs with the needs and interests of the residents and stormwater considerations. Residents are actively engaged in every step of the design process. NCP has forged these partnerships to design, finance, and put on the ground sorely needed, well-designed green spaces as an integral part of Bay View’s overall campus upgrade.

The outdoor spaces have been reimagined more cohesively as a series of connected green spaces anchored by a central plaza. The central plaza will feature a great lawn for relaxation as well as community events, surrounded by seating areas positioned to maximize socialization. New fitness stations and playgrounds will support accessible, intergenerational play, fitness, and recreation. Upgrades will be made to the currently closed community center, including a new basketball court. Strategically placed smaller seating alcoves with benches, plantings, and ornamental pavements will offer quieter spaces for contemplation and introspection. All of the improvements will incorporate extensive subsurface stormwater and flood catchment infrastructure.

As part of its focus on working alongside the community, the PACT partner team will offer training and employment opportunities for Bay View residents during the construction process. NCP is working with Bay View Tenant Association leadership to provide programming once the outdoor space is completed. As buildings are renovated, open space construction will begin in phases, estimated to start in 2027.