INBOX: 13-Story Development Planned for Crown Heights – But Who Will this Housing Serve?

A major new development planned at the corner of Troy Avenue and East New York Avenue is raising concerns among Crown Heights residents about the direction of development in the neighborhood.

Permits have been filed for a 13-story, 94-unit mixed-use building at 767 East New York Avenue, with Yonah Grunhut of Grun Group LLC listed as the developer. The project would replace the former 770 Auto, a longtime car repair and maintenance shop, with a building that will dramatically change the site and surrounding streetscape.

The proposed apartments will average approximately 561 square feet.

That number has caught the attention of local residents, particularly in a neighborhood where many families are looking for larger, family-sized apartments. Critics question whether another development dominated by smaller units will do much to address the housing needs of Crown Heights families.

Community members also say the property was sold by a Lubavitch resident who owns the neighboring ODA building to a Satmar developer from Williamsburg, and that unused development rights from the neighboring property were included in the transaction.

The development is fueling a broader conversation about whether Crown Heights is getting the kind of housing it actually needs.

Residents point to Williamsburg and ask why projects of this scale and nature appear to face a different level of community scrutiny there. Why is Crown Heights so willing to accept development that may add density without providing the family-sized housing the neighborhood needs?

There is nothing wrong with development or new housing. The issue is what is being built, who it serves and whether the existing community benefits.

A 13-story building with 94 small apartments may increase the number of housing units, but that does not automatically mean it will make housing more accessible to the families who already live in Crown Heights.

As development continues to reshape the neighborhood, residents are increasingly asking whether Crown Heights is planning its future—or simply allowing developers to determine it.

The question is no longer whether Crown Heights will grow. The question is what kind of neighborhood that growth will leave behind.