St. Nicks Alliance moves forward on Kingsland Commons redevelopment after DHS relocation plan

A 18-story affordable apartment building on the former Greenpoint Hospital site in East Williamsburg has topped out, with windows installed and exterior work continuing. The structure, located at 89 Maspeth Avenue and 300 Skillman Street, is part of the Kingsland Commons redevelopment, a four-phase project to transform the 3.4-acre campus into a mixed-use community.

St. Nicks Alliance and Hudson Companies were selected by the city in 2018 to develop the site. The new tower will contain 311 units for households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income, along with 93 units for formerly homeless residents. A representative for St. Nicks Alliance stated that current pricing sets a studio apartment at $2,268 and a two-bedroom unit at $2,916. The building is scheduled for completion in early 2027.

The second phase of the project involves the renovation of the main hospital building into senior housing and the demolition of the north wing. This work has been delayed because the Department of Homeless Services currently operates two 200-bed shelters on the property. DHS moved approximately 200 people to the main building after the closure of the Bellevue Hospital shelter in Manhattan.

In September, local residents rallied outside DHS headquarters, demanding the agency leave the site to allow construction to proceed. A St. Nicks Alliance representative told Brownstoner this week that DHS recently informed local officials and the community board it will vacate the site in spring 2027. The representative noted that having residents in the building complicated financing efforts and created uncertainty regarding the next steps.

The development team is currently in financing talks with the city’s Housing Preservation and Development department. Plans remain to renovate the main building, which will house 109 senior apartments, and to demolish the north wing and the former power plant. A new 14-story building with 137 units is planned for the site of the power plant.

The spokesperson said the organization hopes to start construction on phases three and four in 2028. Once complete, the project is expected to take 28 to 30 months. The complex will include a health clinic, retail space, and a pedestrian corridor linking the neighborhood halves separated by the site.

Phase one was completed in March 2026 with the opening of the Barbara Kleinman men’s shelter in the former Nurses’ Residence. The hospital complex, which dates to 1913, has been under city ownership since 1982. The city transferred the lot at 1 Debevoise Avenue to Greenpoint Hospital Shelter HDFC in December 2022 and the lot at 89 Maspeth Avenue to an HDFC linked to St. Nicks Alliance in June 2024. Both transfers were recorded at a price of $1.