September 10, 2025
Highlights at a Glance
- 4,600 new homes, including up to 1,550 permanently affordable units, reshaping Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
- $235 million in city investments for safer streets, parks, tenant protections, and small business support.
- A new Special Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use District, unlocking jobs, housing, and vibrant ground-floor spaces.
We at the New York City Commercial Real Estate Advisors (NYCCREA) are excited to share why Atlantic Avenue is Brooklyn’s Best CRE Opportunity in 2025. After more than a decade of community input, this plan was officially adopted by the City Council on May 28, 2025, and it represents a bold reimagining of one of Brooklyn’s most important east–west corridors.
Stretching across a 13-block area of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, this transit-rich corridor has long been underutilized—zoned for low-rise industrial uses since 1961. With demand for housing soaring and job space constrained, Atlantic Avenue stood frozen in time while neighborhoods around it thrived.
Now, that’s changing. And for commercial real estate, the opportunities are enormous.
Key Features of the Plan
- Zoning Map Amendments: Tailored to specific blocks and corridors, allowing more housing, requiring affordable housing, and encouraging job-generating uses.
- Special Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use District: Ensures a lively streetscape with residential, commercial, light industrial, and community facility uses—plus rules for setbacks, bulk envelopes, and façade articulation.
- Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH): Guarantees 25% permanently affordable housing on private sites, with deeper affordability on city-owned sites.
- Housing Production: About 4,600 new homes, including 1,150–1,550 permanently affordable units.
- Public Investments (~$235M):
- Redesign of Atlantic Avenue for pedestrian safety and connectivity.
- Renovations to five local playgrounds: Dean, St. Andrew’s, John Hancock, Potomac, and James Forten.
- Beautification of Franklin Avenue Station with public art, cleaning, and new furniture.
- Tenant protection programs including legal services, counseling, and outreach.
- Workforce training, Hiring Halls, and small business support to strengthen the local economy.
- City-Owned Development Sites: New affordable housing at 542 Dean Street (150 senior homes + open space), 516 Bergen Street (110 homes), 457 Nostrand, and 1110 Atlantic Avenue.
Impacts on Commercial Real Estate
- Unlocking Development Potential: Rezoning replaces outdated industrial limits, opening doors for housing, retail, offices, and community facilities.
- Stronger Retail Corridors: Requirements for active ground-floor uses will boost pedestrian traffic and retail vibrancy along Atlantic and Bedford Avenues.
- Job Growth Catalyst: With 828,000 sq. ft. of commercial and community space and 2,800 projected jobs, the corridor is primed for business expansion.
- Public Realm Enhancements Drive Value: Safer streets, redesigned corridors, and upgraded parks increase attractiveness for tenants and investors alike.
- Stability Through Tenant Protections: Affordable housing mandates and anti-displacement programs help balance growth, ensuring long-term neighborhood viability.
- Flexibility for Developers: FAR adjustments, parking waivers, and open-space incentives give projects room to adapt to today’s market demands.
Why We’re Bullish for 2025 and Beyond
We view the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan as a transformational moment for Central Brooklyn. For decades, outdated zoning stifled growth along one of Brooklyn’s busiest arteries. Today, that bottleneck has been removed, replaced with a holistic strategy that blends housing, affordability, jobs, transit, and public realm investments.
As brokers, we see an extraordinary pipeline of opportunity: mid-rise mixed-use projects, vibrant retail corridors, affordable housing anchored by city commitments, and commercial spaces designed for modern businesses.
2025 marks the beginning of this transformation. For investors, developers, and tenants, Atlantic Avenue isn’t just catching up with the neighborhoods around it—it’s about to set a new standard for inclusive, profitable, and sustainable growth in Brooklyn.
For the latest news, proven strategies, and exclusive opportunities in commercial real estate in New York City and Western Nassau County NY, visit us at www.nyccrea.com
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Reference:
Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, Department of City Planning
