Atlantic Yards Is Getting a Makeover — But Not Everyone’s Convinced It’s Truly Affordable

If you’ve followed housing issues in New York, you’ve probably heard about Atlantic Yards — the huge project around the Barclays Center that’s been in the works for decades but hasn’t delivered most of the promised affordable housing. Well, a new plan just dropped that tries to jump-start the development, but it’s stirring up frustration in the community.

Here’s what’s going on: a new development team is proposing to build about 10,000 total housing units in the area — up from the roughly 6,400 originally envisioned — with taller towers and updated designs to make the project financially viable. They’re talking about skyscrapers up to 775 feet tall, which would reshape that part of Brooklyn’s skyline.

They’re also raising the income eligibility limits for the “affordable” units. Instead of aiming at lower-income thresholds like in earlier plans, this version would make apartments available to individuals earning up to around $130,000 a year and families of three earning as much as $200,000 — something that many advocates point out isn’t really affordable for most Brooklyn residents struggling with rent.

That’s a big deal because one of the core promises of Atlantic Yards (or Pacific Park, as it’s also called) has always been to deliver deeply affordable housing alongside all the new development. But after years of delays and broken deadlines — including a previous developer failing to build hundreds of units on time — some local leaders are skeptical that this new iteration will actually deliver the homes Brooklyn needs most.

Community members and civic leaders have been pushing for clarity on how many affordable units will be built and at what rent levels, and they want more transparency during the planning and approval process. That’s especially important in a city where so much housing talk ends up meaning expensive “affordable” units that average residents still can’t realistically access.

So this Atlantic Yards update is a mixed bag. On one hand, it could finally get a stalled megaproject moving again after more than two decades. On the other, how “affordable” affordable housing actually is in this plan remains a big question. For anyone who cares about housing justice in NYC, this is one to watch — especially as public workshops and community feedback sessions continue in early 2026.

Read full article here: https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/12/136529-nycs-new-atlantic-yards-plan-would-bring-taller-towers-and-raise-income-limits?