NYC Turning To Modular Construction For New Affordable Housing Development
New York City is banking modular construction will make building quicker and cheaper, and is testing out the plan on a new building in East New York.
The city is planning a 167-unit complex at 581 Grant Ave., and will use modular construction to build it, The Wall Street Journal reports.
“Doing modular is a really important, long-term strategy for the city,” now-former New York City Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen told the Journal. “We know it saves time, and as it scales up, it will start saving money.”
Developer Thorobird Cos. is partnering with nonprofit Bangladeshi American Community Development & Youth Services to develop the project. FullStack Modular will build the units at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Using modular construction is expected to cut down the construction time by up to 30%, according to the Journal.
It’s not the first time modular has been used in the city, though it is early days for the technology. The Forest City-developed 461 Dean St. is the tallest modular building in the country, reaching 32 stories. AC Hotel by Marriott at 842 Sixth Ave. is aiming to be the tallest modular hotel in the world.
FullStack Modular CEO Roger Krulak has previously told Bisnow his firm is co-developing 20 Beach St. in the Rockaways as a prefab building financed by the city's Department of Housing, Preservation and Development.
He said pushing forward with advancements in prefabricated construction is an efficient way to build housing.
“Labor is not keeping pace with demand,” he told Bisnow earlier this year. "Almost every construction project isn’t on time or on budget. All those things drive solutions."
