All Work

Marcus Garvey Extension

Brooklyn, NY

Marcus Garvey Extension completes C+GA’s two-phase revitalization of Marcus Garvey Village, redefining the community’s southern edge and establishing a vibrant new town center for the community. Rising above adjacent elevated subway tracks, the mid-rise development strengthens the existing Marcus Garvey Village low-rise fabric with affordable housing, community facilities, and community space that activates the public realm and creates a new focal point for community life.

C+GA’s infill buildings anchor the transformation of Marcus Garvey, forming a striking gateway along Livonia Avenue. Clad in white brick and set back from the property; the wider sidewalk brings in more light and encourages an active and social street life. The buildings are fully affordable, with 352 apartments, 140 supportive housing units dedicated to families coming out of shelters, and supportive services such as childcare, including offices for the supportive services providers, the Osborne Association and WIN (Women in Need).

The surrounding Marcus Garvey Village residential complex is a renowned 1970s New York State Urban Development Corporation complex designed by Kenneth Frampton and the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies. In 2013, C+GA undertook a renovation and energy retrofit of the 99-building, 626-unit complex, including rooftop photovoltaic panels and fuel cells. Central to the project was an effort to develop new identity and placemaking elements as well as community investments, including a renovated youth center and a new half-acre urban farm.

Marcus Garvey Extension is a model for the sustainable development of large all-electric multifamily buildings, applying innovative carbon reduction techniques to affordable housing such as a closed-loop geothermal system and a tight building envelope.

• Size: 370,660 SF
• Client: L+M Development Partners
• Award: Urban Land Institute Terwilliger Center Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing Finalist, 2024
• Award: Commercial Property Executive Best Design Mixed-Use Gold