Downtown Brooklyn is experiencing a surge in housing development, setting new records for the number of residential units completed and planned for the area.
A recent report from the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership’s real estate team, as cited by Crain’s New York Business, indicates that more than 3,700 housing units were finished in the first half of 2025. An additional 1,183 units are expected to be completed before the year ends. This total surpasses the previous record of 2,925 units completed in 2022.
Between April and June alone, developers delivered 3,334 new units in Downtown Brooklyn. Of these, 1,048 are designated as affordable housing. Since a rezoning effort in 2004 aimed at boosting office space and expanding academic and retail facilities, affordable units now account for about 12 percent of the nearly 27,000 residences built in the neighborhood.
“This is the constant evolution of Downtown Brooklyn,” said Regina Myer, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “It’s an incredible trajectory.”
Myer added that this growth is likely to continue following recent city initiatives. The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan—part of Mayor Eric Adams’ broader rezoning efforts—is projected to add approximately 82,000 new housing units across New York City over the next fifteen years.
A separate analysis by The Real Deal found that between June 2024 and June 2025, Downtown Brooklyn led all city neighborhoods for new residential units proposed through building permits filed with the New York City Department of Buildings.
The latest report details twelve projects scheduled to begin construction soon. These will bring another 2,246 housing units—including 437 affordable apartments—and about 73,100 square feet of retail space to Downtown Brooklyn. Looking further ahead, twenty-five additional projects could deliver at least another 4,412 homes (1,098 affordable) over future years.
One major project highlighted is at 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension. The site was recently rezoned to allow a residential tower spanning roughly 1.5 million square feet with up to 1,263 apartments; between 253 and 379 will be set aside as affordable housing.
Despite robust activity on the residential side, commercial leasing has not kept pace. A recent study noted that office leasing volume remains slow as demand lags behind an oversupply created over two decades.
