NYC Picks Douglaston, Kinwood for 590-Unit Housing Project in Meatpacking District

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has selected two developers to construct nearly 600 housing units in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

Following a competitive request-for-proposals process, a joint venture of Douglaston Development and Kinwood Partners will build 590 units of high-quality, mixed-income housing at the Gansevoort Meat Market site on Little West 12th Street between Washington Street and 10th Avenue, according to a Friday announcement.

The development — which will also feature “vibrant” ground-floor community and retail space — will reserve up to 55 percent of the total units as permanently affordable, the announcement said.

As part of the greater Gansevoort Square redevelopment project, the developers will also expand the Whitney Museum of American Art and the High Line maintenance and operations facility as part of the development. In total, the project is expected to create 3,700 construction jobs and more than 160 permanent jobs, as well as $1.1 billion in economic impact.

“The transformation of Gansevoort Square exemplifies the Adams administration’s historic efforts to confront the city’s unprecedented housing crisis by delivering hundreds of new mixed-income units, expanding retail and open space, and creating thousands of jobs for New Yorkers,” Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of the NYCEDC, said in a statement.

“Building on the vibrancy of a beloved neighborhood anchored by world-class cultural institutions like the High Line and Whitney Museum, NYCEDC is proud to work with Gansevoort Square Partners to bring this vision to life for future generations of New Yorkers, right in the heart of Manhattan,” Kimball added.

The JV building the project isn’t new to the game. Douglaston has delivered more than 15,000 market-rate and affordable residential units across New York City, while Kinwood founder David Himmel has overseen major projects such as Chelsea Market and Pier 57, according to the announcement.

“Gansevoort Square represents everything we believe affordable housing should be — ambitious in scale, exceptional in design and built to last,” Jeffrey Levine, founder and chairman of Douglaston, said in a statement. “By delivering these permanently affordable homes without city subsidy, we’re proving the private sector can step up and meet New York’s housing crisis head-on while honoring the creative DNA of the Meatpacking District.”

The Gansevoort Square project is set to be designed by architects MVRDV and CetraRuddy, with residential construction expected to begin in 2028.

“We’re honored to help shape the next chapter of the Meatpacking District,” Himmel said in a statement. “We’re creating a place where world-class architecture, inviting retail, new public spaces and meaningful affordable housing come together to ensure this neighborhood thrives as one of New York’s most dynamic and inclusive places to live.”

News of the project comes after another recent development announcement from the NYCEDC.

Just this week, the NYCEDC chose Rybak Development to build a $350 million residential complex called Tilyou Towers, which will feature more than 500 units of mixed-income housing on Brooklyn’s Coney Island, as Commercial Observer previously reported.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.