Rick Gropper

Over the last year, Rick Gropper and his team at Camber Property Group have been working to provide New Yorkers with more affordable housing, growing the development company’s presence within the city and even expanding beyond its borders.

“The past year has been really exciting for Camber — we’re in growth mode in New York City and nationally. We’ve started on projects both in pre-development and in construction, totaling over 2,000 units and over $1 billion in total cost,” Gropper said. “That includes some really impactful and exciting projects, including the renovation and recapitalization of Linden Plaza in East New York, Brooklyn.”

Early last year Camber closed on its $845 million public-private partnership to acquire Linden Plaza, an 11-building, 1,527-unit affordable housing apartment complex. Since the closing, Camber has been renovating the complex, making improvements throughout each unit, and fixing the infrastructure within the buildings, including the heating systems.

“Linden Plaza is a very important Mitchell-Lama property that is highly distressed and has been a really challenging project,” Gropper said, referring to the state housing program. “It required working very closely with many different city agencies to get to a closing. And now to turn it around — I think that, in and of itself, was a big win and represents a lot of the work that we’re known for.”

Camber also completed the first two phases of its Stevenson Square project, a $1 billion, 1,000-unit, 100 percent affordable Bronx-based housing community. Camber is just about to start the next phase of pre-development on another of the complex’s 250 units.

Over the last year Camber has expanded its reach outside of New York City, working to bring more affordable housing to Pittsburgh with a 500-unit project, as well as to Erie, Pa., and Manchester, Conn. The firm also has a 200-unit project in Cleveland currently under development. 

The team at Camber views providing people with high-quality, affordable homes as a critical mission, one they all take very seriously and do with great pride.

“Camber is a team of dedicated professionals,” Gropper said, “that are energetic, aggressive, creative, and are known for doing what’s right, whatever it takes.”