DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Real estate owner, operator and developer RXR recently celebrated the topping out of 89 DeKalb, a 30-story, all-electric residential tower that will provide affordable, market-rate housing and 55,000 square feet of classroom space for Long Island University.
Of the project’s 324 units, 98 are for middle-income households, an example of RXR’s attempt to address New York City’s housing crisis, Ivan Kondili, project director of construction and development, told the Brooklyn Eagle.
“There is clearly a housing shortage,” Kondili said. “Now is the right time to create a high-quality housing experience that is at least affordable for the middle class.”
A recent report by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander revealed that 2023 will be “the tightest real estate market in the city in over 50 years.” The report called New York City’s real estate market “one of the most expensive in the country.” In addition, The vacancy rate for apartments with rent below $1,650 was less than 1%it was said.
On August 13, RXR and LRC Construction held a topping-out press conference on the 22nd floor of the construction site overlooking the Brooklyn skyline.
“We are here today to not only celebrate this milestone, but also to recognize our partnership with Long Island University and to thank each and every builder and tradesman who has worked diligently to get us where we are today,” Kondili said.
Kondili pointed out that an average of around 200 workers per day were involved in the project, who installed over 14,000 cubic metres of concrete and 2,300 tonnes of steel reinforcement in just five months.
89 DeKalb, priced at over $200 million, is the second phase of RXR and LIU’s collaboration following their successful partnership on the nearby residential tower The Willoughby, which brought 476 residential units to market in 2021, as well as an adjacent sports field and parking for 564 vehicles, Kondili said.
89 DeKalb is expected to welcome its first residents in fall 2025.
“The first opening for residents is planned for October 2025,” Kondili said. “And the second phase for another group of floors should be ready around December 2025. Finally, the top floors will be online in February or March 2026.”
The facility also offers nearly 15,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor common areas.
Residents will have access to 24-hour concierge service, co-working areas, a resident lounge, a screening room, a library, a private dining room, an indoor and covered outdoor fitness center, and a spacious outdoor terrace.
The new academic space for LIU faculty and students will occupy the first three floors of the building and will have its own entrances and lobby accessible from campus.
Once completed, 89 DeKalb will bring RXR’s total number of new housing units in Brooklyn to approximately 1,500.
When asked if there will be a third phase of RXR, Kondili said: “We are in discussions with LIU to continue our partnership. We would certainly be happy to see a third and fourth phase in this area.”
RXR is a real estate and infrastructure owner, investor, developer and operator founded in 2007 by Scott Rechler. In 2023 The Financial Times reported that RXR will begin converting office buildings into apartmentsA costly and bureaucratic prosecutionThe company is also working on a $4.2 billion project at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
