TOTEM’s Herkimer Williams plan seeks rezoning for up to 1,230,000 sq ft development with 1,000 affordable homes and jobs space

Developers behind the Herkimer Williams proposal presented a rezoning and large‑scale general development application on Aug. 20 that would enable roughly 1,230,000 square feet of new development at Broadway Junction, including up to 1,000 permanently income‑restricted homes, new commercial and light industrial space, and roughly 25,000 square feet of public open space.

Vivian Liao, a principal at TOTEM, described the project as “a generational project, that has the potential to turn what is currently dirt storage and parking lots into affordable housing, new open space, a potential branch of CUNY, space for new jobs and employers, while also preserving industrial jobs and providing growth opportunities for local businesses.”

Project components and timing: the applicant said the first phase would deliver housing concentrated in one building and would use an Extremely Low and Low‑Income program (referred to in the presentation as the ELLA program) to create more than 230 deeply affordable units in the first phase. Later phases could add housing and up to about 440,000 square feet of commercial space plus about 100,000 square feet of light industrial space. The team offered CUNY a free option for up to 85,000 square feet of community facility space and said the final mix of uses could shift: if a large community facility occupies more area, residential counts in that building would be reduced (applicants gave a range of roughly 263 to 384 units depending on how the community facility space is configured). Totem said the earliest construction would follow completion of MTA ADA work at Broadway Junction.

Economic and workforce commitments: the applicant said it has been developing a local workforce pipeline and a proposed East New York Green Economy Institute — a partnership with community organizations to provide low‑cost workspace, business support and job training — to link new industrial uses and area IBZ businesses. The team said it is working with unions, including Local 79 and SEIU Local 32BJ, and expects prevailing wages and benefits for property service jobs; an applicant representative said they are “actively working with the laborers who are in the room, and 32 BJ to be represented on that project.”

Public testimony at the borough president’s hearing was strongly supportive: speakers from Local 79, SEIU Local 32BJ, the Local Development Corporation of East New York, the East Brooklyn BID, public‑housing resident leaders and multiple East New York residents urged approval, citing jobs, union wages, and permanently affordable housing. Reginald Bowman, chairman of the Brooklyn East District Council of NYCHA, said TOTEM’s regular engagement with resident leaders was “a unique experience” and urged support. Unions and community leaders emphasized local hiring, training, and MWBE commitments in their remarks.

Procedural status: the application was certified on June 2 and is in the early stages of ULURP. The developer said environmental review and continued community outreach are underway and that they continue to collect public feedback through an online survey. No land‑use vote was taken at the borough president’s hearing.