Bruce Ratner’s 80 DeKalb Avenue by Costas Kondylis

Designed by Costas Kondylis, Bruce Ratner’s 80 DeKalb Avenue will be the developer’s first residential tower to rise in Brooklyn. The controversial Mr. Ratner will seek LEED certification for the $200 million project, claiming that the 34-story tower will incorporate a variety of low-VOC materials and use low-flow plumbing fixtures. The project broke ground back in July; earlier this week, Mr. Ratner closed on hard-to-obtain $110 million in tax-exempt bond financing from the New York State Housing Finance Agency for the tower, which will feature 73 affordable and 292 market-rate units. (Critics point out that this translates into a cost of $1.5 million in public money for each affordable unit). 80 DeKalb Avenue will remain affordable for 99 years, unlike most 80/20 (private/affordable) developments. Ratner plans on opening the project for leasing sometime next summer; the majority of the units will be studios and one-bedrooms.

• Ratner’s First Tenants (Brooklyn Papers)