A New Chapter Takes Shape: Model Units Open at Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus Houses

At Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus Houses, a process of planning, listening, and collaboration is now taking visible form through new kitchens, new bathrooms, and tangible improvements residents can see and experience firsthand.

Mega/Technico JV, the selected design-build team for Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus Houses in Brooklyn, has completed and opened model units at both developments to showcase new stoves, refrigerators, kitchen flooring, backsplashes, cabinetry, and other appliances, along with fully upgraded bathrooms. These improvements reflect the choices residents at each development voted on following a series of design workshops and material reviews earlier in the year. Participation in the design selection process was strong, with approximately 50 percent of heads of household at each development casting votes.

The Wyckoff Gardens model unit opened for residents to visit on September 9. The Gowanus Houses model unit opened on September 16. More than five hundred residents have now toured the units across both sites and have been delighted to see the scale and quality of the upgrades that are about to be implemented in their apartments.

The Wyckoff Gardens model unit opened for visits on September 9, Gowanus Houses’ opened on September 16, and over five hundred residents have now visited to see what’s coming for themselves.

“I have lived here long enough to see plans come and go, and residents are tired of hearing about what might happen someday,” said Valerie Bell, Resident Association President at Wyckoff Gardens. “When people walked into that model unit, they could finally see something real. It meant something. It showed respect for our time and our voices, and it showed that the work is finally moving.”

“Our residents worked hard for this. We showed up, we voted, and we made our choices clear,” said William Reid, Resident Association President  at Gowanus Houses. “The model unit is proof that our voices were not just heard but respected. That matters in a community that has waited far too long for real improvements.”

The completion of the model units at Wyckoff Gardens and at Gowanus marks an important milestone in the modernization process; it is the product of the design-build team’s coordinated work with residents and resident leadership, advocacy groups, and city stakeholders. It has been a collaborative process in which residents have been actively involved in important decisions about the renovation of their homes, decisions that will affect their families’ quality of life for years to come.

At Gowanus Houses, the first phase of in-unit construction is scheduled to begin the week of February 17, 2026, with three buildings. The design build team will start with eight apartments and add additional groups of eight units every five to seven days. Each group is expected to take approximately 30 days to complete, including temporary relocation, construction, and residents’ return to their apartments.

At Wyckoff Gardens, construction will begin once remaining permit approvals are finalized. A confirmed start date will be shared with residents when available. Construction there will proceed in three phases, each anticipated to last approximately four to six months, with residents temporarily out of their apartments for about 30 days.

As construction moves forward, the model units demonstrate what is possible when residents are engaged early and meaningfully. This process has translated participation into visible improvements, ensuring that progress is not just discussed, but delivered in ways that make homes more comfortable, functional, and reflective of the people who live in them.