GOWANUS — More than 56,000 people are vying for a chance to live next to one of America's most polluted waterways.
Some 56,058 applicants entered an online lottery for 86 affordable apartments at 365 Bond St., a new high-rise overlooking the contaminated Gowanus Canal, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development said.
HPD also received paper applications that were still being counted as of Friday. The application period for the affordable units ran from early November until Jan. 4.
MAP: WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOTTERY?
In about two months, randomly selected applicants will be interviewed and vetted to confirm their eligibility for the affordable apartments, which are set aside for low- and moderate-income households, according to HPD.
The affordable apartments in the 12-story luxury building will run as cheap as $833 a month for a studio. One-bedrooms will rent for $895. Renters must meet income guidelines: couples applying for the one-bedroom apartments must make between $32,092 and $41,460 a year and singles must make between $32,092 to $36,300.
The below market-rate apartments will be scattered throughout the building and all residents will use the same entrance, according to HPD.
Amenities at 365 Bond St., which is being developed by the Lightstone Group, include a 24-hour doorman, a fitness center with a yoga and spin room, a library and a children's playroom.
The building is scheduled to open this winter, a Lightstone spokesman said Monday.
Rooftop terraces at 365 Bond St. will provide a view of the Gowanus Canal, a 1.8-mile industrial waterway riddled with pollutants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is leading a massive cleanup of the canal that will take until at least 2021 to complete.
The Lightstone building will include a waterfront esplanade where the public can stroll along the canal, and it will be right next door to a "sponge park" that will soak up pollutants. Another high-rise, 363 Bond St., is still under construction next door to 365 Bond St. Together the two buildings will have 700 luxury rental apartments.
