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Tompkins Houses — Full History

Origins & Construction

2 Tompkins Houses is a NYCHA development located in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, bounded by Myrtle Avenue, Park Avenue, and Throop Avenue. 4 The complex has eight buildings, standing 8 and 16 stories high, with 1,048 apartments housing about 3,281 residents. The 11.98-acre complex was completed on July 31, 1964. 2 Like many public housing developments of its era, Tompkins Houses was created to provide affordable housing for working-class families during a period of rapid urban growth in New York City. Its construction was part of a broader postwar public housing boom — 5 the majority of NYCHA developments were built between 1945 and 1965. 5 The Authority boomed in partnership with Robert Moses after World War II as part of Moses’ plan to clear old tenements and remake New York as a modern city.

Design & Layout

2 Its design incorporated courtyards and playgrounds intended to encourage social interaction and to foster a sense of community. The complex includes a community center at 736 Park Avenue and a day care center at 730 Park Avenue, as well as a management office and storage buildings across its 11.98-acre footprint. The residential addresses span Tompkins Avenue, Park Avenue, Throop Avenue, and Myrtle Avenue.

Racial Integration Era (1964)

The year Tompkins Houses was completed was also a landmark year for NYCHA policy. 5In 1964, NYCHA ended a policy that had held apartments for white tenants in an attempt to integrate its developments. Tenants organized a rent strike in opposition to the policy, and the State Commission of Human Rights questioned whether the policy was in accordance with the state’s laws on discrimination.

Challenges Over the Decades

2 Over the decades, Tompkins Houses has faced many of the same challenges common to NYCHA developments, including delayed repairs, aging infrastructure, and periodic public safety concerns.

One particularly publicized incident came in 2016, when 13NYCHA apologized to residents of the complex who were living in deplorable conditions, dealing with everything from leaks to mold. The situation was so bad that a 13-year-old boy reached out for help on behalf of his mother after a pipe burst, leaving a gash in the ceiling. The water flowed for two weeks before a plumber finally fixed it. 13NYCHA stated: “We deeply apologize for the impact this had on the family.”

Public Safety & the Mayor’s Action Plan (2014)

14 Tompkins Houses was one of 15 public housing developments citywide targeted by the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety in 2014, where public safety increases had been slower than throughout the rest of the city. 14 The Tompkins Houses have seen a drop in crime, but gang violence has persisted. There were 27 major crimes reported between January 2018 and August 2018 in the 22 NYCHA developments that make up Police Service Area 3, which includes Tompkins. Those resulted in 15 arrests, mostly of residents between the ages of 16 and 24.

Community Organizing & NeighborhoodStat (NStat)

3 For over a year, a team of residents from Tompkins Houses met with neighbors, city agencies, and community-based organizations to prioritize the community safety issues most important to their development. These teams are at the heart of NeighborhoodStat (or “NStat”). The NStat team meets regularly and has been trained in surveying their community and generating solutions with concrete implementation plans. 14 A group of Tompkins residents, known as the development’s NeighborhoodSTAT team, proposed renovating the dilapidated basketball court and creating “From Blocks to Beats,” a program that teaches youth how to make and perform music. 3 In the past, outdoor events at Tompkins Houses were well-attended and residents connected around basketball tournaments that no longer happen due to the poor condition of the courts. 3 Through this process, the NStat team engaged Tompkins young adults (ages 16–24) in a 6-month Music Mentorship Program. With Grand Street Settlement and Building Beats, youth were paired with life coaches and participated in a series of workshops to develop their entrepreneurial and leadership skills through music.

The 2014 Police Tragedy & Community Center Renaming Proposal

In 2015, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries proposed renaming the Tompkins Houses community center in honor of two NYPD detectives who were tragically killed. 10“Renaming the Tompkins Community Center to coincide with the anniversary of the tragic assassinations of Detectives Ramos and Liu will respectfully pay homage to the ultimate sacrifice they made in defense of Bedford Stuyvesant.” Ramos and Liu were killed on December 20, 2014. “They’re going to be linked together forever in history as a result of those tragic assassinations,” said Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. “We want to lift up their legacy together because of their service and their sacrifice.”

RAD/PACT Conversion Plans

6 Tompkins Houses was included in one of NYCHA’s applications to HUD for inclusion in the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. 6 In 2011, Congress created a new way for housing authorities around the country to convert their buildings from public housing to Project-Based Section 8 via RAD. It is being used in cities around the country and advocates are organizing in response. Instead of being owned by the housing authority, after RAD conversion, developments will be owned by companies. 6 Key tenant protections that public housing residents have in New York survive a RAD conversion: all units in the converted development must remain permanently affordable, with rent not exceeding 30% of resident income.

Recent Investments & Fire Safety (2024)

11 House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced he secured $1.85 million for fire alarm upgrades at NYCHA’s Marcy Houses and Tompkins Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, through the government funding law. Of that total, 8 $850,000 was secured specifically for fire safety improvements at Tompkins, to completely overhaul the fire safety infrastructure for thousands of families. Tompkins Houses Resident Association President Gloria Johnson stated: 11 “It’s very important that we have that for the safety of the residents that’s within our development, which will help save lives.”

Resident Resilience

Despite decades of hardship, 2residents have consistently come together — forming tenant associations, building support networks, and participating in broader housing justice efforts across the city. The development continues to be served by community resources including the Grand St. Settlement Cornerstone Community Center, HRA outreach specialists, and DFTA community advocates.

In summary, Tompkins Houses has a history that mirrors that of many large NYCHA developments — born of a postwar effort to house working-class New Yorkers, tested by decades of underfunding and infrastructure neglect, yet sustained by a resilient and active community.

The Tompkins Houses is a public housing development operated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) located in the northern section of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.1 Its history reflects the broader 20th-century evolution of New York City, from 19th-century farmland to urban renewal and the rise of hip-hop culture.

1. Pre-Construction History (19th Century – 1950s)

Before the high-rise towers were built, the land (roughly 13 acres) was part of the rapid urbanization of Brooklyn.

• Early Landowners: In the early 19th century, the area consisted of large farms owned by prominent families such as the Lefferts and DeBevoise.12
• The “El” Era: By the late 1800s, the area had transitioned into a dense neighborhood of ornate row houses and brownstones.12 In 1888, the Myrtle Avenue Elevated (“El”) train opened, running directly alongside what would become the northern border of the Tompkins Houses. This train line shaped the commercial character of Myrtle Avenue for decades.1
• Urban Renewal: After World War II, the area was targeted for “slum clearance” under the direction of Robert Moses.134 The goal was to replace aging, low-rise tenements with modern, fireproof high-rises that featured “towers in the park”—abundant green space and open air between buildings.

2. Design and Opening (1960s)5

• Completion: The development was completed on July 31, 1964.16
• Namesake: It was named after Daniel D. Tompkins (1774–1825), the 6th Vice President of the United States and a former Governor of New York who famously advocated for the abolition of slavery in the state.12
• Architecture: The complex consists of 8 buildings (8 and 16 stories tall) containing approximately 1,048 apartments.14 Unlike earlier NYCHA projects that were strictly segregated, Tompkins opened during a period of shifting civil rights policies in New York, though it remained predominantly African American and Latino.
• Landmark Change: Just five years after the complex opened, the Myrtle Avenue El was demolished (1969), dramatically changing the streetscape by removing the iron shadows and noise that had defined the northern edge of the development.

3. Community and Cultural Impact (1970s – 1990s)