A New Community Center in Brooklyn, With New Ideas

Architect George Ranalli's new Saratoga Avenue Community Center attempts to redefine the form by focusing on permanence and design.

1 minute read

January 15, 2009, 5:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


"For the past decade, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has been on a community center building binge. In the face of current economic conditions, many that are now ready to open their doors are facing the economic crunch, but remain optimistic that they will become active and important components of their communities.

Among them is one we've been following for several years (not unusual considering the bureaucracy and politics of a major metropolis). It is the Saratoga Avenue Community Center in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. NYCHA commissioned New York City-based George Ranalli, Architect to renovate an existing 1,500-square-foot community facility that is part of the Saratoga Village Apartments, a typical 1960s 16-story, mixed-income housing tower. The project, which serves the existing housing block and several other buildings sharing the site, also included a 3,500-square-foot addition located on Saratoga Avenue.

'This building attempts to look at the very idea of what civic buildings represent," says Ranalli. 'The design is a re-evaluation of public architecture and construction seen as durable, strong, and permanent.'"

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 in ArchNewsNow.com

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

30 minutes ago - CNU Public Square

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.