Workers began demolishing the East Wing of the White House on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. The construction is part of President Trump’s plan to build a ballroom, which will repo…
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Day: October 21, 2025
An affordable housing lottery has launched for an almost fully affordable nine-story development on Bushwick’s Dekalb Avenue, not far from Maria Hernandez Park and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center. Studio apartments start at $788 a month and three-bedrooms at $1,346.
The lottery for the development under construction at 1601 Dekalb Ave. includes 80 units, all rent stabilized and income restricted, targeted at households of one to seven people earning between $30,823 and $241,080 a year, or between 40-120% of Area Median Income, according to the listing.
While the development is dubbed 100% affordable by city standards, with all apartments income restricted and rent regulated, the 46 apartments targeted at families earning 120% of AMI are on the pricier side. The bigger units are close to or higher than Bushwick median asking rent in September, which was $3,500 a month, according to StreetEasy.
In the truly affordable category are 14 studio apartments set at $788 and $1,760 a month, eight one-bedroom units renting for $996 and $2,211 a month, four two-bedroom apartments priced at $1,178 and $2,636 a month, and eight three-bedroom apartments for $1,346 and $3,031 per month. At 120% AMI, there are 46 units including studios at $2,319, one-bedrooms at $2,910, two-bedrooms at $3,475, and three-bedrooms at $4,000 a month.
The nine-story building has a total of 126 apartments. The 45 not included in the lottery are set aside as supportive units for formerly homeless New Yorkers and there will be on-site support services for those residents, according to part of the development team, Riseboro.
The complex at 1601 Dekalb Avenue has been developed in a partnership between Riseboro and Camber Property Group, and is designed by Aufgang Architects. The building includes a shared laundry room, bike storage, and a community center, while apartments have air conditioning, dishwashers, and high-speed Internet, according to the listing.
While the listing doesn’t mention anything about pets, smoking, or utilities, a website for the development says tenants must pay for electricity, but not heat or hot water, and pets under 30 pounds are allowed. Tenants are allowed up to two pets, but they must be different species.
Renderings show a very utilitarian looking building that steps up from four stories on one end to the full nine stories at the other, all with a uniform grey brick facade and evenly spaced square windows. Apartments have white walls, wooden floors and cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances, along with full bathtubs, the renderings show.
The development has risen on a large site that sits mid block on Dekalb Avenue and spans through to Hart Street, between Irving and Wyckoff avenues. City records show in 2016 Riseboro and Camber Property Group, through 1601 Dekalb Owner LLC, took out a 99-year ground lease for the site, which had been used for parking, effective from 2020 from the longtime owners Two Guys From Glendale, Inc. There was no price recorded with the agreement.
In 2018, city records show, the site was rezoned from manufacturing to residential, allowing for a new nine-story building; at the time the rezoning had some locals worried about the impact on small businesses on Wyckoff Avenue. A new-building permit was applied for in June 2021 and was last reissued in April 2024. City records show the building is yet to obtain a certificate of occupancy.
The developers used the city’s new Mix and Match program to finance the new development, and also had to follow the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program due to the rezoning.
The 1601 Dekalb Avenue lottery closes on November 5. To apply, visit the listing on New York City’s Housing Connect website.
This story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site Brownstoner.
Ramiz Mehdiyev – AM 10/21/2025
Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, was placed under four months of house arrest in mid-October 2025 on charges of treason and attempting a coup.
Arrest and charges
Charges: The 87-year-old Mehdiyev is accused of treason, attempting to seize state power by force, and money laundering.
Coup plot: According to reports in Azerbaijani media, Mehdiyev allegedly devised a plan with Russian support to oust President Ilham Aliyev and install a provisional state council with himself as its leader.
Russian involvement: Reportedly, Mehdiyev pitched the plan to Moscow earlier in 2025 during a period of strained relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. However, Russia later betrayed Mehdiyev by informing Aliyev of the plot during a meeting between the two presidents in Dushanbe in October 2025.
Investigation: The charges resulted from an investigation by the State Security Service, which obtained a court order for his house arrest.
Context: Mehdiyev’s dismissal in 2019 and a public scandal involving his granddaughter’s wedding in 2020 are seen as early signs of his falling out of favor.
Background
Political career: Mehdiyev was a powerful figure in Azerbaijani politics, known as the “grey cardinal.” He served as the Head of the Presidential Administration for nearly 25 years under both Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev.
Academician: After his 2019 dismissal from the presidential administration, he served as the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan from 2019 to 2022.
Current status: He currently remains a member of the Security Council of Azerbaijan.
Ongoing developments: Mehdiyev also faces the potential revocation of his state awards and titles.— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 21, 2025