From Abandoned Landmark to Luxury Living: The Remarkable Transformation of St. John’s College into The Hartby in Brooklyn

A Vision Born in the Heart of Brooklyn

When Matt Linde, CEO of People Restoring Communities, and Udi Kore, Founding Partner at Avenue Realty Capital, first set foot inside the long-abandoned St. John’s College campus in Bedford-Stuyvesant during the summer of 2017, they saw more than a crumbling building they saw possibility.

For the two men who grew up in the area, the opportunity to reimagine this historic site was both a professional milestone and a deeply personal mission.

image credit @brooklynpaper

“It looked like a great place to shoot a horror movie peeling paint, broken windows, birds flying inside,” Linde recalls. “But with its high ceilings, arch windows, and beautiful bones, it wasn’t hard to imagine what it could become.”

A Storied Past Dating Back to 1869

The building’s history stretches over 150 years. Originally constructed in 1869 as the College of St. John the Baptist, it later became St. John’s College and eventually St. John’s University, New York before the campus relocated to Queens in 1972.

Following its closure, the Roman Catholic church next door, St. John the Baptist, repurposed the property over the decades from a nunnery to a boarding school but eventually, it fell into severe disrepair.

Preserving History While Creating Modern Luxury

From the start, the church made its priorities clear: preserve the architectural integrity of the building while transforming it into something that served the community.

In 2018, Linde secured a 99-year ground lease from St. John the Baptist, allowing the partners to build, operate, and manage the property until the lease’s expiration after which it reverts back to the church unless renewed.

To make the project possible, the partners invested $3.7 million to acquire the lease and structured the lots so the church retained its tax-exempt status while the redeveloped property was subject to regular taxation.

A $103 Million Redevelopment Project

The transformation was a monumental undertaking:

• Funding: $72.1 million construction loan + $31.5 million private equity

• Construction Start: 2020

• Scope: Addition of a new wing, underground parking garage, and a seamless connection between the old and new structures

• Result: The Hartby a 205-unit luxury apartment building

Unit breakdown:

• 147 one-bedrooms

• 48 studios

• 10 two-bedrooms

Affordable Housing Commitment: 62 units designated for affordable housing, with rents starting at $2,495 via NYC Housing Connect. Market-rate units range from $3,130 to $6,950 per month.

Amenities Blending Past and Present

The Hartby celebrates its historic roots by retaining original features like exposed brick walls and a chapel window, now integrated into the design. Residents enjoy:

• Landscaped courtyard and winter garden connecting to the historic church

• Fully equipped gym and yoga room

• Business center and resident lounge

• Underground parking garage

Strong Community Reception

Leasing began in April 2025, and by mid-year, the building was already 70% leased and 50% occupied, with full occupancy expected by September.

Neighbors and community members have praised the thoughtful restoration, and even the church leadership expressed astonishment at the transformation.

“They were in awe,” Kore says. “They saw it in disrepair for decades, and now it’s a Brooklyn landmark again one that will hopefully be part of this neighborhood forever.”

The story of The Hartby is a testament to the power of adaptive reuse in real estate honoring history while meeting modern housing needs. For Bedford-Stuyvesant, this project is more than luxury living; it’s the revival of a piece of Brooklyn’s architectural and cultural heritage.