As 2015 came to a close, a development hit the market to make the case for modular construction in New York City: Carmel Place, the city's first all-micro-unit building made up of 55 modular units constructed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Construction at the Kip's Bay site began in 2014 and apartments were ready to be "stacked" by the next spring. Stacking the micro units only took about four weeks and the finished product, by Monadnock Development and nArchitects, was deemed impressive upon its launch this November. And in a city that's pushing an aggressive affordable housing policy, being able to quickly stack apartment units seems like one viable way to quickly build. But this March, the company that designed said modular units, Capsys Corp., will shutter its Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse due to rising rents, after finishing a modular development in East New York. That leaves one modular manufacturer in the city, Forest City Modular, which announced potential layoffs for this year.
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