Demolition is expected to begin within the next 10 days at the former St. Nicholas Home property in Bay Ridge, marking the next phase of a long-planned project to build a new public high school. The work will clear four properties at 437, 439, 441 and 445 Ovington Ave. to make way for the school, which is expected to open in fall 2028, according to News 12 Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Eagle.
The New York City School Construction Authority plans to build a 35,000-square-foot, five-story high school on the site. The fully accessible, air-conditioned facility will have 676 seats, including District 75 seats for students with significant educational needs, such as autism, cognitive disabilities, emotional disabilities and sensory impairments.
"Fort Hamilton High School is one of the most overcrowded high schools in the city of New York, and this will hopefully alleviate some of that overcrowding," said Josephine Beckman, district manager of Community Board 10.
The school is also intended to help relieve overcrowding at nearby schools, particularly Fort Hamilton High School, while accommodating projected growth in Brooklyn's high school population — the School Construction Authority estimates more than 71,000 students by 2027.
The site has served the Bay Ridge community for more than a century, operating as Bay Ridge Hospital from 1912 to 1976 before becoming St. Nicholas Home, a long-term care facility for older adults. The site was a fabric of the community for many years, said Beckman.
Some residents, however, have raised concerns about increased traffic congestion, existing crowding around nearby schools and whether the new school will primarily serve Bay Ridge students. Community Board 10 voted against the proposal in an advisory vote in 2023, but the project continued after building permits were filed in December 2024.
Nearby residents are expected to receive notice of the demolition's exact start date in the coming days.
