The Prince George
The Prince George provides permanent, affordable housing for 416 low-income and formerly homeless adults and persons living with HIV/AIDS. Built in 1904, the residence was once one of New York City’s premier hotels; after many years of decline, it was rehabilitated by Common Ground and reopened in 1999. The Prince George is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Prince George combines permanent affordable housing with a range of on-site social services provided by Common Ground’s social service partner, the Center for Urban Community Services. Individualized support services help tenants put their lives back on track and manage their housing, employment, and health-related needs. Services are available Monday through Saturday to all tenants. Property management services, including 24-hour security, are provided by Common Ground’s affiliated not-for-profit property management company, Common Ground Community.
Tenant Services staff offer programs and activities to enhance a sense of community. Activities include financial self-sufficiency workshops; nutritional and acupuncture services; monthly visits from a traveling dental van; yoga and painting classes; and a Community Supported Agriculture partnership that provides tenants and neighborhood residents with weekly deliveries of fresh organic produce at affordable prices.
The Prince George is equipped with a state-of-the-art security system and features a well-appointed lobby, a computer laboratory, an art studio, and 24-hour laundry facilities. The building also has two spacious garden spaces, including a rooftop garden that hosts 11 community garden plots through a collaboration with the New York Horticultural Society and the Green Team Project.
Rooms are fully furnished, with private baths, kitchenettes, and ceiling fans.
In 2005, Common Ground completed the restoration of the 5,000-square-foot Prince George Ballroom. Working with four other non-profit groups, including Alpha Workshops, Parsons School of Design, Brooklyn High School of Preservation Arts, and YouthBuild, the Neo-Renaissance ballroom was completed as a design-build project by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects.
A volunteer committee working with Common Ground raised the $1.5 million restoration budget from private individuals, foundations, and government agencies focused on job training and preservation. World Monuments Fund has located its permanent exhibition space at the entry foyer/gallery, designed and built by architecture students of the Parsons School of Design. The Prince George Ballroom is now an event venue, available for rental with proceeds supporting the expansion of Common Ground’s housing development work. For more information on the Ballroom, visit www.princegeorgeballroom.org.
Another historic space within the building, the Ladies Tea Room, has also been fully restored. Equipped with a commercial kitchen, the space is used for tenant events and is available for rent to the public.
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