Image credit: HPD.
One hundred percent affordable buildings will rise in the South Bronx. On April 20, 2018, construction began on two new buildings at La Central in the Bronx. The 1.2 million square-foot development is one of the largest mixed-income projects currently in development in the City. The buildings will be located at 556 and 600 Bergen Avenue.
The development team comprises of BRP Companies, Hudson Companies, Inc., The Kretchmer Companies, ELH Mgmt LLC, Breaking Ground, Comunilife and the YMCA of Greater New York. The La Central development will bring a total of five buildings and 992 mixed-income affordable apartment on formerly city-owned properties remaining in the Bronx. This is the second phase of the La Central development and was financed under New York City Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York, a Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan.
The buildings will be 12 and 13 stories tall and include a total of 496 new apartments. The buildings will be 100 percent affordable and service extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income households. A total of 220 units will be permanently affordable through the City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy. Units will be available through a lottery process with maximum income limits ranging from $20,040 to $80,160 for individuals and $30,930 to $123,720 for a household of five. The ground floors will be used for retail space.
The buildings will include solar panels, grey- and black- water recycling, and natural gas-fired cogeneration. The buildings will generate 250,000 watts of power through the solar panels. Residents and the community will also enjoy a new YMCA facility, a BronxNet TV studio, and a rooftop garden.
HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer praised the project and stated that through Housing New York, “we are harnessing the City’s precious remaining sites to pair much-needed affordable housing with the other opportunities that residents and communities need to thrive.” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. also expressed his thoughts on the project calling Law Central the “best of what we ask for in new development in [the Bronx.]” Borough President Diaz provided $1.5 million in capital funds to the project.
The project is financed through HPD’s and the Housing Development Corporation’s Extremely Low and Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) program. The investment includes public and private funds for a total of $335 million. Borough President Diaz provided $1.5 million in capital funds to the project. City Council provided $6 million.
To read the press release, click here.
By: Dorichel Rodriguez (Dorichel is the CityLaw Fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2017.)
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