A large-scale afforable housing rezoning proposal that would drastically alter Wakefield’s landscape if approved, was recently revealed.
The White Plains Road and East 241st Street rezoning plan would convert that block’s zoning from an M1-1, manufacturing zoning district to an R7D/C2-4 high density, residential one.
The zoning change request was submitted by Enclave on 241st LLC, a development company that plans to develop a 9-story mixed-use building on a vacant parcel at 714-722 E. 241st Street. The ground floor would contain commercial space, with 186 affordable housing units spread over floors 2 to 9 on the site of a former Getty gas station.
The project’s total square footage of 163,394, would be split between 137,422 square feet for residential space and 25,972 for commercial space.
In conjunction with the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program, the development would reserve half the units for tenants earning below 60 percent of the area median income, with the balance offered to those at 80-100 percent AMI.
The Enclave on 241st developers agreed to fund the rezoning of the entire block, bounded by White Plains Road, East 241st Street, Furman Avenue and East 240th Street, that includes sites not included in this project, a deal that pleased all parties involved, from the city, right down to Community Board 12.
As for CB12, the zoning change application was well received by its board members, as not a single member voted against the project.
“This is an area without a lot of housing density and that’s something we’ve wanted to change,” said CB12 district manager George Torres, explaining that the block would be a prime location for future large-scale development.
“We’ve been waiting (for a proposal like) this for a very long time. Something this community needs is affordable housing and opening up 186 units in one location is something that this board couldn’t be more in favor of,” he added.
Because this development is an MIH project, it will not be required to include a tremendous number of on-site parking spaces. Since 714-722 E. 241st Street sits next to the Wakefield- 241st Street/White Plains Road #2 IRT station, public transportation adequately services the project and therefore the parking requirements have been reduced.
Only 20 parking spots will still be included rather than the standard 40 plus.
The profitability of the project was greatly enhanced by the limited parking requirement. “Not having to make way for parking has definitely made this project more feasible moving forward,” Torres mentioned.
There is one more hurtle to clear that would make this project and the others to follow beneficial to all Bronxites, and CB 12 is addressing the matter.
The board is presently petitioning the MTA to have an elevator installed at the IRT station to make it handicap-accessible.
All that’s left to move this project along is completion of the uniform land use review process (ULURP).
Having already passed a NYC Planning Commission review, said rezoning is just steps away from being signed off by the mayor.
Currently no other affordable developments are planned for this portion of East 241st Street.
