The lottery for a development that will yield 500 new affordable apartments to the south Bronx, a state-of-the-art YMCA and a BronxNet studio, is closing today, Aug. 28.
Located at 556 and 600 Bergen Ave. the two buildings will bring 494 units of affordable housing to Melrose, all of which are available for lease through this lottery. Apartments at La Central range from studios to four-bedrooms and are affordable to residents earning between 30 percent and 130 percent of Area Median Income (AMI.)
Half of all apartments are earmarked for residents of Community Board 1, which includes the south Bronx neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Melrose and Port Morris. Additional apartments are set aside for municipal employees as well as disabled applicants.
All units include stainless steel appliances and dishwashers. Building A and B amenities include a rooftop terrace, a GrowNYC-operated resident garden program, bicycle storage, an on-site superintendent and community rooms. Laundry and car parking are also available for an additional cost.
This phase of the development will also include a 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art YMCA located in Building A and a BronxNet television studio in Building B. The buildings are served by numerous public transit options, including the 2 and 5 trains as well as the Bx4, Bx19, Bx21 and Bx41—SBS bus routes.
Together the three phases of La Central comprise five individual buildings, which will include 992 affordable residences, a fully programmed interior landscaped courtyard, 80,000 square feet of community facility space, a public park, 45, 0000 square feet of retail and a roof-mounted telescope to be controlled by the Bronx High School of Science.
626 Bergen Ave., the first building completed at La Central and developed by Breaking Ground and Comunilife, opened in the summer of 2019 and created 161 apartments for formerly homeless veterans and New Yorkers with special needs as well as low-income residents. The final phase is expected to be completed in 2023 and will contain approximately 350 affordable apartments at a range of income levels.
To apply online, visit nyc.gov/housingconnect. More information can also be found by visiting www.LaCentralBronx.com.
