An underutilized NYCHA waste facility in the south Bronx will be turned into nearly 200 units of supportive and affordable housing.
On Dec. 17, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) announced the closing of Melrose North, which will result in the creation of 171 units of supportive and affordable housing in Morrisania. Construction will begin in January.
The site is located at 925 Courtlandt Avenue between East 162nd Street and East 163rd Street, a vacant lot that housed a trash compactor.
“Bringing new construction projects to underutilized NYCHA sites allows us to simultaneously balance the city’s need for more affordable housing stock alongside the Authority’s need for more funding to advance necessary capital renovations,” said NYCHA Executive for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia.
The 12-story development includes 51 studio apartments, 53 one-bedroom apartments, 55 two-bedroom apartments and 11 three-bedroom apartments as well as one superintendent unit, with 103 units set aside for homeless households and the remaining 67 available to households earning at or below 80 percent of AMI.
The supportive housing units will be set aside for individuals and families that are homeless, victims of domestic violence or suffering from substance abuse or mental health disorders. NYCHA residents will be given preference for 17 of the units.
Amenities for this project include community and computer rooms, an outdoor gym, laundry rooms, a play area, community garden and a sun terrace on the 11th floor.
Services for the Underserved SUS) social services will be housed on the ground floor of the building and offer supportive services to residents. Additionally, Melrose North will feature approximately 5,000 square feet of community facility space to be used as a youth arts education facility operated by the DreamYard Project. Bronx Pro Group and S:US will work closely with BronxWorks to train NYCHA residents in relevant construction skills and hire them throughout the construction process.
Melrose North will be built to Passive House standards, resulting in 60 to 70 percent less energy consumption compared to the average New York City apartment building. The development will also include a new public ADA-accessible ramp to the northbound Metro-North station adjacent to the site.
Lastly, a new permanent waste facility for the Morrisania Air Rights NYCHA development will be built on the ground floor of the development to replace the current waste one on the project site.
