City officials recently gathered in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx to celebrate the commencement of construction at 2050 Grand Concourse. Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, the 13-story building will contain 96 affordable apartments, comprehensive support facilities for the formerly homeless, and residential amenities.
Specific support services include low-cost medical services, vocational training and employment placement, transportation services, nutrition and general education services, home-making assistance, and mental health counselling. The building will also serve as the new headquarters for Bronx-based nonprofit, Unique People Services, Inc., the entity credited as lead developer for the project.
Residents will have access to a large community room equipped with a kitchen, a laundry facility, storage rooms, and two landscaped rooftop terraces.
“As part of our overall efforts to build and preserve affordable housing and combat homelessness, the 2050 Grand Concourse project will provide 96 affordable apartment units for individuals with mental illness and HIV/AIDS who formerly experienced homelessness, along with low- and moderate-income families in the area,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.
“The project also builds on our initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change, receiving funding as part of NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence Competition. We are seeing real renewal and progress in the Bronx, and we are continuing to strengthen the local economy and enhance quality of life for all residents.”
Funding for construction, estimated at $61 million, was provided in part by the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
As part of state-level sustainability initiative, the building’s energy-efficient design includes high-performance exterior insulation, solar panels, high-efficiency HVAC systems, recycled building materials, low-flow plumbing fixtures, low-VOC paints, solvents, and adhesives, and Energy Star windows, lighting, and appliances.
“Developments like this one provide a supportive environment for residents and critical community services so that the entire Fordham Heights neighborhood can grow and thrive,” said HCR commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas.
“When complete, 2050 Grand Concourse will offer a fresh start to 96 households and a new headquarters for Unique People Services to carry out their important work for New Yorkers in need.”
Since 2011, HCR has invested more than $1.2 billion to create or preserve over 16,000 affordable homes in The Bronx. For 2050 Grand Concourse, the agency contributed $7.4 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $21.3 million in equity, $17.7 million from the Supportive Housing Opportunity Program, and $3.5 million from the federal Housing Trust Fund.
