Bedford Green House II

Organization Name: Project Renewal; ESKW/Architects

Project Title: Bedford Green House II

Project Location: Bronx, NY

Project Description:
Developed under HPD’s supportive housing program, Phase II of the Bedford Green House will create 88,000 square feet of new housing, community, and clinic space. The 17-story development provides 116 units of studios, 1-, and 2-bedroom units—a majority of which are for extremely low-income seniors. The building will offer community spaces including a youth library/resource center, gym, and recreational gathering room. A neighborhood health clinic appears at the ground level and features its own entry and street presence. The project’s rear courtyard will serve both Phase I and II, fostering community and interactions between the populations. The communal facilities are also available to all. Like Phase I, Phase II is prioritizing sustainability and vegetation. The project will include a rooftop solar panel array as well as integrated plantings at the setback roofs, and it is targeting LEED Gold certification. Also, the presence of exposed bedrock led to eliminating the cellar and locating the utility rooms on the second floor.

Community Impact:
Bedford Green House will create an inviting streetscape through landscaping along the sidewalk frontage, and seats at the setbacks that will encourage residents and neighbors to engage with the building. Highlighting the front yard will be a colorful community playground—with two slides, jungle gym, and musical instruments—that will be accessible to children of families who live in the building, as well as community residents.
“A critical pillar of the Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan is creating sustainable, high-quality, affordable housing. The start of construction of Bedford Green House, a LEED designed supportive housing development that will provide homes and a rooftop garden and vertical farm to foster healthy living, represents a significant milestone towards that commitment. Through HNY 2.0, our accelerated and expanded housing plan, we will continue to build on the policies and programs already set in motion to ensure that neighborhoods like those surrounding Jerome Avenue are anchored by affordability and opportunity for generations to come," said former HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer, at the groundbreaking of the first phase of the project.

Organization Description:
Project Renewal’s mission is to end the cycle of homelessness by empowering individuals and families to renew their lives with health, homes, and jobs. Their innovative programs are designed to end the revolving cycle. For over 50 years, their pioneering approach has created uniquely integrated and comprehensive solutions, and their programs are replicated around the nation, helping even beyond the 15,000 homeless New Yorkers Project Renewal serves every year.