Bronx Commons

Organization Name: WHEDco & BFC Partners

Project Title: Bronx Commons

Project Location: Melrose, Bronx

Project Description:
Bronx Commons, located at 443 East 162 Street, Bronx, NY 10451, is a 420,000 square-foot new construction of 305 permanently affordable studio, 1-, 2- and 3- bedroom rental apartments, which will serve formerly homeless families and individuals, including victims and survivors of domestic violence, as well as households earning between 30% and 110% of Area Median Income. The LEED-Silver building meets high environmental standards to offer a healthy, sustainable place for families and individuals to live, help reduce emissions that damage the environment, generate electricity through a rooftop solar panel array, and reduce utility costs for low-income residents. In addition, Bronx Commons will include a new, 150-seat public pre-kindergarten facility for three-year-old children, and ground floor, street-facing commercial space for small businesses and community programs like a restaurant/café, retail store, education programming, and workspace. Its cultural centerpiece will be the Bronx Music Hall, a 14,000 square-foot music, dance and cultural venue that will provide world-class studio, classroom, recording, exhibit and performance space to Bronx artists of all generations.

Community Impact:
Bronx Commons is the final piece of the puzzle of the Melrose Commons Urban Renewal Plan. The development utilizes best practices in affordable housing development by delivering a mix of deeply affordable and middle income housing, public space, community-focused retail and the cultural facilities.

•Housing: Bronx Commons will include 305 affordable apartments that will serve formerly homeless families and individuals, including survivors of domestic violence, as well as low- and middle-income households earning between 30% and 110% of Area Median Income.
•Green Space & Public Plaza: Bronx Commons will contain a central courtyard, green roof, and large, landscaped plazas with a street-level public amphitheater to be used for social events and space for green markets.
•Retail: The project will bring a 150-seat pre-kindergarten public school and other community-centric retailers.
•Bronx Music Hall: This 14,000 square foot cultural and educational space will be the centerpiece of Bronx Commons and will include a flexible performance space with approximately 250 seats; areas for exhibits; rehearsal spaces for music and dance; digital archives; a café; and outdoor performance/public recreation space.

Organization Description:
The Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation is a community development organization founded over 25 years ago on the radically simple idea that all people deserve healthy, vibrant communities. Working in the South Bronx, WHEDco builds award-winning, sustainable, affordable homes that serve as anchors for strong communities that residents can be proud of. BFC Partners has been a developer of affordable and market-rate housing in New York City for more than 35 years. Since the firm’s inception, BFC has completed over $5B in development.

Team Members:

Danois Architects
WXY Studio
Johnson & Urban
T.Y. Lin International
Steven Winter Associates
AKRF Engineering
Bright Power
Citi Community Capital
The Richman Group

Thank you for viewing NYHC's Community Impact Gallery. Please note: NYHC does not own or manage any property. If you have any questions about a specific building, please contact the project team listed. To apply for affordable housing opportunities, see housingconnect.nyc.gov or hcr.ny.gov/find-affordable-housing

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