St. James Terrace

Organization Name: Concern Housing

Project Title: St. James Terrace

Project Location: Fordham Neighborhood, Bronx

Project Description:
St. James Terrace is a mixed-use building comprised of 102 units (studio, 1-, 2- and 3-bedrooms). Staff provide on-site supportive services, focusing on assisting residents attain skills necessary to live as independently as possible. This 9-story building is located adjacent to the historic St. James Episcopal Church. This project was selected in a competitive Request for Proposal process conducted by the Church in 2019. Moreover, the project was required to obtain NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission approval, which was granted in 2020. St. James Terrace was designed to create a respectful backdrop for the Church. Outward facing facades have rusticated brick, complementary to the stone of the Church, & frames around grouped openings recalling the sandstone trim at the fenestration. The courtyard, which serves as an entryway to the Community Center & Church, was designed to create a connection between the new & historic buildings. The new Community Center replaced the existing Parish Hall as the location of the Church's food security & social services program, which will include financial wellness seminars, community space, and an after-school program for school-aged children in the neighborhood

Community Impact:
As is well known, the housing market in NYC remains tight. The citywide vacancy rate is only 4.5%, and for apartments that are at or below $800, the rate is only 1.15%. Furthermore, the Bronx had the lowest overall vacancy rate at just 2.71%. This translates into just 10,558 available rentals in a borough of over 389,210 rental apartments, and leaves households with low incomes little to no housing choice.

St. James Terrace meets identified needs of the community by providing safe, sustainable and affordable housing; access to integrated medical and behavioral health care; the provision of culturally competent services; budgeting and financial literacy; vocational training; empowerment-driven recovery planning; amongst other internal and external resources and services. In addition to providing supportive services, St. James Terrace has complied with all Housing Finance Agency (HFA) required energy efficiency and sustainable standards, including any required compliance with the Climate Bond Initiative. The internal building systems have been carefully selected and right-sized to conserve energy while meeting building performance criteria.

Organization Description:
Concern for Independent Living, Inc. (dba Concern Housing) has 50 years’ experience developing and managing a diverse inventory of housing stock. Concern is a non-profit agency committed to helping individuals and families live in the community with dignity and enhanced opportunities through the provision of housing and supportive services. We currently serve over 1,550 individuals and families in over 275 sites. Concern offers a variety of housing options with individualized support services designed to nurture personal growth and independence.

Team Members:

Duvernay + Brooks and BD Capital (Supporting Org.'s), COR-SRVS (Construction Mgr./Owner’s Rep.), Betts Housing Partners (Financial Housing Consultant), Nixon Peabody (Attorney) and Dattner Architects.