Thomas and Lilly Keller Manor

Organization Name: Brisa Evergreen I, LLC

Project Title: Thomas and Lilly Keller Manor

Project Location: 917 Westchester Avenue & 944 Rogers Place, Bronx, NY

Project Goals:
The two new sister buildings being developed at 917 Westchester Avenue and 944 Rogers Place include goals of providing quality affordable housing to the residence of the South Bronx, strengthening the community fabric by providing spaces for community service, unifying the street wall, and by blending gracefully into the existing urban fabric with a sensitive material palette native to the area.

Project Description:
Thomas and Lilly Keller Manor is a mixed use development that introduces 83 new quality housing apartments and a church community facility into this South Bronx neighborhood. The two buildings are designed to activate the community along Rogers Place between Horseshoe Park at the north and the commercially vibrant Westchester Avenue to the south. The new Church and its entrance are located prominently on the corner of Westchester Avenue and Rogers Place for greatest visibility while the residential entrances to the two buildings are placed diagonally across from each other to foster community at the quieter, midblock location. In addition to creating community with the location of the church community facility and residential lobbies, each building has a planted roof terrace that is visible from the other sister building across the street. Interior community spaces are located next to each lobby on the ground floor and a green space that can be used for gardening and small gatherings.

Community Impact:
In addition to Thomas and Lilly Keller Manor providing needed afford- able, quality housing in this neighborhood with the highest poverty rate of any urban neighborhood in the country, the twin buildings will complete the street wall of Rogers Place between Westchester Avenue and Horseshoe Park making for an attractive, family oriented, safer residential tree lined street. Also, by meeting Community Green standards, Thomas and Lilly Keller Manor will conserve energy and keep money in the hands of its residents by reducing the cost of energy usage. TLK Manor will support healthy living by providing its residents with the advantages of housing near public transportation as well as near services such as medical and health support groups and daily shopping needs such as food, clothing, pharmaceuticals and dry goods.

Organization Description:
Heritage Architecture LLC is a twenty person firm with locations in Midtown Manhattan and Newark NJ. Brisa Evergreen I, LLC is a venture between Brisa Builders Corporation, Brisa Builders Development Group LLC, and Evergreen City LLC. It is a MWBE certified entity with a wealth of experience in the affordable housing market in New York and New Jersey.