Tres Puentes

Organization Name: WSFSSH & Shakespeare Gordon Vlado Architects

Project Title: Tres Puentes

Project Location: Mott Haven, Bronx

Project Description:
Tres Puentes is an affordable senior housing development consisting of two new buildings sharing a campus with the Borinquen Court apartment building. The project includes 162,000 square feet of new construction, 175 apartments, a 4,500 sf Federally Qualified Health Clinic operated by Urban Health Plan, Inc., and a 1,300 sf local pharmacy. Including the Borinquen Court building, the campus contains 320 units connected by colorful sunlit corridors at the ground level. The three buildings are unified through design. Common spaces include community and laundry rooms, a social services suite, and four distinct outdoor gardens. All units are on a Project Based Section 8 contract with NYCHA and there is a 30% set-aside each for both homeless and seriously mentally ill units. In addition to the 22 units designed for mobility accessibility and 10 units for sensory accessibility, each unit is adaptable, allowing residents to age in place. A wide range of social services are provided by WSFSSH, including individual case management services, assistance with obtaining and maintaining entitlements, medical and mental health care, and pursuing educational and socialization opportunities.

Community Impact:
The Tres Puentes project is strategically significant as a cornerstone for a balanced, mixed-income evolution of the Mott Haven community. The site is located at two important pedestrian and transit pathways, is directly adjacent to numerous subway lines, and an eight minute walk up Third Avenue to the “Hub,” the retail heart of the South Bronx.

As Mott Haven changes, it is important to successfully balance new development with opportunities that benefit the longstanding residents. By improving the streetscape at a pivotal intersection with a healthy mix of retail options that can serve both old and new residents of the community, the commercial component of Tres Puentes encourages retail diversity along Third Avenue. Concurrently, by adding to the affordable housing stock and serving those with low- and extremely-low incomes, Tres Puentes protects the longtime residents who are most vulnerable to gentrification and housing market inflation.

The design of the buildings’ form and material language of the street-facing red-brown brick, with copper and navy metal panel details celebrate the nearby town houses of Mott Haven Historic District as well as the area’s industrial tradition.

Organization Description:
The West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing is a community-based organization responding to the need for low-cost housing. Our mission is to provide safe, affordable housing with supportive services within a residential setting that enhances the independence and dignity of each person. WSFSSH develops, manages and provides social services in housing for low income persons especially those who are older, have experienced homelessness and who live with mental illnesses. WSFSSH houses 2000+ people in 28 buildings in Manhattan and the Bronx.

Team Members:

Developer: WSFSSH
Architect: Redtop Architects/Shakespeare Gordon Vlado Architects
Structural: Silman
MEP: Dagher Engineering
Landscape: Joanna Pertz Landscape Architecture
Contractor: Procida