Woodlawn Senior Living

Organization Name: RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc.

Project Title: Woodlawn Senior Living

Project Location: Woodlawn, Bronx

Project Description:
Woodlawn Senior Living (Woodlawn), awarded TCO in August 2021, is an 80-unit Affordable Independent Residence for Seniors (AIRS) located at 69 East 233rd Street in the Bronx. The building consists of 59 studio units, 20 one-bedroom units, and 1 superintendent’s unit. No less than 30% of units will be occupied by formerly homeless persons referred to the project by the City of New York. Project Based Section 8 Vouchers were awarded to 79 of the 80 units to ensure permanent affordability for persons who are at least 62 years old. The project is replete with green infrastructure to conserve water, energy recovery ventilation, solar paneling, gardening spaces, and high albedo surfaces to absorb sunlight—all designed to make holistic living tech-integrated and more accessible. Woodlawn was a private acquisition, a win for the community to convert vacant, dilapidated structures into state-of-the-art, passive-house designed, affordable housing. The development team employed safety protocols prior to the COVID-induced State shutdown, minimizing construction downtime. And, despite a daunting amount of rock chopping endemic to the Bronx, Woodlawn was completed on time and on budget.

Community Impact:
Woodlawn will be Passive House certified and will feature a constant filtered supply and exhaust of ventilation to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), a vital feature to combat the spread of COVID. Electric stoves will reduce carbon impact and preclude harmful cooking gas emissions. RiseBoro has partnered with MIT to track Woodlawn’s long-term IAQ performance.

Woodlawn’s chamfered exterior design of highly efficient windows and walls will maximize thermal comfort and noise attenuation. Outdoor seating and a walking path to a community room café articulate the rear garden, while WiFi hot spots are available inside. The parking area features a tenant garden, EV charge stations, and a solar array to offset building usage.

Beyond the built environment, RiseBoro’s supportive services prioritize resident wellbeing by targeting physical, mental health, and cognitive issues. We aim to delay and prevent institutionalization by encouraging tenants to age in place through social services that include home visits, escorts for medical visits and enhanced individualized support and educational and recreational programming including art instruction, computer courses, yoga, dance, exercise, and ESOL classes

Organization Description:
Since 1973, RiseBoro Community Partnership has offered services designed to support every generation and meet the needs of communities. Our unique model of holistic community revitalization works by developing neighborhood assets, like affordable housing, to create the foundation for a more vibrant and diverse community. We build upon this foundation with programs designed to connect people to resources to help everyone in the community thrive, especially our most vulnerable populations.

Team Members:

Developer: RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc. General Contracting: Briarwood Organization Building Design: Paul Castrucci Architects

Legal: Goldstein Hall & Associates

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