NEW YORK—The new co-op building unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference in the Bronx on Wednesday displays all signs of luxury: spacious rooms, a gym, balconies and terraces, kitchen islands, and shiny wooden floors. From the balcony, however, the South Bronx, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the nation, comes into view.
Sixty-three low- and moderate-income families will move into the new affordable-housing co-op, located at 853 Macy Place in Longwood, the Bronx. Fourteen of the apartments are reserved for low-income families, who will achieve ownership with help from Habitat for Humanity-New York City.
The eight-story building includes six one-bedroom units, 47 two-bedroom units, and 10 three-bedroom units, as well as parking for 16 vehicles and a fully equipped fitness center.
As the lucky residents walked through the halls of their future home, excitement and expectation filled the air.
“I am extremely excited,” said Nazlin Warner, one of the residents moving to the new building with the assistance of the Habitat for Humanity. “Now I am in a situation where I need housing desperately. This has offered me the opportunity to own my own co-op apartment, as opposed to paying exorbitant prices for rent.”
To qualify, Warner had to prove that she had a need for housing, a stable income, and a good credit score, as well as to put in 200 hours of work on the building as part of the Habitat program.
“Home ownership is very important for neighborhoods like this,” said Josh Lockwood, executive director for Habitat for Humanity-New York City, before the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Home buyers care about local schools and public safety and care about the look and feel of the neighborhood in a way that renters often don’t. Having ownership here helps to transform the whole nature of the neighborhood—not just this building, but the streets around it.”
The Building is named The Melody to honor the long musical tradition of the Bronx. The musical theme is apparent in the design of the building, which features music piped into the staircases, music-themed paintings on the walls, and music score-shaped hand rails.
Sixty-three low- and moderate-income families will move into the new affordable-housing co-op, located at 853 Macy Place in Longwood, the Bronx. Fourteen of the apartments are reserved for low-income families, who will achieve ownership with help from Habitat for Humanity-New York City.
The eight-story building includes six one-bedroom units, 47 two-bedroom units, and 10 three-bedroom units, as well as parking for 16 vehicles and a fully equipped fitness center.
As the lucky residents walked through the halls of their future home, excitement and expectation filled the air.
“I am extremely excited,” said Nazlin Warner, one of the residents moving to the new building with the assistance of the Habitat for Humanity. “Now I am in a situation where I need housing desperately. This has offered me the opportunity to own my own co-op apartment, as opposed to paying exorbitant prices for rent.”
To qualify, Warner had to prove that she had a need for housing, a stable income, and a good credit score, as well as to put in 200 hours of work on the building as part of the Habitat program.
“Home ownership is very important for neighborhoods like this,” said Josh Lockwood, executive director for Habitat for Humanity-New York City, before the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Home buyers care about local schools and public safety and care about the look and feel of the neighborhood in a way that renters often don’t. Having ownership here helps to transform the whole nature of the neighborhood—not just this building, but the streets around it.”
The Building is named The Melody to honor the long musical tradition of the Bronx. The musical theme is apparent in the design of the building, which features music piped into the staircases, music-themed paintings on the walls, and music score-shaped hand rails.
Mark Naison, chairman of African-American studies at Fordham University, has studied the history of the neighborhood for years. As he described the great names of jazz who have performed in the few blocks around the building, he inflated with enthusiasm. Local clubs provided venues for many famous artists, including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Tito Puente. Naison said he was moved by the building’s choice to celebrate local culture, symbolizing the re-growth of the neighborhood.
“This was a vacant lot,” Naison said, proceeding to give a short history lesson. “Every time you see a vacant lot in the Bronx, the chances are it was a five-story walk-up with a fire escape that was abandoned. Every time you see a vacant lot, something burned.”
“I think the Bronx is definitely resurrecting, but it is resurrecting for the people who live here,” he added. “I live in Park Slope, where there used to be abandoned lots and now it is gentrified. It is all rich people. That is not happening here. It is being built-up for the immigrant people in this community and that is great.”
The building was designed to meet strict green standards and earned a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) Platinum designation. It is also the first residential building in the city to achieve the LEED Innovation Credit for Physical Activity, as presented in the NYC Active Design Guidelines. It includes a fitness center, outdoor exercise paths with exercise stations, and bicycle storage facilities.
The project was developed under the mayor’s New Housing and Marketplace Plan, an $8.4 billion initiative to finance 165,000 units of affordable housing. According to the city, 113,131 units of affordable housing have been built to date through the plan.
Lockwood hopes that providing residents with affordable housing will ignite an engine of change for the entire community. He would like to see the residents become active with the local school and public safety initiatives. “Part of the Habitat model is that families built their own home, but we find that even after that families continue to volunteer. I expect that the 14 Habitat families working on this building will continue to volunteer elsewhere,” he concluded.
“This was a vacant lot,” Naison said, proceeding to give a short history lesson. “Every time you see a vacant lot in the Bronx, the chances are it was a five-story walk-up with a fire escape that was abandoned. Every time you see a vacant lot, something burned.”
“I think the Bronx is definitely resurrecting, but it is resurrecting for the people who live here,” he added. “I live in Park Slope, where there used to be abandoned lots and now it is gentrified. It is all rich people. That is not happening here. It is being built-up for the immigrant people in this community and that is great.”
The building was designed to meet strict green standards and earned a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) Platinum designation. It is also the first residential building in the city to achieve the LEED Innovation Credit for Physical Activity, as presented in the NYC Active Design Guidelines. It includes a fitness center, outdoor exercise paths with exercise stations, and bicycle storage facilities.
The project was developed under the mayor’s New Housing and Marketplace Plan, an $8.4 billion initiative to finance 165,000 units of affordable housing. According to the city, 113,131 units of affordable housing have been built to date through the plan.
Lockwood hopes that providing residents with affordable housing will ignite an engine of change for the entire community. He would like to see the residents become active with the local school and public safety initiatives. “Part of the Habitat model is that families built their own home, but we find that even after that families continue to volunteer. I expect that the 14 Habitat families working on this building will continue to volunteer elsewhere,” he concluded.
