Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, is leading an ambitious project to bring a range of services to the Bronx. This includes a renovated senior center, new laundry facilities, improved waste management, free Wi-Fi, outdoor green spaces, security, and the development and implementation of a social services program. The first phase of this project, known as Bronx Point, was funded by a combination of public and private capital. This included funding from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Housing Development Corporation, Empire State Development, Wells Fargo, and additional private funding. Edenwald Houses is the second largest New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) property in the state and the largest in the Bronx.
It has been around since the 1950s and currently provides affordable housing to more than 5,000 residents. The main funder of this innovative and sustainable project is New York City itself. It also meets the daily labor needs of the main garden workforce in DC37: construction service employees, engineers, carpenters and administrative staff who maintain NYBG as an open, accessible and safe sanctuary for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and their families who visit NYBG every year. The funds will support an intensive four-year construction period to fully rehabilitate Edenwald Houses. This is one of the oldest housing developments in New York City.
The project was designed by S9Architecture and Urban Atelier Group was responsible for its construction. Birch Family Services provides educational services to preschool and school-age children at its Pelham Bay Early Childhood Center in the Bronx, as well as other schools in the New York metropolitan area. The event marking the official inauguration of 542 new housing units in Bronx Point was jointly developed by L+M and Type A. It also included 2.8 acres of a new waterfront public park and esplanade open to the public. Each of Type A's projects is a testament to their directors' ability to skillfully direct and manage complex real estate projects in dense urban areas.
In addition to repairs to the building's exterior, this project will include improvements to kitchens, bathrooms, heating and cooling systems, mechanical systems, as well as addressing lead and asbestos hazards. The investment of municipal leadership in the Garden Operations Center and in projects across the Bronx demonstrates that Mayor Adams and his team recognize the unparalleled power of cultural organizations as drivers of economic strength and social dynamism. The funds will also allow MRNY to acquire technology to integrate digital literacy skills into classroom teaching during fiscal year 2023 and beyond. This will help address the growing technological divide that left low-income communities even further behind during the national transition to virtual platforms during the pandemic.
