Breaking Ground and Partners Celebrate The Opening of New Supportive Housing in the Bronx
New Building Marks the Completion of the Webster Avenue & Park House Development Bringing 418 Affordable & Supportive Homes to the Bronx
THE BRONX, NEW YORK – Breaking Ground, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and New York State Homes & Community Renewal (HCR) today celebrated the opening of the Webster Avenue residence, a new 170-unit supportive and affordable housing site for the homeless, those with special needs, and low-income New Yorkers. The opening marks the completion of the entire Webster Avenue and Park House complex, two buildings designed by COOKFOX Architects joined by a landscaped courtyard, bringing a total of 418 new affordable units for families and the formerly homeless with on-site support services.
“Breaking Ground has been serving New York City for nearly three decades, helping individuals and families by providing high-quality supportive and affordable housing with critical support services. Today, we are proud to continue that legacy with the new Webster Avenue residence,” said Brenda Rosen, President and CEO of Breaking Ground. “We are thrilled to open the full Park House and Webster Avenue development, bringing more than 400 beautifully designed affordable apartments to the Bronx that are, enabling lives of dignity and security for some of our most vulnerable neighbors.”
“Providing stable, affordable housing to the most vulnerable New Yorkers is a key priority of Housing New York. Webster Residences provides 170 homes and individualized, on-site social services so that low-income residents with special needs have the support they need to build a stronger future,” said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “I want to thank Breaking Ground and all our partners for their commitment to creating more supportive housing and ensuring our city remains a place of opportunity for all residents.”
“I cannot thank Breaking Ground enough for being a dedicated partner in preserving housing affordability in the Bronx. Breaking Ground’s commitment to serving our borough matches the value of a stable home for low-income families; priceless,” says Council Member Ritchie Torres, who represents the 15th Council District in the Central Bronx.
Designed by the world-class COOKFOX Architects, Webster Avenue features high-performance sustainable building systems and is connected to Park House by a beautifully landscaped courtyard. The building offers amenities such as a green roof, computer lab, community and multi-purpose room, fitness room, bike storage, on-site laundry, and ample outdoor and garden space.
“Creating safe, secure and healthy residences was our highest priority; we designed the interiors with low- or non-VOC materials and natural finishes. Daylit exposures in the elevator vestibules and common areas orient residents to the outdoors and the common courtyard to promote well-being through restorative connections to nature,” says Rick Cook, founding partner of COOKFOX Architects.
Located at 411 East 178th Street, Webster Avenue delivers 170 affordable micro-studios to the Tremont neighborhood, which includes 90 units serving formerly homeless and special needs individuals, including those living with HIV/AIDS, and 80 units for low-income working adults from the Bronx community.
Breaking Ground was joined by key partners in the development of Webster Avenue, including New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York State Office of Mental Health, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance/Homeless Housing Assistance Corporation, Hudson Housing Capital and Capital One Bank. Breaking Ground acquired the site in 2014 with a bridge loan from the New York City Acquisition Fund and the Low-Income Investment Fund. The total development cost for Webster Avenue was $64 million.
“The Webster Residence is a very special project, developed by the extraordinary team from Breaking Ground for 170 very special and deserving tenants. We are honored to be a part of the financing team on it,” said Sam Ganeshan, Managing Director, Hudson Housing Capital.
“As Breaking Ground and the other partners involved know well, the impact that Webster Avenue will have extends far beyond housing,” said Fabian Ramirez, Senior Director at Capital One Community Finance. “We were happy to help bring Webster Avenue to life and we’re grateful that we were able to help leave critical services in place for residents that will help them to achieve their full potential.”
Webster Ave is the sixth residence that Breaking Ground operates in the Bronx. Breaking Ground manages more than 3,500 units of supportive and affordable housing in New York City, with additional units in upstate New York and Connecticut.
About Breaking Ground
Breaking Ground is New York’s largest supportive housing provider. Since 1990, Breaking Ground has helped more than 13,000 people escape and avoid homelessness. Breaking Ground operates 22 transitional and permanent residences, primarily in New York City, providing safe, stable, beautiful housing for those who need it most. Breaking Ground also runs, under contract with DHS, street homeless outreach services in all of Brooklyn, Queens, and a portion of Manhattan.
About COOKFOX
COOKFOX is an architectural studio dedicated to a vision of integrated, environmentally responsive design. They are firm believers that good design is sustainable and incorporating natural and environmentally friendly resources into their buildings. They have continuously pursued projects that foster innovation and consciousness, as they aim to re-think how people interact with buildings and the natural environment.
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