On Thursday, April 28th, the Mayor’s office, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) publicly announced the selection of the development team for a 300,000 square foot site at 425 Grand Concourse, in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx. Led by the development team of Trinity Financial and MBD Community Housing Corporation, the winning design by Dattner Architects focuses on energy efficiency and will be the largest passive-house development planned for North America to date. Recognized as “a model for all house development in New York’s future” by Mayor de Blasio, this mixed-use and mixed-income development will create 241 affordable housing units within a 24-story tower, consuming 30% of the energy a traditional housing development. The base of the tower will house The New Life School, a charter school for children with emotional and learning disabilities, a medical clinic, and cultural and community spaces. Also in the base of the tower, a supermarket along the length of the East 144th Street frontage will offer fresh foods to building and community residents, students and professionals, activating the entire southern end of the block. The development also incorporates the renovation and reopening of the Garrison Playground, an additional benefit for both the school and the local community.
In a press release following Thursday’s announcement, HPD Commissioner Vicki Been stated, “the 425 Grand Concourse development plan is an impressive and dynamic design that will benefit local businesses, residents, and the wider community by offering an upgraded Garrison Playground, a school, medical facility, and space for a variety of cultural and community centers, among other amenities. This is exactly the kind of project Mayor de Blasio envisioned when he launched the Housing New York Plan and OneNYC because it will provide safe and healthy facilities for both living and learning. I congratulate Trinity Financial and MBD on what will be a vibrant addition to the Mott Haven community, and a major step forward in our efforts to reduce energy use in the city.”
