The Goldin at Essex Crossing wins 2018 MFE Award!

The Goldin at Essex Crossing has been named “Grand Winner” for Affordable Senior Housing in the 2018 Multifamily Executive (MFE) Awards!

“Affordable Apartments Serve as a Centerpiece of NYC Mixed-Use Project” – MFE

50 years ago, Seward Park Urban Renewal Area residents were forced to relocate due to the demolition of their buildings, making way for a supposed massive urban renewal project. Instead, the site remained vacant for decades. Now, Delancey Street Associates and Dattner Architects have come together to provide affordable senior housing, giving priority to the previous residents to come back and live at The Goldin at Essex Crossing – calling the area home once more.

Located on the Lower East Side (LES) of the city, the building is designed to cater to the needs of an aging population. Offering 99 one-bedroom units, 590 square feet to 620 square feet in size, for low-income seniors, the development’s podium is home to the 55,000-square-foot New York University Langone Joan H. and Preston Robert Tisch Center as well as a social-services provider, Grand Street Settlement, that offers “close-to-home” programming, engaging senior residents and community members in on-site activities. Integrated within the context of this community through both design and programming, the ground floor also includes retail space for small businesses, including the GrandLo Café, a social enterprise eatery that will provide jobs to local youths and offer programming focusing on business and entrepreneurial skills.

Named after longtime LES housing activist, Frances Goldin, the development is oriented so that residents may enjoy expansive views of the Manhattan skyline with rooftop gardens providing beautiful recreational space. The building includes solar panels to reduce the cost of the building’s electricity, and is designed to meet Enterprise Green Communities and NYSERDA requirements.

This densely programmed, versatile new building demonstrates what is possible, even on a modest budget, in providing high-quality housing, health care, job training, and community services in a single location. Redefining how people view senior housing, The Goldin at Essex Crossing offers a glimpse into this new development’s impact on the diverse tapestry of the Lower East Side.

A nationwide awards submission, the MFE Awards select the most innovative multifamily housing projects each year. From nearly 450 entries this year, MFE selected 28 developments, amenities, and programs – 17 Grand Winners and 11 Merit Winners – that showcase creativity, thoughtfulness, inventiveness, and exceptional design. Overall, the 2018 MFE Award winners define what it means to design and build communities to an unmatched standard. Each project helps to “reimagine an exciting, life-altering future for multifamily community design, investment, development, and management.”