Categories: New York City, Openings
05.08.2015
On a stunning Spring day, May 7th, the Lantern Group cut the ribbon on beautiful new Prospero Hall residence in East Harlem.
Cutting the ribbon at the Lantern Group's Prospero Hall
On a stunning Spring day, May 7th, the Lantern Group cut the ribbon on beautiful new Prospero Hall residence in East Harlem, an 87-unit 6-story newly constructed affordable/supportive housing project that is now home to 54 formerly homeless special needs individuals and 32 low-income individuals from the community (with priority given to chronically homeless veterans). The residence features an outdoor garden, and preserves the adjacent community garden, The Magic Garden.
Lantern Community Services’ Executive Director Laura Lazarus welcomed the crowd, saying “we are very proud to open Lantern’s fifteenth affordable building in New York City which will provide both housing and critical social services to some of our City’s most vulnerable citizens.” The ceremony also featured remarks from NYS Senator Bill Perkins, NYS Assembly Member Robert Rodriguez, NYC Housing Preservation and Development Department Assistant Commissioner Jessica Katz, NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Assistant Commissioner Gregory Watson, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Director of the Office of Housing Services Gail Wolsk, and Diana Ayala, the Deputy Chief of Staff for NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
Tenant Victor Barrett, the first veteran to move into the building, spoke movingly about what having a permanent home means to him: “I did not like the shelter system, with 400 guys, I could never be by myself. I learned through Lantern’s staff, Eddie and Diana, that people do care. Thank you for finding me! It took me a long time to get my own bathroom, kitchen, own set of keys, but it was worth the wait.”
Ms. Lazarus also had generous words for the Network’s role in bringing Prospero Hall into existence: “The Supportive Housing Network of NY is our on-going ally and a critical partner for us in developing housing.”
Prospero Hall received development financing from HPD’s Supportive Housing Loan Program and from HCR. The Richman Group provided tax credit syndication. Predevelopment funding came from The Richman Group, CSH, and Contact Fund. On-site support services are offered by Lantern with funding from DOHMH. The building was designed by Tony Shitemi of Urban Architectural Initiatives.