Categories: New York City, Member News
02.26.2025
Friends and partners gathered on February 25th for a “wallbreaking” for Breaking Ground’s latest project at 1760 Third Avenue. The newly rehabilitated building will provide 434 apartments for formerly homeless and low-income households, 261 of which are supportive including 40 for at-risk young adults. The building – on the Upper East Side of Manhattan – started life as a nursing home, then a dorm for students at Baruch and Hunter College and most recently a shelter for asylum seekers. Onsite services will be provided by Breaking Ground funded by the NYS Office of Mental Health and the NYC 15/15 Initiative through the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Breaking Ground Board member Louise Carroll opened the event by remarking “As a former HPD Commissioner, I know how much work a project like this takes,” and congratulated all present.
Brenda Rosen, Breaking Ground’s CEO emceed the event, noting the importance of projects like these especially in the current climate: “never let uncertainty paralyze us from bold action.”
NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas spoke next pointing out that Breaking Ground had gone through “innumerable hurdles to get here” and adding that she personally was looking forward to doing some ‘wallbreaking.’
NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrion spoke next congratulating State and City partners on unprecedented investments in supportive and affordable housing (while simultaneously decrying the over-use of the word ‘unprecedented’).
NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) Commissioner Ann Marie Sullivan spoke next, noting that 1760 Third Avenue would be the first residence to open using some of the Governor’s $1 billion investment in the mental health system. “Everyone here is here to help someone else, and that inspires me. I hope it inspires you.”
Deputy Speaker and NYC Council Member Diana Ayala spoke from her heart and life experience: “This building means a lot of things to me.” She shared that growing up, her family had been homeless twice and noted that the building has had ”a lot of jobs” helping people, most recently providing housing for asylum seekers. Most movingly, she also shared that her youngest brother who struggled with severe mental illness and sometimes slept on the street had recently passed away: “on behalf of my baby brother I want to say thank you.”
Also speaking were Michael Washburn, Assistant Director of NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and Jason Rosenberg, Head of Public Affairs at Wells Fargo.
1760 Third Avenue will feature a multi-purpose room, a fitness center, a computer lab and a medical suite. Services will include case-management, onsite medical and mental health care, benefits and entitlement counseling and connections to employment. Through Breaking Ground’s signature Tenant360 program, tenant services coordinators will also create recreational, educational and social enrichment opportunities for residents year-round.
Project financing was provided by HCR, HPD, OMH, OTDA, NYC Council, the Low Income Investment Fund, the New York Acquisition Fund and Wells Fargo with philanthropic support from Ilse Melamid and Wells Fargo Foundation.
The architect is Dattner Architects and the contractor is Archstone Builders.
Much to the speakers’ disappointment, no walls were actually broken.