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01.18.2018
State, city and local luminaries were on hand January 9th to break ground on a new three-building affordable/supportive housing project in the Mt. Hope section of the Bronx, a collaboration of Thorobird Companies and ACMH.
State, city and local luminaries were on hand January 9th to break ground on a new three-building affordable/supportive housing project in the Mt. Hope section of the Bronx, a collaboration of Thorobird Companies and ACMH. The project is unique on a number of fronts: it is the first and largest ground-up affordable project developed by an African American firm since 2011 and is among the few developments to mix supportive, affordable and middle-income housing. Of the 138 units, 41 will be supportive – funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative; of the affordable, 14 are set-aside for households earning 90% of AMI and the rest for families and individuals at 40-60% AMI.
Thorobird’s Thomas Campbell welcomed the crowd saying “The Grand is the first step to providing one of the city’s most economically-challenged areas with quality affordable homes.”
HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas echoed those sentiments, adding “the Grand is a profound statement that when we build our city and our state, we include everyone in the process.”
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz emphasized the project’s income/unit mix "Creating affordable housing units was a top priority since my first day in office, and the work we have done in the Mount Hope and Morris Heights neighborhoods are a testament to the efforts we are putting in to make this happen. These 138 units in three buildings will provide true mixed-income housing, addressing the needs of low- and middle-income residents, providing supportive units for our most vulnerable residents. I want to thank Thorobird and ACMH on this partnership, as well as Gov. Cuomo and all the New York City agencies that lent their leadership to continue our growth, as a borough."
ACMH’s Executive Vice-President and CEO Dan Johansson closed out the program with these words: “Supportive housing is the golden thread, or better still, the iron thread, that runs through the fabric of great projects like this one. It’s gold because it brings the experience and mission-driven commitment of non-profits to everything from the design to the operation; its iron because it brings underwriting that makes projects durable, sustainable, and resilient. It’s a thread because when you step back and look at the fabric of the community, supportive housing is neither seen nor heard. Think about it: people down on their luck due to age, disability or poverty are only seen when they are on the street. When they have permanent, affordable housing and access to a lifeline of social supports like here at the Grand, they are just like you and me, going about their daily lives and contributing to their community. “They” are no longer them; they are us.”
Funding for the project came from NYS Homes and Community Renewal, NYC’s Housing Preservation and Development Department, and NYSERDA. The Bronx Borough President, Councilmember Ritchie Torres and Councilmember Fernando Cabrera each contributed Reso A funds with the councilmembers contributing $250,000 and the Borough President contributing $500,000. On-site supportive services are funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and will be provided by ACMH. The tax credits were syndicated by CREA, the architect is GF55 and the contractor is M. Melnick & Co., Inc.