824 Saint Anne’s Avenue (L) and 345 Saint Anne’s Avenue (R); courtesy of RKTB Architects

Yesterday, the architecture world was abuzz with newly released renderings of Bjarke Ingels’ NYPD station house in the Bronx. Nearby, a couple of other buildings are set to rise, and though they may not have the same starchitect cachet, they’ll certainly attract some attention for the fact that together they’ll offer 269 units of affordable housing. Designed by RKTB, the architects behind our favorite castle conversion at 455 Central Park West, the buildings are planned for Saint Anne’s Avenue in the South Bronx, and their designs illustrate how far the city has come in raising the aesthetic quality of government-funded housing.

824 Saint Anne’s Avenue

At the eastern edge of Melrose, 824 Saint Anne’s Avenue will reclaim a 20,000-square-foot industrial site. According to the firm’s page, “The project combines 163 apartments, ground-floor retail, and underground parking in a 14-story brick and metal panel building containing 190,000 square feet of floor area. For visual diversity the building varies its scale through height changes, massing setbacks, and by gently undulating sections of the façade which are further differentiated by the use of colored brick.” The lot is just north of the mega-affordable housing complex called Saint Anne’s Terrace where six color-differentiated buildings designed by Aufgang Architects were finished a few years back. Just to the west rises the exemplary model of affordable housing, Via Verde, whose connected green rooftops topped by solar panels dominate the area’s skyline.

Existing surface lot at 345 Saint Anne’s Avenue

Greenway on St. Anne’s, Courtesy of RKTB

Fifteen blocks south in Mott Haven, RKTB in collaboration with HAKS have crafted a six-story, 106-unit building for a long-vacant site at 142nd Street near St. Mary’s Park. Called Greenway on St. Anne’s, the design will integrate a variety of indoor and outdoor recreation and support spaces, and 42 of its units will be reserved for seniors. According to RKTB’s page, “A large fresh food market at the ground floor will serve both the residents and the surrounding neighborhood and space along 142nd Street will be made available for community events.” As per the rendering, there will be several accessible terraces–one with a pergola and a rooftop farm of photovoltaic modules.

Wales Avenue Residences, Image courtesy of Gran Kriegel Associates, Architects + Planners

Also nearby, Gran Kriegel Associates, Architects + Planners recently finished the Wales Avenue Residence. The seven-story supportive housing facility features a sophisticated gray brick façade accented with lively blue glazed brick, metal panels and large windows in each unit. The 57-unit building serves young adults living with behavioral health issues who are aging out of foster care and are at risk of homelessness, as well as chronically homeless adults struggling with mental illness or substance use issues.

Images courtesy of the NYC Department of City Planning

Since the Bloomberg administration launched the Design and Construction Excellence program in 2004, the designs of our subsidized housing developments and utilitarian structures such as schools, police stations and firehouses have greatly improved. To make even better the quality of building design and encourage the creation of more working-class housing, the de Blasio administration has proposed the Zoning for Equality and Affordability Plan. The proposal, which is still making its way through the approval process, may ultimately result in slightly taller and larger buildings and, as expected, there has been much community backlash regarding the plan. But for those who care about architecture and urbanism, the plan will allow more flexible building massings that could provide visual variety, higher ceilings heights, and encourage better ground-floor retail and residential spaces.

RELATED:

• Bjarke Ingels Is Designing a $50M NYPD Station House in the South Bronx
• The Bronx Is Getting a New Mixed-Use High-Rise Near Yankee Stadium
• Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

Concourse Yard, via Zach Summer/YouTube

Back in September, Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. put forth a plan to transform an abandoned stretch of rail tracks in Mott Haven into a Lowline-style park. There hasn’t been much in the way of updates since then, but now Diaz is turning his sights to another set of tracks, this one much larger and in the northwest Bronx.

The Real Deal cites findings from the borough prez that claim the MTA’s Concourse Yards, a 19-acre open-air subway depot, could be decked over to yield two million square feet of development rights, resulting in a mega-project like Hudson Yards. At an estimated cost of $350-$500 million (Hudson Yards cost $800 million by comparison), the project would require no rezoning and would be “a real opportunity to not only provide much-needed homeownership, mixed-income housing and retail space, but to allow Lehman College to expand by better connecting it to the Bedford Park neighborhood and making it a true community campus,” according to Diaz’s report.

A previous attempt was made to deck over Concourse Yards back in the ’60s when the Bronx Community College wanted to construct a new campus. They broke ground in 1970, but construction stalled due to the financial crisis. Now, the plan is part of an overall resurgence in the Bronx. In 2014, developers invested $1.2 billion in the borough, a 26 percent increase over the previous year. “Smart planning for the future requires us to consider all options, including real estate that does not yet exist,” said Diaz.

[Via TRD]

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• Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

Images via the MCNY

As home to four thousand animals representing more than 650 species, the Bronx Zoo has been delighting children and grownups alike since 1899. But it’s not simply the extensive array of wildlife that makes this world-renowned conservation park a pleasure to stroll around. Nestled among the 265-acres of parklands and beautifully-replicated natural habitats is a collection of architecture that almost rivals the main attraction. Ahead we’ll visit the zoo’s most notable constructions, which though may draw upon the architectural styles of various eras—from Beaux-Arts to Brutalism—do culminate into one succinct and spectacular display of design.

Rockefeller Fountain (top); Rainey Gate and one of its two granite gatekeepers(bottom)

The original Fordham Road entrance to the zoo features the spectacular Rainey Gate. The green Art Deco style double arches designed by Paul Manship feature 22 full-sized sculpted bronze animals and connect to two granite gatekeeper lodges. This New York City designated landmark, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, leads you past the historic Rockefeller Fountain (also landmarked) to the Beaux-Arts buildings of Astor Court, formerly known as Baird Court. Designed by the firm of Heins and LaFarge, they remain virtually untouched by time, majestically standing guard around the ever-popular circular sea lion pool since the turn of the century, true to the zoo’s original plans.

One of the Beaux Arts buildings of Astor Court

The landmarked collection of buildings originally housed many of the most popular animal exhibits as evidenced by the names and reliefs etched into the facades.  The monkeys, lions, birds, and elephants have since moved on to more open-spaced living quarters and their former dwellings function mostly as administrative offices.

Administration Building, Astor Court

At the far end of Astor Court is the Zoo Center, formerly the Elephant House. With its majestic double-domed top and Guastavino polychromed tile arches and vaults, the Zoo Center creates the perfect bookend for this historical section. Apparently Guastavino wasn’t the only one who wanted to leave his mark on this particular building.  In 1914, a poem mysteriously found its way onto one of the walls and no one ever fessed up to the verses. Some think that Gunda the elephant had a hand—or rather, a trunk—in it.

Exterior of the Zoo Center (top); Examples of the gorgeous Guastavino tile work in the former Elephant House (bottom)

As the zoo’s resident population increased over the years, the more traditional architecture of Astor Court gave way to some structures as wild as the animals within. In the summer of 1972 the Lila Acheson Wallace World of Birds opened its doors thanks to a $5 million donation Ms. Wallace bestowed upon the New York Zoological Society. The massive concrete building is flanked by two soaring outdoor walkways that fittingly evoke the appearance of wings.

Lila Acheson Wallace World of Birds

Another imposing but fascinating ediface in the midst of the zoo’s bucolic setting is the World of Darkness. Opened in the 1960s, the first major exhibit of nocturnal animals in the world was housed in a building that looked as spooky as some of its inhabitants. Big and black with no perceivable openings, the octagonal shaped structure was closed in 2009 due to budget cuts.

The now-closed World of Darkness

Tapping into a more whimsical aesthetic is the David Rockwell-designed Dancing Crane Café. The 17,500 square-foot restaurant and resting area has indoor and outdoor seating overlooking a natural marsh and fits unobtrusively into its surroundings.

David Rockwell-designed Dancing Crane Cafe

The fanciful Bug Carousel was installed in 2005. Beneath its charming green canopy you will find sixty-four rideable insect figures and three stationary chariots positioned among a sweet hand-painted mural revealing the transformation of caterpillars into beautiful butterflies.

The Bug Carousel

Whether your preference is the ageless and classic simplicity of Astor Court, or the more modern inclinations of the World of Birds, the next time you find yourself among the lions and tigers and bears of the Bronx Zoo, be sure to check out the buildings, too.

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It’s been widely noted that New York has an ever-growing population of low-income elders, and a new affordable housing project in Riverdale seeks to address the issue. Designed by Dattner Architects (who are also behind the Bronx’s huge West Farm Redevelopment Plan), the brand-new building at 6469 Broadway is known as Van Cortlandt Green and overlooks the park. It will offer 77 studios for $832/month for those age 62 and older. They’re available to one person earning between $26,430 and $36,300 annually and two persons earning between $26,430 and $41,460, according to the NYC HDC.

The building, which is targeting LEED Silver status, will be ten stories with a partial eleventh floor. Portions of the lower levels will be reserved for retail and/or community facility use. There will also be ground-floor offices reserved for the supportive housing partner’s onsite social workers. Amenities include energy efficient appliances, accessible bathrooms, laundry, an on-site super, a community roof terrace, and limited parking for an additional monthly fee. The building can be reached via MetroNorth, the 1 train, and several buses.

Qualify? Act quickly because the lottery ends on February 29th. Information on how to apply is available here.

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• Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently
• RKTB Architects Design Two New Affordable Housing Buildings in the Bronx
• The Bronx Is Getting a New Mixed-Use High-Rise Near Yankee Stadium

In the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx, the Arker Companies has commenced the affordable housing lottery process for their latest ground-up building, Colgate Close. Located at 1092 Colgate Street, where the semi-industrial area along the Bronx River evolves into a low-scale residential community, the five-story complex will contain 32 studio and one-bedrooms targeted for low-income households earning between $25,200 and $30,250 for a single person and $27,052 and $41,460 for two people. Depending on income, studios will be priced at $696 or $847 per month and one-bedrooms at $749 and $910 per month.

Construction shots via 6sqft

Prolific affordable-housing designers Aufgang Architects are listed as the architects of record. Here they articulate the 250-foot-long mass into eleven alternating blocks faced with varying facade treatments that utilize mixtures of tan, red, and dark grey to elicit visual interest and break down the scale of the complex. The first floor will be tenanted by some kind of community facility and house the residential lobby, a day care with accompanying outdoor play area, a community room, a garage for 24 cars, and a bike room. The four floors above will hold 66 residential units, 18 per floor on floors two through four and 12 units on the fifth floor. The top floor will also house the building’s laundry room.

The apartment block lies directly north of the 1.9-acre Colgate Close Park, which is furnished with a sizable community garden playground, four basketball courts, and a baseball field. The park’s name and the streets bounding it have nothing to do with the company best known for its toothpaste, but rather derive from John Cloes, an early pioneer of the New York area, and James Colgate, a 19th century financier and philanthropist.

Qualified applicants interested in the Colgate Close apartments can request an application by mailing a postcard or self-addressed envelope to Colgate Close LP, P.O. Box 20610, Floral Park, New York 11002.

To see all the city’s ongoing affordable housing lotteries, check out 6sqft’s interactive map:

Open NYC Affordable Housing Lotteries

RELATED:

• Lottery Open for 77 Affordable Units for Seniors at Dattner Architects’ Van Cortlandt Green
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• All affordable housing lottery coverage on 6sqft

Google Street View of the site while still under construction

The Bronx is having a moment, thanks in part to popular institutions like the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, and Italian food mecca along Arthur Avenue. If you want to get in on the action, you can now enter the lottery for newly constructed, $938/month affordable apartments nearby at 863 Fairmount Place in Tremont. There’s just one little catch — only two units are available.

The units were created through the city’s 421-a program. Applications are being accepted through April 19th. Those who qualify can apply here. Find below our map of other ongoing housing lotteries:

RELATED:

• Affordable Housing Lottery at Colgate Close Starts in Soundview, Priced $696/Month
• Lottery Open for 77 Affordable Units for Seniors at Dattner Architects’ Van Cortlandt Green
• RKTB Architects Design Two New Affordable Housing Buildings in the Bronx

When the Great Depression hit, homelessness exploded, leaving most cities ill prepared to house this growing population. As 6sqft previously reported, “Homeless people in large cities began to build their own houses out of found materials, and some even built more permanent structures from brick. Small shanty towns—later named Hoovervilles after President Hoover—began to spring up in vacant lots, public land and empty alleys.”

The largest such settlement was on Central Park’s great lawn, but smaller Hoovervilles popped up elsewhere, especially in Inwood and the Bronx, where many working-class New Yorkers had moved to follow north the construction of the subway. At Spuyten Duyvil Road and 225th Street there was a Boxcar Village, a collection of 40 boxcars where rent was $3 a month to live four men to a car.

The approximate location of Boxcar Village

Boxcar Village was run by Sarah J. Atwood, who had been operating such encampments for 30 years, along with her daughter Mavis. Atwood became a widowed mother at the age of 22 and, after working as a employment agent, “operated a food kitchen on Ellis Island during an economic downturn in 1914,” according to My Inwood. She personally didn’t believe in handouts, but rather in providing employment. In fact, in 1916, long before the stock market crash, she testified before Congress: “If there is employment made, and these men are taken and given good, wholesome, outdoor work, portable buildings can be put up, rock crushers can be started. Those men can be well fed, and in 90 days would learn the habit of industry, and some of them, perhaps, might begin a very different life.”

It was with this mindset that she started Boxcar Village on the border of Spuyten Duyvil and Marble Hill. A 1934 issue of Modern Mechanix considered the community “an innovation in living quarters,” where men paid only $3 a month in rent or $6 a week for room and board. Each boxcar slept four men “with respectable comfort” and provided a wood stove, washing accommodations, nails to hang clothing, and a carpet. The article hailed the idea:

Alert business men, however, or leaders of groups of organized unemployed should take a tip from this project and petition the heads of their local railroad for the use of old box cars and spurs. A very useful community can be built from the bodies of old box cars, as they are in the most cases very well built to carry grain and other perishable bulk commodities, and hence make easy buildings to convert into livable homes. Being tight they are easy to heat. A winter’s supply of wood for the community can be had by wrecking other cars.

Starting in 1931, 1,000 men (mainly those who were the heads of households) received jobs restoring Inwood Hill Park, and it’s quite likely that those from Boxcar Village were included in this number. But by 1936, the Henry Hudson Bridge was completed and the area around Inwood, Spuyten Duyvil, and Riverdale became an automobile-centric suburb

In 1941, while operating a railroad labor camp in Westchester, the then-72-year-old Atwood was killed in a car accident. She had put one million men to work.

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Historic photos courtesy of My Inwood

In 1977, when President Jimmy Carter visited the South Bronx and declared it the worst neighborhood in the country, he was standing in Crotona Park East, a small neighborhood nestled in the triangle bordered by the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Harlem River, and Crotona Park. Though the Bronx dropped this reputation a long time ago, Crotona Park East was one of a few areas that seemed slow to catch up with the rest of the borough, but five years ago, the city rezoned this stretch from light industrial use to residential, creating a boom in affordable housing opportunities.

The latest such development is located at 1702 Bryant Avenue, where 10 newly constructed affordable units are up for grabs through the city’s housing lottery. The unit are $931/month one-bedrooms for one person earning between $31,920 and $38,100 annually and two people earning between $31,920 and $43,500.

The building offers an outdoor recreation space and a coin-operated laundry room and, for an additional fee, indoor/outdoor parking. It’s conveniently located just three blocks away from the 2,5 trains at 174th Street, as well as the BX36 bus. Catty-corner to the building is the New Horizons Shopping Mall, which offers a Stop & Shop grocery store, TJ Max, and many other big-name stores.

Those who qualify can apply here. Find below our map of other ongoing housing lotteries:

RELATED:

• Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions
• Affordable Housing Lottery at Colgate Close Starts in Soundview, Priced $696/Month
• RKTB Architects Design Two New Affordable Housing Buildings in the Bronx

The Bronx’s Fieldston neighborhood is considered one of the city’s best preserved early 20th century suburbs, unique for its collection of revival-style homes (Tudor, Mediterranean, and Colonial, mainly). But this mansion at 4545 Delafield Avenue is in a category all its own. The post-modern structure was built in 1994 by noted local firm Isaac & Stern, who designed a stucco-covered, geometric creation that looks straight out of “Miami Vice.” Now on the market for $1,950,000 (down from the original $2.4 million ask last year), the residence is just as mod inside as it is outside, with a 35-foot entry atrium complete with huge skylights, arched columns, and black granite floors.

The 4,200-square-foot home, located within the Fieldston Historic District, offers five bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths on three levels. It also boasts a four-car driveway, two storage attics, 10 skylights (six of which are in the entry foyer), and 14 closets.

The dramatic atrium anchors the main floor, which is perfectly laid out for entertaining. There’s a large living room with a black granite-tiled fireplace, which leads to a sunken family room that opens to the 400-square-foot deck overlooking the patio and garden.

Also off the atrium is the eat-in kitchen, which has a large granite island, three sinks, two dishwashers, built-in frosted glass pantries and cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a double oven.

The dining room table might be mistaken for some type of contemporary pool table, but it certainly goes with the black granite theme of the home. This room also has a built-in breakfast bar and cabinets.

Upstairs are four large bedrooms. The master has sliding glass doors that open to a private balcony, as well as a dressing room, walk-in closet, and marble bath with a Jacuzzi. The lower level of the home has a guest bedroom suite with a marble math, den, office, three large closets, and access to the one-car garage.

[Listing: 4545 Delafield Avenue by Ellen Curtin-Becker of Exclusive Properties Sotheby's International Realty]

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Images via Sotheby’s 

The latest in a wave of recent affordable housing lotteries includes six buildings in the Bronx — three in High Bridge, right near the newly opened and much-hyped overpass, and three farther east in Soundview. All together there are 20 newly constructed units up for grabs (though it’s not clear how many are at each address), ranging from $975/month studios to $1,709/month three-bedrooms.

Map showing the locations of the six buildings

According to the posting, units have on-site supers, energy-efficient appliances, sleek modern kitchens and baths, and hardwood floors.

Applications are being accepted through June 24th. Those who qualify can apply here. Find below our map of other ongoing housing lotteries:

RELATED:

• Lottery Opens for 10 Affordable Units in the Bronx’s Crotona Park East Neighborhood
• Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions
• Affordable Housing Lottery at Colgate Close Starts in Soundview, Priced $696/Month

High Bridge image via Shinya Suzuki/Flickr

It’s really no secret that the Bronx and Staten Island have been the boroughs slowest to gentrify and bring in New Yorkers looking for that hip factor. But apparently their affordable prices are starting to outweigh their longer commutes and less urban makeups. The latest report from the Real Estate Board of New York says that home-sales prices in these boroughs rose 35 percent in the first quarter of 2016, much steeper than the rest of the city. According to the Post, these new home buyers are selling property for a higher price in Manhattan or Brooklyn, then “cashing out” to buy cheaper pads in Staten Island or the Bronx. Plus, taxes are lower than in other suburban areas like Westchester or Jersey. This new trend got us wondering, if you had to relocate to the Bronx or Staten Island, which would you choose?

Here’s a first look at a new two-building development in the Bronx‘s East Tremont section designed by COOKFOX. Developed by nonprofit Breaking Ground, the project will include housing for low-income families and formerly homeless individuals, in addition to on-site social services and a community room. The structure will be encased in brick, which will have alternating rows protruding and receding by a half inch, giving it an appearance meant to reference “ocean sand or tree bark patterns.” It will also boast many eco-efficient features and will qualify for Zone Green benefits, allowing extra floor area for affordable homes, according to the architects.

Permits were approved in March for construction on the adjoining buildings at the corner of East 178th Street and Park Avenue. The development site was formerly industrial and is situated between the Metro North Harlem Line and Webster Avenue.

The first building, the Webster Residence at 411 East 178th Street, will rise eight stories and house 171 apartments, the community room, and facilities for the offices used by the social services. The second, the Park House at 4275 Park Avenue, will be 12 stories and include 248 apartments. Amenities include basement storage, bike rooms, fitness rooms, laundry rooms, and on-site parking.

RELATED:

• Live Near the Newly Opened High Bridge for $975/Month
• RKTB Architects Design Two New Affordable Housing Buildings in the Bronx
• Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions

An early rendering of the project, via CityLand

A couple weeks ago, 6sqft got word of an affordable housing lottery at 1702 Bryant Avenue in the Bronx‘s Crotona Park East, “one of a few areas that seemed slow to catch up with the rest of the borough.” Five years ago, the city rezoned this small neighborhood from light industrial use to residential, which created a rise in affordable housing opportunities.

The latest offering is at 950 East 176th Street. It’s Building A of the Crotona Terrace development and will have 79 affordable units. Though the address is just a few short blocks from the park, it’s also directly adjacent to the Cross Bronx Expressway and elevated tracks of the 2/5 trains, a fact that might seem like less of a nuisance considering the apartments range from $975/month studios to $1,486/month two-bedrooms.

The 115,000-square-foot project will altogether have 175 apartments, as well as 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and commercial space. Amenities at Building A, which require an additional fee, are a laundry room, community room, and parking.

Those who qualify can apply here. Find below 6sqft’s map of other ongoing housing lotteries:

RELATED:

• Lottery Opens for 10 Affordable Units in the Bronx’s Crotona Park East Neighborhood
• Live Near the Newly Opened High Bridge for $975/Month
• Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions

The de Blasio administration is expected to announce plans to lease New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) land to build nearly 500 apartments for low-income and elderly tenants in three buildings of up to 16 stories within existing housing projects in Brooklyn and the Bronx, according to the New York Times. The sites, on parking lots and grasslands within the projects, were included in the housing authority’s initiative to improve deteriorating public housing, as well as increase the number of new affordable units. More controversial plans are also in the works to add market-rate housing within public housing projects in prime real estate locations.

Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The new units will charge below-market rents to households earning 20 to 60 percent of area median income with public housing residents citywide getting preference on 25 percent of the units. The new additions will rise in the Mill Brook Houses in the South Bronx and the Ingersoll Houses and Van Dyke Houses in Brooklyn and will be built by three separate private developers. The housing authority is leasing the land to the developers under 60-year leases, which the administration says will guarantee affordability for at least that long.

The new buildings–the first of 50 or 60 in the works on housing authority land–are expected to create about 10,000 below-market units. Included in the new additions will be amenities and services like rooftop gardens, arts and technology programs, community centers, preschool education, social services and a walk-in urgent care center, according to officials. These services will also be available to residents in surrounding neighborhoods.

The new homes are expected to raise as much as $200 million in fees paid by developers; to bring in up to three times more, the administration also plans to use public housing land within prime real estate locations to construct buildings in which half the units would rent at market rates. The idea of “hybrid” buildings has been met with resistance from residents who fear the ills of gentrification; there has been less opposition to the all-affordable and elderly units planned for the same sites.

Plans for “Ingersoll Senior” at the Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene, Brooklyn to be developed by BFC Partners include a 16-story apartment building–including a senior center for social, health and cultural services–on an unused grassy area available for seniors earning up to 60 percent of area median income. At the Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville, Brooklyn, 13-story Dumont Commons will rise on a parking lot site and house single adults and families. The building will offer an urgent care and wellness center and early childhood, prekindergarten and after-school programs. In the South Bronx, Mill Brook Terrace–currently a parking lot–will offer 156 units on nine floors for low-income older adults, including a senior center, a neighborhood community room and a rooftop garden.

The new units are also expected to bring jobs to the community, including NYCHA residents hired for construction work. According to officials, agreements between the selected developers and the housing authority should be finalized by the end of the year; construction is expected to begin in 2017 and last about two years.

[Via NYTimes]

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• Seniors Increasingly Struggle to Find Housing, But Some Find Ways to Cope

The Bronx is the state’s fastest growing county, and its development boom continues to add hundreds of units to the city’s depleted affordable housing stock. Now today, an affordable housing lottery has officially kicked off at 655 Morris Avenue that will bring 140 below-market rate units to the revitalized Melrose/Concourse Village section of the borough. Rising 15 stories from a long-vacant lot, the 217,579-square-foot development will contain a mix of apartment sizes: seven studios are priced from $788 per month; 62 one-bedrooms from $847; 65 two-bedrooms from $1,025; and 6 three-bedroom units from $1,182.

The apartments are created through the city’s LAMP program and are able to be rented out at affordable rents because of the low-cost financing offered to the developers. The program is reserved for households earning 60 percent of the annual median income (AMI) of the NYC region, therefore individuals can have a maximum income of $38,100 and households of six up to $105,600.

Amenities at the Morris Avenue Apartments include a secured entry using facial recognition technology, community room, laundry room, bicycle parking, Energy STAR dishwashers, and on-site parking for 106 vehicles. The environmentally-conscious project was designed by the housing experts at The Marvin Meltzer Housing Studio and utilizes a co-generation system that will use natural gas-fueled equipment to make electricity, and its waste heat will be reused to heat the water. The project developers Omni New York started construction of the $63.8 million building early last year, and occupancy should begin sometime this summer.

The deadline to submit an application for the lottery is July 8, 2016 and qualified persons can apply online here. And find below 6sqft’s map of other ongoing housing lotteries:

RELATED:

• Lottery Commences for 79 Affordable Units in Crotona Park East
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• Lottery Opens for 10 Affordable Units in the Bronx’s Crotona Park East Neighborhood

Up-and-comer “It” neighborhood Mott Haven in the South Bronx kicks off a brand new housing lottery today with 135 new rentals up for grabs at 500 Union Avenue. The 14-story residence, dubbed the Crossroads II Plaza, has been dedicated to below-market rate housing and is part of the larger three-building Crossroad Plaza project, which includes a include a 21,278-square-foot community facility and 37,687 square feet of commercial space. Affordable apartments have been priced between $538-$861 for one-bedrooms, $655-$1,042 for two-bedrooms, and $749-$1,196 for three-bedrooms.

Rendering of Crossroads Plaza

Amenities in the building include a 24-hour on-site resident super, security cameras, intercom system, a laundry room, community room, and parking; rents also include cooking gas. The building itself is located just steps away from the 149th station along the 6 subway line, and the block is also served by BX 17 and BX 19.

Applications will be accepted today through July 25th. Residents of Bronx Community Board 1 will receive preference. Apply here (pdf!).

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Find below 6sqft’s map of other ongoing housing lotteries:

Applications are now being accepted for 60 newly constructed rental apartments at 1191 Boston Road in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. The 90,000-square-foot development is situated between East 167th and 168th Streets and will exclusively house studio apartments priced at a monthly rent of $550/month. The building is geared for low-income individuals and formerly homeless single adults. To qualify for an apartment, applicants must fall within annual income ranges of $18,000 to $35,280 per year.

The project was designed by Alexander Gorlin Architects and constructed by MountCo, Inc. In addition to the residences, the building accommodates supportive services such as case management offices, a multi-purpose room, a computer lab, exercise room, large patio and garden, bike storage and a laundry room. The environmentally conscious project will receive Enterprise Green Communities certification, and energy-efficient elements include a green roof and a building management system that regulates electrical, cooling, and lighting systems. Low and non-VOC content finishes are used throughout the interiors to provide a healthy environment for tenants.

Building amenities will include 24-hour security, a fitness room, garden, computer lab, and on-site laundry. Interested persons can download an application here.

RELATED:

• Housing Lottery Launches for 135 New Rentals in Mott Haven, From $538/Month
• Housing Lottery Kicks Off For 140 New Apartments in the Bronx, Starting at $788
• Lottery Commences for 79 Affordable Units in Crotona Park East

Find below 6sqft’s map of other ongoing housing lotteries:

Another Mott Haven affordable housing lottery has just kicked off, today’s bringing us a slew of brand new units at 463 and 469 East 147th Street. The development, named the Brook Avenue Apartments, falls under Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York plan, which seeks to create and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing in NYC over 10 years. The de Blasio administration paired up with local developer Yuco Real Estate Company on the project and uses city-owned land. When construction wraps this year, this part of South Bronx will gain 65 much-needed, below-market units ranging from studios to three-bedrooms in two buildings. Apartments have been priced for those earning between 40 to 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI).

For those who meet the above-stated AMI requirements, studios will go for $494 and $788 a month; one-bedrooms for $532 and $847 a month; two-bedrooms for $647 and $,1,025 a month; and three-bedrooms for $1,182 a month. All of Brook Avenue has been secured as affordable and Bronx Community Board 1 residents will receive preference.

Amenities in the building include an on-site superintendent, garage parking (for an additional fee), communal areas, intercom system, bicycle storage and laundry facilities. This building will also maintain 1,700 square feet of commercial space at its base. Public transit options include the 2 and 5 trains (roughly three blocks away, making for a 30-minute Midtown commute), while the B2, B4, B15, B17, B19, and B21 are located within one block of Brook Avenue.

Applications will be accepted until August 1, 2016. Complete details on how to apply can be found here (pdf).

RELATED:

• Housing Lottery Launches for 135 New Rentals in Mott Haven, From $538/Month
• Lottery Launches for 30 Affordable Units in Large New Crown Heights Building, From $913/Month
• Lottery Launches for 181 Affordable Units in Pacific Park’s Modular Tower

Use 6sqft’s map below to locate even more housing lotteries:

If the thought of residing next to the interred doesn’t bother you, here’s a chance to live just steps away from one of the city’s most beautiful and historic cemeteries. A housing lottery has opened today for 63 brand-new units at Webster Commons, a large affordable development along Webster Avenue in the Bronx, just next to Woodlawn Cemetery and not far from the New York Botanical Garden and Fordham. The apartments, which are reserved for those earning 60 percent of the AMI, include $865/month studios, $929/month one-bedrooms, and $1,121/month two-bedrooms.

Via Woodlawn Cemetery

The 2.3-acre Webster Commons site was owned by Woodlawn for more than 100 years, but in 2008 was purchased by an entity known as Webster Commons, LLC, who initiated an upzoning to allow for the construction of a mixed-income housing complex. Under the Low-Income Affordable Marketplace Program (LAMP) of the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the development started opening up its lotteries in early 2015; the latest is for building E. In total, there are 390 units.

The complex was designed by the affordable housing go-to’s at Aufgang Architects and built by Joy Construction. The facade features setbacks and colored bricks to give it depth, as well as various terraces. Amenities for building E will include a 24-hour on-site super, laundry room, community room, and parking, some of which may require additional fees.

Applications will be accepted from June 6 until August 5, 2016. Complete details on how to apply can be found here (pdf). If you have questions about the offer, you must call the Affordable Housing Hotline at 311.

RELATED:

• Apply for 65 New Affordable Apartments in Mott Haven, Studios Start at $494/Month
• Housing Lottery Launches for 135 New Rentals in Mott Haven, From $538/Month
• Housing Lottery Kicks Off For 140 New Apartments in the Bronx, Starting at $788

Use 6sqft’s map below to locate even more housing lotteries:

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned above, visit CityRealty’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

The West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing is moving ahead with plans to expand their recently finished Borinquen Court senior housing complex at 285 East 138th Street in Mott Haven. Two new mixed-use buildings will be constructed on either side of the existing 145-unit building, and once complete the entire complex will be home to more than 300 affordable apartments and will be known as Tres Puentes (Three Bridges) due to its views of the Willis Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Third Avenue bridges. All housing will be reserved for the elderly or physically disabled.

Red Top Architects have been tapped as the designers. The western building at 2550 Third Avenue will be 12 stories high and contain 119 residential units. The building will connect to Borinquen Court via a one-story wing and will have a landscaped courtyard along East 138th Street. Retail space and a new medical clinic will occupy the ground floor, while the next 11 floors will have between 9 and 14 units per floor.

The second building will be located east of Borinquen Court at 275 East 138th Street and will rise eight stories with a total of 56 residential units. On the first floor will be the expanded community senior center, and the following seven floors will have eight apartments each. At the end of construction the entire three-building complex will cover 314,550 square feet and include 10 parking spots. Enclosed walkways will connect all three buildings and a new triangular, steel canopy outside will create an animated entryway. The expected completion year for the project is 2017.

RELATED:

• Apply for 65 New Affordable Apartments in Mott Haven, Studios Start at $494/Month
• 489 New Units of Affordable/Elderly Housing to Rise on Land in Brooklyn and the Bronx
• First Look at COOKFOX’s Affordable Housing Development in East Tremont