Affordable Housing Project Serves as a Catalyst to the Revitalization of South Bronx

Affordable Housing Project Serves as a Catalyst to the Revitalization of South Bronx

Conceived in 2015 in response to the city of New York's request for proposals, 425 Grand Concourse is a 26-story catalyst for revitalization, seamlessly integrating with the historic Grand Concourse corridor while providing deeply affordable housing. Photo credit: Albert Vecerka

In 2022, 425 Grand Concourse opened as a mixed-use affordable housing project in New York City's South Bronx neighborhood. Trinity Financial, a real estate development firm, and MBD Community Housing Corporation, a housing services nonprofit with a longstanding presence in the Bronx, partnered to transform a city-owned lot into affordable housing.

Standing at 26 stories, the building sets new standards for energy efficiency and sustainability and houses amenities that serve both residents and the community. As one of the newest and tallest structures in the Bronx, 425 Grand Concourse is helping revitalize the historic Grand Concourse corridor while fostering interaction and engagement among residents and neighbors.

Public School 31 Lot

In 2015, the city of New York issued a Request for Proposals to redevelop the historic Public School 31 lot that had served residents of the South Bronx since the late 1800s. The school fell into disrepair over the years, and for financial reasons, the city chose to demolish the structure rather than rehabilitate it. Because the community was so attached to the historic site, said Thomas Brown, executive director of Trinity Financial, the city and developers worked to rebuild trust by conceiving a new land use to "maximize the public benefits from the site to be able to have the site provide affordable housing, which was much needed in that area and throughout the city.

With an emphasis on resident wellness, the architects prioritized access to natural light, lush roof terraces, and efficient ventilation to ensure a health-conscious living space. Photo credit: Andy Ryan

All 277 apartments in 425 Grand Concourse are income-based units save for the superintendent's unit. Of these, 166 units cater to low-income individuals and families earning between 30 and 70 percent of the area median income (AMI), and 110 units are reserved for households earning up to 130 percent of AMI. Twenty-eight units are reserved for individuals and families who previously had experienced homelessness. To help them transition from homelessness to a modern apartment building, households receive the support of BronxWorks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving underserved Bronx residents for more than five decades. BronxWorks managers share an onsite suite with resident managers and other service managers.

Amenities for residents include community and tenant lounges, laundry facilities on every floor, bicycle storage, and a fitness center. Outdoor amenities include a recreation deck and two rooftop gardens on the 3rd and 25th floors. The development is also a 3-minute walk from major transit hubs in the Bronx.

Engagement Effort Ensures Outward-Facing Community Assets

Extending the project's impact from within to the larger community, 425 Grand Concourse committed to workforce engagement by partnering with New York City Housing Authority Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (NYCHA REES). NYCHA REES encourages local residents' active participation in construction jobs to foster community benefits to new developments. Photo credit: Andy Ryan

The development of 425 Grand Concourse involved a collaboration bridging the public and private sectors as well as the local community. Working closely with the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Office of the Bronx Borough President, and local elected officials, the development partners orchestrated a project that harmonized government support, nonprofit dedication, and community engagement. A combination of HDC Tax-Exempt Volume Cap and Recycled Bonds and subordinate financing from HPD and the Bronx Borough President and other sources made up the $178 million development cost for the project.

The community engagement process, which ranged from large-scale community meetings to one-on-one conversations, revealed the need for food accessibility and healthcare, cultural, and education services, which are located on the building's first two stories. Damian Family Care Center provides health care to uninsured and underinsured residents, and an onsite supermarket will offer affordable food options to the neighborhood, which currently is considered a food desert. Furthermore, through partnerships with City University of New York's Hostos Community College, the development creates educational opportunities and support services for the primarily low-income student body.

The discussions and programming decisions facilitated the process of rebuilding trust within the community, which extended to underlining the historic significance of the site. As the replacement for a collegiate Gothic-style school, 425 Grand Concourse stands as a tribute to generations past, with its architectural heritage and community significance preserved in the building's artwork, including a photograph taken in the early 1900s, stone gargoyles, and the school's original sign. Newer works commissioned from local minority and women artists pay tribute to the site's history while highlighting the project's inclusivity and the diversity of the community it serves.

The city rezoned the building, which spans 30,000 square feet, to help the developers achieve optimal density without the sense of overcrowding that residents in New York City often experience. Photo credit: Andy Ryan

A New Model for Sustainable Development

The developers' engagement efforts also included discussions about the sustainability of the building, which received New York Passive House certification. Standing as the largest Passive House in North America, 425 Grand Concourse shows that Passive House principles can be successfully scaled up for larger buildings. The project emphasizes energy conservation through its airtight, well-insulated envelope and recovers energy through ventilation design. This efficient design results in a nearly 70 percent reduction in energy consumption compared with conventional housing projects, aligning with the city's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The first two stories of 425 Grand Concourse house a dynamic array of community assets that includes the City University of New York Hostos Community College space, Damian Family Care Center, a supermarket, and a cultural center. Photo credit: Albert Vecerka

The development also strikes a balance between energy efficiency and wellness for residents and the larger community. One Passive House design element is filtered fresh air for building residents — an important intervention considering that the South Bronx has one of the highest hospitalization rates for children with asthma in the country. Another wellness feature is the installation of expansive windows that provide an abundance of natural light. The Passive House team for the project also factored in the shadow effect of the building's height on surrounding areas. The team addressed this issue by orienting the building north to south, which helped optimize lighting and shading cast on the adjacent historic playground that the city concurrently redeveloped alongside the project site.

The project team's innovation and community engagement has supported the borough's revitalization through a development project that can be replicated. Delivered on schedule and within budget, 425 Grand Concourse responds directly to community needs, is economically sustainable, and highlights architectural innovation balanced with community enrichment and environmental stewardship.