Project Renewal Breaks Ground on Bedford Green House II in The Bronx

 New construction will add 116 more units of affordable and supportive housing and a medical clinic to the site

 The development’s first phase—Bedford Green House I—opened earlier in 2022 with 117 apartments, supportive services, and a rooftop greenhouse

(The Bronx, NY) – On December 9, the homeless services nonprofit Project Renewal celebrated the groundbreaking of Bedford Green House II, a $71.4 million supportive and affordable housing development in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx, next to Bedford Green House I which the organization opened earlier this year.

The 17-story Bedford Green House II, located at 2880 Jerome Avenue, will bring 116 additional units of affordable and supportive housing to formerly homeless individuals and families impacted by mental illness and substance use disorder, low-income seniors, and people earning 60% of area median income or less. The building, designed to LEED Gold standards, will feature a 2,309-square-foot street-facing medical clinic, offering primary care, pediatrics, podiatry, digital radiology, and other health care services to both tenants and community members. It will also include a fitness room; a landscaped backyard; and The Molly B. Kronick Library and Learning Center for residents.

The LEED Gold-certified Bedford Green House I opened in January 2022 with 117 affordable and supportive homes and innovative design elements, amenities, and services that support residents’ health and long-term stability. A 1,500-square-foot rooftop greenhouse and aquaponics urban farming system allows residents to grow fresh vegetables year-round. A green exterior façade features plantings that will grow to cascade from the top floors to the ground, reducing the building’s energy use and removing airborne pollutants. Bike storage and a playground facilitate active lifestyles for all ages.

Project Renewal’s multidisciplinary team provides wraparound, on-site services, including case management, occupational therapy, horticultural therapy, and entitlements support to Bedford Green House I tenants and will provide those same services to Bedford Green House II tenants. Together, the two buildings will provide 233 supportive and affordable homes.

“Bedford Green House has become a community of renewal and stability for individuals and families overcoming homelessness, mental health concerns, and other challenges,” said Eric Rosenbaum, President and CEO of Project Renewal. “With the second phase, we are excited to bring not only more critically needed affordable homes to the Bronx, but also a medical clinic that will provide health care to our neighbors in the community, as well as our tenants. We are grateful to our funders and partners who have helped make our vision for Bedford Green House a reality.”

“We’re thrilled to break ground on Phase II of Bedford Green House, which will bring the same level of attention to energy efficiency, supportive services, and resident amenities as Phase I of the project which we celebrated earlier this year,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “Thanks to Project Renewal and our partners at the state for sharing our commitment to expanding the supply of high-quality affordable housing, particularly for the most vulnerable among us.”

“The Bedford Green House II in Fordham Heights is an exemplary supportive housing development that will offer affordable housing to the Bronx and amenities to benefit the surrounding neighborhood,” said New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “This 116-unit development will give low-income families, seniors, and unhoused New Yorkers a place to call home, support residents with serious mental illness or substance use disorder, and offer beautiful community spaces for Bronxites to enjoy. I commend the state and Project Renewal for working together to invest in critical housing projects for the Bronx.”

"Bedford Green House II will provide a safe, modern home to over 100 families, individuals, and seniors in Fordham Heights, while also ensuring that 70 households have critically needed services to achieve stability,” said Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas. “The inclusion of a new medical clinic expands access to affordable, quality healthcare for the surrounding community. Thanks to Project Renewal and our other partners, the Bronx will soon benefit from this remarkable development, and continue to do so for years to come."

"The second phase of Bedford Green House will help respond to our community's urgent need for safe, affordable, and supportive housing with access to vital mental health services,” said Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. It will offer seniors and families the supportive services and assistance they need to live independently, right here in Fordham Heights. Governor Hochul's commitment to supportive housing is helping to ensure that vulnerable New Yorkers have access to affordable, safe and stable homes."

“CSH congratulates Project Renewal on breaking ground on Bedford Green House Phase II,” said Jen Trepinski, director of loan originations, Corporation for Supportive Housing. “We are proud to be an early-stage funding partner of Project Renewal and this project that will create a healthy, affordable, and vibrant community where its residents can thrive.”

“Bedford Green House will provide individuals and families with permanent housing and easy access to the services they need to stabilize their lives and thrive in their community — all within an innovative and therapeutic setting,” said New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz. “We are proud to once again be collaborating with Project Renewal and our state and local partners on such an innovative project that promises to be transformative for the entire Bronx community.”

“Bedford Green House II is the culmination of the addition of a superb new community asset for the Jerome Park neighborhood of the Bronx,” said Andrew Knox, FAIA, partner, ESKW/Architects. “By building two structures with a common shared park between them, an oasis is created which will bring the residents together. This space will foster community for the development as well as provide an easy way to offer residents services that Project Renewal offers and that they need. The expression of the building reinforces the common height brick façades of the neighboring Jerome Avenue residential buildings. There is a change of material as the building rises above that height looking to the north across the Bronx all the way to the Hudson Highlands.”

Bedford Green House II’s development team is led by Project Renewal, with Olive Branch Consulting serving as Owner’s Representative. Bruno Frustaci Contracting, Inc. is the general contractor. Architectural design services are provided by Edelman Sultan Knox Wood (ESKW) Architects, with structural engineering by Rosenwasser Grossman, MEP engineering by Allen Rosenthal, geotechnical engineering by Mueser Rutledge, landscape design by Starr Whitehouse, and LEED design by Steven Winter Associates. Rockabill Consulting provided pre-development consulting services.

Financing for Bedford Green House II includes $5.7 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated $34.6 million in equity, $12.05 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and $11.3 million in subsidy from New York City Housing Preservation and Development. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance contributed $6 million through the Homeless Housing and Prevention Program. OMH will provide $1.7 million annually for services and operating costs on the 70 ESSHI units. Additionally, OMH will provide $343,000 in a program development grant to cover some start-up costs. The New York City Council provided a $1.2 million grant, and the Office of the Bronx Borough President provided a $300,000 grant.