
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 4 AN. 15-21, 2021
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BY JASON COHEN
Construction on a south
Bronx project along the Harlem
River waterfront that will
create more than 1,000 units
of affordable housing and the
home for the Universal Hip
Hop Museum will begin soon.
On Dec. 30, L+M Development
Partners, Type A Projects,
BronxWorks and NYC
closed on fi nancing for the fi rst
phase of Bronx Point, a mega
development that will bring affordable
housing to the Lower
Concourse, an early childhood
space run by BronxWorks and
an outdoor science programming
run by the Billion Oyster
Project. Phase one will deliver
542 units of affordable housing,
along with approximately 2.8
acres of public open space.
Overall, the 530,000 square
foot Bronx Point development
will include 1,045 apartment
units, more than 56,000 square
feet of educational and community
space, along with more
than 12,000 square feet of retail
space. It will be completed by
2023.
“Community Board 4 is
excited to see this project enter
Phase I of development,”
said Paul Philps, district
manager, Community Board
4. “Bronx Point will include
hundreds of new units of affordable
housing, a permanent
home for the Universal Hip
Hop Museum, expansion of the
District’s most heavily utilized
open space resource, Mill Pond
Park in addition to thousands
of jobs for area residents. This
represents a beacon of hope
during what has been an extremely
diffi cult year for everyone.
We look forward to the
advancement of this transformative
capital project in the
district.”
In recognition of its potential
to serve the Lower Concourse
community, Bronx
Point was awarded an Award
for Excellence in Public Design
by the New York City
Public Design Commission in
November. Also, in May, the
Waterfront Alliance named
it the fi rst affordable housing
project in the country and just
the ninth overall to achieve
verifi cation for excellence in
waterfront design through its
Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines,
a rating system to manage
coastal climate risks and
create resident, ecologically
sound and accessible waterfronts
widely accepted as the
gold standard across a range of
industries.
Bronx Point is a key component
of a $194 million capital
investment strategy for the
Lower Concourse neighborhood,
announced by the de Blasio
Administration in 2015 and
led by NYCEDC. For more than
two years, the development
team and NYCEDC engaged
with the community, including
hosting open space design
workshops and additional
working group sessions with
an array of local stakeholders.
Bronx Point will be home
to the fi rst permanent home
of the Universal Hip Hop Museum,
just down the river from
the widely recognized birthplace
of hip hop at 1520 Sedgwick
Avenue.
“For years, we’ve wanted
a permanent home in the
Bronx—the birthplace of hip
hop—and we are proud to be
a part of Bronx Point, which
will be one of the great new
destinations of the borough,”
said Kurtis Blow, hip hop legend
and chairman emeritus
of the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
“Hip hop grew from
a seed that was planted at a
house party on Sedgwick Avenue
into a global movement,
and our museum will celebrate
that journey and the Bronx’s
place in its history.”
Bronx Point’s apartments
will be available for families
earning incomes ranging
from 30 percent to 120 percent
of Area Median Income, along
with apartments for the formerly
homeless. Apartments
will include 135 studios, 192
one-bedrooms, 122 two-bedrooms
and 93 three-bedrooms.
Amenities will feature an outdoor
terrace, on-site laundry,
a children’s room, community
lounge, bike storage room, onsite
fi tness center and aroundthe
clock front desk security.
“The need for affordable
housing for Bronx residents,
and for seniors and formerly
homeless individuals in particular,
cannot be overstated,”
said Congressman-elect
Ritchie Torres. “The COVID-19
pandemic, along with rising
rents and stagnant wages,
have exacerbated the affordable
housing crisis in our city.
This project will bring much
needed affordable units to the
Bronx and revitalize the Harlem
River waterfront and the
south Bronx.”
Public space is an integral
part of Bronx Point. A grand
staircase, designed to be a civic
gathering space, will lead from
the building down to the waterfront.
The open space, across
from Bronx Terminal Market,
will feature a playground and
landscaped area adjacent to
the existing Mill Pond Park
and the Bronx Children’s Museum
to the north. An esplanade
along the Harlem River
shoreline will include a landscaped
public walkway and
seating areas.
It will also feature lawns,
waterfront lookouts, an extended
BBQ area, fi tness
zones for adults and public
bathrooms.
Additionally, Bronx Point
will include several spaces
for youth and community
programming and education.
Development partner Bronx-
Works, will provide supportive
services for tenants on the
site and operate an early childhood
center. At the same time,
the Billion Oyster Project will
run an outdoor education program
that utilizes the Harlem
River.
“BronxWorks is thrilled
to be a partner in the Bronx
Point Development,” said Eileen
Torres, executive director,
BronxWorks. “By offering
families and residents
child care and social services
right on-site, the development
represents an innovative and
supportive approach for our
Bronx neighbors. As we look
to lift lives and build futures,
especially post the devastating
COVID pandemic, the Bronx
Point is a hopeful sign of the
future for our community.”
Financing secured
for affordable
housing and Hip-
Hop Musuem
A rendering of Bronx Point Courtesy of S9 Architecture