14
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, APRIL 1-7, 2022 BXR
BY JASON COHEN
The developer behind the
three-phase Crossroads Plaza
development in the Mott Haven
section of the Bronx, received
the project’s final approvals last
week.
The project, which began in
2012 and finished construction in
2018, is located on parts of Union
Avenue, Southern Boulevard and
East 149th Street.
And after receiving the final
certificate of occupancy
from the city, Douglaston Development
now brings to life
a 587,000-square-foot, multiphased,
mixed-use project that
transformed what was formerly
an entirely vacant gas station
and an unmapped street since
the 1970s into a community hub,
inclusive of 425 affordable residential
units, 160 parking spaces,
60,000 square feet of ground
floor commercial space occupied
by community focused entities,
a children’s playground and
a 20,000-square-foot pedestrian
plaza.
“Building affordable housing
and housing for seniors, there’s a
sense of satisfaction you get seeing
the residents have a quality
place to live with services,” Jeff
Levine, chairman of Douglaston
Development told the Bronx
Times.
The commercial spaces at the
site include Essen Health, a universal
pre-K program and The
Foundling, which provides family
and children’s social services.
According to Levine, when he
originally saw the massive vacant
property years ago, he envisioned
it serving multiple purposes.
“We knew community facilities
wanted to be here,” Levine
said.
Levine said the Crossroads
project is nothing like other projects
such as Bankside – a $950
million high-rise development
with apartments rentals costing
nearly $2,000 per month – taking
place along the waterfront in
Mott Haven that has some concerned
over the onset of gentrification
of the area.
“This is a development that
serves the community,” he said.
“There’s no displacement.”
The Crossroads project was
completed in collaboration with
the New York City Department of
Housing Preservation and Development
(HPD) and the New York
City Housing Development Corporation.
Two of the three buildings
utilize the HPD mixed middle-income
program, with the average
median income (AMI) ranging
from 40%-130%. The third building
utilizes the Low-Income Housing
Tax Credit program, with
rents as low as 40% of the AMI.
“One hundred and thirty (percent
of the) AMI really doesn’t
work for the working people in this
community,” Levine said. “What’s
great about this is the money we
spent to create this landscaped
courtyard provides amenities for
the residents, but we ended up having
three very community centered
The new affordable housing complex Crossroads Plaza in Mott Haven will also
bring a health care facility and universal pre-K program to the area.
Photo courtesy Douglaston Development
tenants here.”
A breakdown of the three
phases of development:
Phase I Crossroads III, 535
Union Ave. – An 8-story building
with 126 residential units and
20,000 square feet of community
space occupied by a universal pre-
K currently serving around 180
students.
Phase II Crossroads II, 501
Southern Blvd. – A 13-story building
with 136 residential units and
ground floor space occupied by
The New York Foundling.
Phase III, Crossroads I, 828
E. 149th St. – A 14-story building
with 163 residential units and an
18,000-square-foot Essen Healthcare
facility.
Crossroads Plaza development
receives final OK from city
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