Governor Hochul Announces Construction to Begin on $118 Million Mixed-Use Affordable Housing Development in Brooklyn

Bridge Rockaway in Brownsville Will Offer 174 Affordable Homes with 87 Units Reserved for Seniors and Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

Mixed-Use Development Will Include Light Manufacturing Space Operated by the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, Creating Up to 35 Jobs  

Part of Governor's $25 Billion, Five-Year, Comprehensive Housing Plan

Renderings Available Here  

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of construction on a $118 million mixed-use affordable housing development in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Brownsville. Known as Bridge Rockaway, the development will offer 174 affordable apartments, including 87 with supportive services, and 39,000 square feet of ground floor manufacturing space which will be available for lease to light manufacturers. The manufacturing space will be separately owned and operated by GreenpointManufacturing and Design Center, a nonprofit industrial developer, and it is expected to create up to 35 jobs.

"Quality affordable homes and good paying jobs are the foundation for successful and thriving communities, and that is what we are delivering to Brownsville with this important investment," Governor Hochul said. "Bridge Rockaway is an innovative collaboration between state and nonprofit partners that will bolster our continued efforts to revitalize Central Brooklyn."

Bridge Rockaway is part of Governor Hochul's sweeping plans to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable. In the recently enacted State Budget, the Governor successfully secured a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes.

The development will consist of two residential towers, one with six floors, and another with seven floors, separated by an 11,000-square-foot garden. All 174 apartments will be affordable to households earning 70 percent of the Area Median Income or less. There is one superintendent unit.

Thirty-five households will have access to on-site supportive services and rental subsidies funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. These homes will be reserved for seniors and veterans in need of supportive services.

An additional 52 apartments will be reserved for chronically homeless adults. Services for these individuals will be funded through the NYC 15/15 Congregate Supportive Housing Services Program administered by the New York City Human Resources Administration and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. On-site supportive services will be provided by The Bridge.

Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center will operate a 39,000-square-foot manufacturing space on the building's ground floor that will provide affordable small scale manufacturing facilities to approximately ten to twelve local businesses. It is expected that the facility will create up to 35 jobs.

Residential amenities will include a ground floor community facility space, a continuously-staffed lobby reception area, and a community garden. Additional residential amenities will be on the second floor including social services offices, a computer room, a community kitchen, a multipurpose room, bicycle room, storage, and laundry facilities.

The development team consists of The Bridge, Mega Development and GreenpointManufacturing and Design Center.

State financing for the residential portion includes $11.4 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $46 million equity and $16.9 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $6.5 million through the Homeless Housing Assistance Program. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development is providing $17.1 million in support.

Empire State Development has agreed to support the $11.8 million manufacturing space with a capital grant of up to $1.6 million. The grant was recommended by the New York City Regional Economic Development Council and reflects New York State's efforts to revitalize and grow New York's manufacturing sector and support small businesses.

Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Bridge Rockaway is a transformative development for the residents and businesses of the Brownsville neighborhood. We are proud to partner with The Bridge, Mega Development and GMDC to provide a brighter and more secure future for 174 families, including permanent supportive housing for 87 homeless adults including seniors and veterans. By pairing the housing development with new light manufacturing jobs, we can leverage our work to help drive economic growth and support local business owners for years to come. Thank you to our many public, private and non-profit partners who have helped us reach today's milestone."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "GMDC's Bridge Rockaway is a transformative development that will create affordable housing and encourage small business manufacturing in Brooklyn. This project will complement the State's efforts to revitalize areas by building healthy, affordable and vibrant communities, while the small businesses support local supply chains and create jobs that catalyze regional economic growth."

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, "Supportive housing provides targeted assistance for individuals and families that have experienced homelessness to ensure they remain stably housed and can succeed in their community. Once constructed, Bridge Rockaway will offer veterans with disabilities, the elderly, and those suffering from a serious mental illness with the housing and supportive services they need to thrive in a safe, independent setting. With projects like this one in Brooklyn, Governor Hochul continues to demonstrate her commitment to making affordable housing accessible to all New Yorkers, including our most vulnerable neighbors."

Bronx Day Parade. Food Festival, and Concert

 

Bronx Day Parade. Food Festival, and Concert

By Robert Press

Sunday turned out to be the perfect day for a parade, food festival, and concert, to end Bronx Week. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson was joined by Actress, Author, Keynote Speaker, and Bronx Born April Hernandez and her daughter Summer Rae. Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet Peguero arrived shortly after Assemblyman Dinowitz and Councilman Dinowitz departed. 

Hundreds of people marched across Mosholu Parkway. Schools, community organizations, supporting companies, elected officials, and local Community Board 7 members where the event was being held. On the other side of the parkway was the food festival with dozens of booths to get a variety of delicious food or beverages. There were activities for children which included a pony ride, games, and a Bouncy House. For adults there were many information tables from city agencies, and several health care providers with various gifts and services. Later on the Concert began. Bronx Week with all its events was very successful for a brand new Bronx Borough President who seemed to be in office for a while.

(R - L) Deputy Borough President  Janet Peguero, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Actress April Hernandez, and Summer Rae Hernandez. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and his son Councilman Eric Dinowitz were on the stage with BP Gibson, as students from PS 8 in Bedford Park marched by.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark marched across Mosholu Parkway.

Members of local Bronx Community Board 7 marched as they do every year.

Students from IN-Tech Academy MS/HS 368 march as the Dinowitz's prepare to go to another event.

Members of the NYPD from the Bronx were among the marchers.

There were performances from some of the students.

Felipe shaves off some meat as he serves a customer at the food festival.

Giant Pasteles were available at this booth.

Then there was the Pina Colada booth, and dozens of other booths where almost anything made could be found.

There were amusements for the children.

Including pony rides.

People gathered for the Bronx Week Concert after the parade was done, to finish out Bronx Week.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - The End of Bronx Week 2022!

 

Dear Neighbors,

Yesterday, we concluded a truly unforgettable Bronx Week 2022! We had the honor of celebrating so many facets of our vibrant community alongside all of you. We celebrated our older adults, small businesses, veterans, bankers, community board members, parents, teachers, school safety agents, artists, and so many others.

Since taking office in January, my staff alongside the Bronx Tourism Council and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation has worked tirelessly to bring Bronx Week back after a two-year hiatus. I want to take this moment to acknowledge the tremendous effort and labor of love from my team. It takes a village and I could not have done this without their dedication and hard work.

I also want to thank our sponsors who continue to invest in our community and for them seeing our Borough for what it truly is: a vibrant, booming community on the verge of a renaissance.

And although we are still celebrating a huge win for the Borough today, I would also like to express my condolences to our neighbors in Buffalo. Please take a moment to join me in prayer and solidarity for the 10 victims of the Buffalo shooting that took place on Saturday, May 14th. We mourn with the families whose lives have been forever changed and marked by this horrific event. The victims and their families did not deserve this. Our federal government needs to implement the measures and regulations necessary to end racially motivated gun violence in our country. This is unacceptable and cannot continue to happen. As Americans, we deserve and demand better.

In response to the New York City Health Commissioner's statement on the rise in COVID-19 cases in our city, we urge all of you to take care of yourselves: get tested, get vaccinated, and get boosted. You can find more information on COVID-19 resources for New York City residents on the NYC Covid-19 City-wide Information Portal.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

Bronx Week Recap!

Before launching #BronxWeek, we thanked all of our incredible sponsors for their labor of love and contributions to making Bronx Week 2022 a success! Thank you to all of our sponsors who made this year`s Bronx Week possible: Humana Altice Bronx Community College BronxCare Con Edison Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HOSTOS Community College Lincoln Hospital Montefiore Einstein PepsiCo United Health Care Visiting Nurse Service of New York Waste Management : @geniusexposuremedia

We partnered with the Bronx Community Foundation and Tech FIN (Technology For Families In Need) to address the digital divide in our community and distribute tablets. We understand the importance of having access to up-to-date technology, it gives us access to the world and people around us. We want to make sure that as we move forward with our technology, we are not leaving anyone behind. Thank you to the Bronx Community Foundation and Tech FIN (Technology For Families In Need) for collaborating with us on this endeavor.

Who better to jump-start our Bronx Week than our older adults! We had a wonderful time at Golden Corral during our Senior Event! We sang, we danced and we praised! We are all the product of those that came before us and it is only right that we celebrate them! Thank you Humana and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield! And a big thank you to Golden Corral and their staff for hosting us! : @geniusexposuremedia

We hosted our Small Business event with NYC Small Business Services and we honored and celebrated our immigrant small business owners in Little Yemen. They are vital to our community and our city. We honored community trailblazers: Bronx Muslim Center Yemeni-American Merchants Association Alliance of Yemeni American Businesses Morris Park BID The New Bronx Chamber of Commerce Thank you for all that you do and for serving our community! : @geniusexposuremedia

We had the honor of recognizing our incredible veterans at our Veteran’s Appreciation Breakfast! So much of who we are and so much of what have in this country we owe to those who have put their lives on the line for our civil liberties. In honor of their sacrifice and their service, we honored: Detective Roberto Oviedo (U.S. Marine Corps) Rene Cabrera Gonzalez (U.S. Marine Corps) Abigail Taylor (U.S. Army) Lauren Patterson (U.S. Army) David Carman (U.S. Navy) To all of of our veterans, you have our eternal gratitude for all that you have done to keep us safe. : @geniusexposuremedia

We celebrated our business owners at our Bronx Week Business Luncheon! Our business owners sustain our city and are the lifeblood of our economy. When things got rough in 2020, our business owners persisted and turned their pain into purpose. Last year, our Borough saw $3.2 billion in total development, the highest amount ever invested in the Bronx. Thank you for your investment in our community and your commitment to growth in the Bronx. At our luncheon, we recognized ten Bronx businesses that thrived in our Borough through challenging times:   Agape Transportation Management Boulevard Menswear Bronx Restaurateur - Jimmy Rodriguez Conti’s Pastry Shoppe E.A.T. w/ Culinary Professionals Inc. Infinity Fitness Super Fresh Supermarket The Hoodspitality Group The Lit. Bar York Studios : @geniusexposuremedia

We honored our incredible labor workers and unions for their effort and dedication to our city.   Our labor workers are the essential workers who kept our city moving during the onset of the pandemic and they continue to do so. We are eternally grateful for all you have done for us. As a token of our appreciation, we honored: Aly Y. Waddy, UFCW, Local 1500 Barrie Smith, Local 79 Christian Smalls, President, Amazon Union Derrick Palmer, Vice President, Amazon Union Henry Garrido, Executive Director, DC37 Shaun D. Francois I, President Local 372

Our Community Board members are vital to the growth and advancement of our Bronx community. We honored the three longest-serving Community Board members in each board who, over the years, have demonstrated an immense commitment to their neighborhood and city. We also honored three Board members who are COLLEGE BOUND this fall: CB #2 Johnathan Martir - Williams College   CB #3 Sarah Torres - Syracuse University   CB #12 Hannah Gadpaille – Penn. State

We held our Bankers Breakfast to celebrate and recognize our incredible private sector partners.  Public-private partnerships are essential in bringing grants, loans, financial literacy and other economic opportunities to our small business communities.  Together, we can move the Bronx forward. Thank you BICNY, BOEDC and all of our incredible sponsors for your incredible work and partnership. : @geniusexposuremedia

We had a wonderful evening honoring our parents, teachers, superintendents and school safety agents during our Parent Leadership Event.  A huge thank you to the Bronx parent leaders who dedicate and volunteer their time throughout the year to support parents and families. Our youth are better for their efforts and we are so grateful for their dedication. Thank you to our school safety agents who work tirelessly year-round to ensure the safety of our youth and faculty in and outside of school buildings. And guess what? 90% of school safety agent officers are WOMEN.

Silent Disco We had so much fun at the Woodlawn Cemetery during our Silent Disco on Friday night! Thank you to everyone who joined us for a night of dancing. : @geniusexposuremedia

The Bronx’s Very Own! We hosted our long-awaited Induction Ceremony to the Bronx Walk of Fame!   The Bronx Walk of Fame is a high honor, wherein we award our very own Bronx trailblazers for their work and talent. This year, the honor was bestowed upon: Eif Rivera - Cinematographer, Artist Luis Antonio Ramos - Actor Remy Ma - Poet, Artist, Writer  : @geniusexposuremedia

Our Bronx Ball was INCREDIBLE. It was wonderful to celebrate the culmination of our first Bronx Week with The Bronx Ball 2022!  : @geniusexposuremedia

What an honor it has been to see months of planning come to life. Bronx Week 2022 was for our community. We believe our borough deserves the very best that our city has to offer. We will continue to work to ensure that Bronxites have access to resources they need and deserve. The Bronx is so much more than the narrative that has been written for us by others. We will tell our story the way we lived it: in community, in fellowship and with joy. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to every single person who joined us along the way. We are better together. See you all next year! This is just the beginning.