Renderings have been unveiled for the Heartwood, an upcoming 19-story mixed-use building with 113 affordable housing units at 155 E. 173rd St. in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx.
Approximately 15% of the 113 rent-stabilized units at the Heartwood will be dedicated to formerly homeless individuals. In addition to the residential units, the new building will also house the new Grand Concourse Library. The new building will span 17,500 square feet.
According to the renderings of the new building, it will feature an earth-toned brick facade, as well as a series of staggered setbacks across the western and eastern elevations. A terrace with glass railings and a pergola will be on the lower setback. A canopy of solar panels will also cover the roof.
While a wide variety of changes will be made to the property, the historic Lorrie Goulet sculpture will continue to hang above the entrance. The upper two-thirds of the glass curtain wall that will enclose the library will be screened by a brick lattice facade. Expansive windows, along with a domed skylight on the third floor of the structure, will help bring more natural light into the new library.
The library will have a variety of dedicated spaces, including those for children, teens and families. There will also be a double-height adult reading room and multiple study areas. The building will also have an emergency generator to provide backup power and cooling to many of the library’s amenity spaces, as well as the community room.
The redevelopment of the old Grand Concourse Library was announced early in 2025, when Mayor Eric Adams, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York Public Library (NYPL) submitted a request for proposal (RFP). In addition to adding affordable housing to the area, the project will also modernize the library.
Upon the project’s completion, the building will be the first Passive House-certified library from the New York Public Library.
Amenities that will be available to residents will include community rooms, a teaching kitchen with programming for the tenants, three outdoor terraces, a fitness center, bike storage and shared laundry rooms.
Multiple public approvals will be necessary for the development team to proceed with the project. Rezoning and the transfer of City-owned property is also necessary. Before the current structure is demolished, a temporary location must be found for the Grand Concourse Library.
An estimated completion date for the construction of the new building has not yet been provided.
