A brand new senior housing development will reconnect its residents with Mother Nature.
On Friday, March 1, NYS Homes and Community Renewal, Foxy Management and partners broke ground for the Arthur Avenue Senior Apartments, a $91 million 176-unit affordable and supportive senior housing development, at 600 E. 179th Street.
The 9-story, 130,000 square foot building adorned with black and white exterior panels features 88 studio and 88 one-bedroom units for low-income elders 62-years-old and older.
Developed by Mott Haven-based Foxy Management, the energy-efficient building will emphasize amenities known as ‘biophilic’ which are designed to connect residents with the natural world.
These biophilics include a green wall in the lobby, a green roof, vertical farmings for herbs and lettuces, an integrated greenhouse and community room with teaching kitchen and a working vegetable garden where elders can grow and share their own food with the community.
“Our concept is bringing the outdoors indoors because as human beings we all share a connection to the natural world, however as city dwellers particularly with seniors, it’s difficult to maintain that connection,” expressed Jeff Fox, Foxy Management executive vice president and general counsel.
Approximately 4,500 square feet is dedicated to producing a health-oriented community space which will include the vegetable garden, interior greenhouse and teaching kitchen and two outdoor terraces on the eighth floor connected to two large multipurpose community rooms.
According to Fox, Arthur Avenue Senior Apartments will occupy two formerly vacant sites, at 2010 Arthur Avenue and 2016 Arthur Avenue, and a parcel at 612 E. 179th Street that once contained a 3-family home.
The development is anticipated to be completed by January 2021.
Fox said that he plans to meet with J.H.S. 118’s principal Giulia Cox to discuss how students can volunteer their time helping elders at the development.
Arthur Avenue Senior Apartments was developed by Foxy Management and its partners at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale under the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program.
Daniel Reingold, RiverSpring Health CEO, said 54 units will be set aside for adults leaving the homeless shelter system.
Tenants will receive on-site support services provided by the Hebrew Home at Riverdale promoting socialization, life skills training and maintenance, education and fitness-based instruction groups, nutritional education, cooking, mediation and music therapy.
Additional amenities include 24-hour security, on-site laundry, live-in super, bicycle and tenant storage and an office suite for support services.
The development was financed using a combination of NYS Housing Finance Agency tax-exempt bonds and subsidy, HPD SARA and Reso A subsidy and syndicated tax credit equity.
Foxy Management is collaborating with its financial partners at JP Morgan Chase and Boston Financial.
Councilman Rafael Salamanca allocated $500,000 for the project.
“As a result of this senior affordable housing development, seniors will be able to remain in the community they have called home for many years,” stated Salamanca.
