Arthur Ave. Senior Apartments takes root in Tremont
BY ROBERT WIRSING
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 onebedroom
units for low-income
elders 62-years-old and older.
Developed by Mott Havenbased
Foxy Management, the
energy-effi cient 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 diffi cult 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 fl oor 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.
It’s The Bronx moves to Andrew Freedman Home
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The Bronx culture fest that
has everybody talking is moving
to the Andrew Freedman
Home and art gallery at 1125
Grand Concourse on Saturday,
March 23.
It’s The Bronx, which was
originally slated to debut at
Union Crossing of 825 E. 141st
Street from that Saturday into
Sunday, March 24 will now be
fl ipped into a one-day event at
the artistic space.
The festival was moved
from Union Crossing due to its
construction completion being
delayed, although the state
of the art building is still part
of the It’s The Bronx’ future.
In consolation, Union
Crossing even purchased 100
tickets to It’s The Bronx.
Needless to say, event
creator Marco Shalma has
maintained a positive relationship
with Union Crossing
as both parties are working
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 24 ARCH 15-21, 2019 BTR
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, River-
Spring Health CEO, said 54
units will be set aside for adults
leaving the homeless shelter
system.
Tenants will receive onsite
support services provided
by the Hebrew Home at Riverdale
promoting socialization,
life skills training and maintenance,
education and fi tnessbased
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 offi
ce suite for support services.
The development was fi -
nanced using a combination of
NYS Housing Finance Agency
tax-exempt bonds and subsidy,
HPD SARA and Reso A subsidy
and syndicated tax credit
An artist rendering of the Arthur Avenue Senior Apartments.
Photo courtesy of Foxy Management
equity.
Foxy Management is collaborating
with its fi nancial 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.
The Andrew Freedman Home. Photo courtesy of Round 7
out a new event series for
the seven-fl oor titan of modern
architecture come this
spring when Union Crossing
will be up to speed.
“This is actually on opportunity
for us to do more and involve
more people and more of
the Bronx’s best,” he said.
That monthly series is expected
to commence on Saturday,
May 11 and run all the
way into October, incorporating
multiple and major cultural
institutions from the
Bronx and the rest of NYC.
As for the famed Andrew
Freedman home, the threefl
oor creative and cultural
space now has the privilege to
host what many are anticipating
to be the fi rst round of the
biggest and best collaboration
of Bronx culture to date, running
day to night from 11 a.m.
to 11 p.m.
If you’ve already purchased
tickets to It’s The Bronx before
the announced move, you’re
entitled to some nice givebacks
from the festival.
Those guests are entitled
to: credit towards the outstanding
food and beverages
that come from all corners of
DJ Sabronxura during the January It’s The Bronx preview.
Photo courtesy of Round 7
the Bronx, credit towards additional
tickets, a $10 refund,
and any guest that purchased
only a Sunday ticket will have
that stub honored for Saturday
now.
The planned two-day panel
series will now also be consolidated
into one day.
Those four panels will focus
on and feature insight for
categories like: publishing,
social media and branding,
social media and food, and
success of Bronx women in
business.
“Attendees will have the
opportunity to learn from and
engage directly with our panelists,
and hopefully, leave
feeling inspired or with a better
understanding of each
topic,” Shalma also said.
Tickets for It’s The Bronx
are still available, visit itsthebronx.
com to get yours.