New Norwood Gardens
apartments ribbon cutting
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A 32 PRIL 19-25, 2019 BTR
The Stagg Group’s Norwood Gardens development.
Photo by Edward Watkins
Norwood Gardens celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, April 9. Photo by Edward Watkins
Little Stars Child Care, located in the building, preformed “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” at the celebration on Tuesday, April 9. Photo by Edward Watkins
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
Norwood Gardens, an
11-story affordable mixeduse
housing development off
Webster Avenue in Norwood,
opened with a joyous celebration
attended by its public and
private partners at a ribbon
cutting ceremony on Tuesday,
April 9.
The new building created
118 new units of affordable
housing from studios
to three-bedrooms at 410 E.
203rd Street for families earning
between 60 percent and
130 percent of Area Median
Income, roughly $31,000 to
$143,000, and includes about
7,000 square feet of childcare,
community and retail spaces.
The entire building contains
approximately 140,000
square feet of space.
The building, developed
by The Stagg Group, includes
a space specifi cally designed
for a daycare facility, the
Little Stars Childcare Center,
that includes seven classrooms.
New Norwood Gardens
resident Christina Donkor
said that she moved to the
Norwood building from
nearby Kingsbridge Heights,
and already noticed that the
building and its surroundings
provide for a nicer living
environment compared to
where she resided the last 19
years.
She said she got the news
around in December that she
was selected in a housing lottery
for the apartment, and
was thrilled, describing her
good fortune as a holiday gift.
“I am very excited about living
in a better situation,” said
Donkor. Her two daughters are
also enjoying the new digs.
Donkor said she expects to
be active in the building’s tenant
activities, and is already
working with another tenant
to develop a monthly newsletter
for the building, and is eager
to form a tenant association
with her neighbors.
“I want everybody to enjoy
living in this building as
much as I do,” said Donkor,
adding “It just gives me a lot
of hope (that I) can live in a
better place.”
She said that that her favorite
part of the building is
its laundry room, a perk she
is is glad to have.
Some of Norwood Gardens’
amenities, according to
Stagg, include a pair of fi tness
centers, a recreation room,
a children’s playroom and a
large landscaped patio.
About ten different funding
partners took part in fi -
nancing the building, including
state and city agencies.
“We are committed to
building high-quality housing
for Bronx residents, and
we are pleased to join our city
partners in providing a building
that not only addresses
the critical need for affordable
housing, but one that includes
attractive amenities
to enhance our tenants’ lives
and provides needed services
for this Norwood community,”
said Mark Stagg, CEO
and founder of Stagg Group.
Elected offi cials also celebrated
the building’s opening.
Borough President Ruben
Diaz Jr. said that the project
transformed what had been a
vacant lot into a community
asset.
“With the high level of
amenities its future residents
will enjoy, Norwood Gardens
is truly a model of how affordable
housing should be built,”
said Diaz, offering his thanks
to the Department of Housing
Preservation and Development
and Housing Development
Corporation and Stagg
Group.
Councilman Andrew Cohen
said he was thrilled to
celebrate more high quality
affordable housing in his district.
With the high
level of amenities
its future residents
will enjoy, Norwood
Gardens is truly
a model of how
affordable housing
should be built.
Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Borough President