200 units of affordable housing dedicated
James Risso; Richard Froelich vice president COO of the NYC Housing Development Corporation; Rick Gropper-Principal, Camber Property Group;
John Chatzky of developer PRC/Camber; Frank Linde-Principal of PRC; Ralph Acevedo, Community Board 2 district manager; Councilman Rafael
Salamanca; a representative from Assemblyman Marcos Crespo; David Walsh of J.P. Morgan Chase; Jeremy Hoffman-Assistant Commissioner of New
Construction, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Photo by Fernando Justiniano
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
A ribbon cutting ceremony
was held on Friday, May 11 for
two buildings in Longwood
known as The Mulberry and
The Hemlock that together will
provide a total of 200 affordable
apartments for a variety of income
levels.
The new buildings, The
Hemlock at 960 Simpson Street
and The Mulberry at 1000 Fox
Street, within a block of one
another, are both seven stories
with the former containing 120
units and the latter 80 units.
The ribbon cutting, held on
Simpson Street, included remarks
from Councilman Rafael
Salamanca and Senator
Luis Sepulveda, as well as representatives
from developers
Camber Property Group and
Property Resources Corporation.
Salamanca said that he was
thrilled to join with community
stakeholders in cutting the
ribbon on two new buildings he
approved during his fi rst year
in offi ce.
“Today, the transformation
from underutilized lots to
a thriving section of the Longwood
community is complete,”
said Salamanca. “With the
opening of these buildings, we
are adding 200 units of 100% affordable
housing to the housing
stock here in the south Bronx.”
Salamanca noted that the
housing would serve both
lower- and moderate-income local
residents, with rents starting
as low as $538 per month.
The councilman said he was
pleased that the unit mix included
two- and three-bedroom
apartments, because they are
needed in his district.
According to a spokesman
for the developers, James
Yolles, the units include 13 studios,
111 one-bedrooms, 43 twobedrooms,
32 three-bedrooms
and one unit for a superintendent.
The developers also provided
fencing and mulch, as
well as grading, for a plot of
land next door to the Simpson
Street location that serves as a
community garden tended to
by volunteers, said Salamanca.
The units will be offered to
perspective tenants having incomes
from lower up to 100 percent
of area median income,
which is a metric often used
in affordable housing developments.
Rick Gropper, Camber Property
Group principal, said after
the ribbon cutting that a building
to the buildings’ affordable
rents.
and PRC were able to use fi -
nancing and zoning tools available
and Development, the city’s
Housing Development Corporation
housing for people with moderate
will earn 80 percent of the area
median income and some will
earn as low as 30 percent of
area median income, but everyone
BRONX TIMES R 50 EPORTER, MAY 17-23, 2019 BTR
their income toward rent,” said
Gropper.
Gropper added that it would
allow residents who are ‘rentburdened’
to use their money
on other things they may need,
including education, clothing,
job-searches and investment.
Sepulveda said that the development
was great news for
the Longwood community.
“New Yorkers today are facing
a massive housing crisis,
where fi nding a place to live
has become nearly impossible,”
said the senator. “Adding 200
units of affordable housing to
our south Bronx neighborhood
will not only aid in accommodating
many families but will
also serve in the continued vitality
of our community.”
The front façade of the Simpson Street building is pictured here.
site was once an underutilized
parking lot.
Financing and tax incentives
from the city contributed
Gropper said that Camber
through the NYC Department
of Housing Preservation
and Salamanca to create
and lower incomes.
“Some people moving in
will pay only 30 percent of
This is a recreational area in the rear of the Simpson Street building. Photo by Fernando Justiniano Photo by Fernando Justiniano