www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY March 17, 2019 12
12-story residential plaza dedicated in Mott Haven
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
A recently completed affordable
housing development was dedicated
in the memory of America’s
foremost civil rights leader.
A ribbon cutting ceremony held
on Monday, March 4 at MLK Plaza
in Mott Haven, named in honor of
Martin Luther King Jr., celebrated
the completion of the 12-story apartment
building with 167 affordable
housing units.
The building features a spacious
grandiose two-story high entrance
lobby that showcases a mural
dedicated to King and an energy
effi cient façade with a LEED Platinum
green building certifi cation.
Its unique amenities are usually
found in more upscale residential
buildings, said Dan Rad, principal
of the builder, Radson Development.
Radson developed the building
with funding from the NYS Housing
Development Corporation and
the NYC Department of Housing
Preservation and Development.
The affordable units were
leased through a housing lottery,
which was already held, for families
earning from $21,930 to just
above $75,000 for a family of three.
Another 33 units were set aside for
the formerly homeless.
Additionally, 68 units in the
building will be permanently affordable
due to subsidies provided
both under the Mayor’s Mandatory
Inclusionary Housing program, an
affordable housing development
plan, and the additional support
from HPD and HDC, said Rad.
“It is an amenity rich building,”
said Rad, pointing out the building’s
greenroofs, outdoor and indoor recreation
areas, a gym, laundry room
and an outdoor yoga space.
The apartments have high quality
fi xtures and fi nishings, Rad
said.
These include luxurious wooden
fl oors, Italian porcelain in the bathrooms,
granite countertops, tilt and
turn casement windows and highenergy
effi cient kitchen appliances,
said Rad.
The building was designed
with the tenants’ quality of life in
mind, he said.
“Radson Development is proud
to bring this state of the art building
to Mott Haven, and we are
grateful to all our partners that
helped make this dream a reality,”
said Rad.
Additionally, Rad said that the
building has a lot of architecturally
pleasing elements and is approximately
180,000 square feet.
Borough President Ruben Diaz
Jr., who took part in the ceremonial
ribbon cutting, said that his
offi ce provided $500,000 in funding
to the project.
“MLK Plaza is a testament to
our efforts to create new housing
units and keep our borough and
our city affordable,” said Diaz.
Adding, “MLK Plaza will not
only provide necessary affordable
housing units for the borough but
considering that permanent supportive
MLK Plaza Ribbon Cutting. Joseph Enrique Lara
housing is the key to preventing
recurring homelessness,
these new units will also help
alleviate the homelessness problem.”
Local Councilwoman Diana
Ayala said she was excited about
bringing more “deeply affordable
projects” like the complex to Mott
Haven.
The apartment unit mix is
comprised of 25 studios, 57 onebedrooms,
60 two-bedrooms, and
24 three-bedroom apartments.
Additionally, there is a 722
square foot community room.
MLK Plaza in Mott Haven.
Young Pelham Parkway man publishes 2nd book of prose
BY ALEX MITCHELL
A 23-year-old from Pelham
Parkway is using
words to fi ght those battles
that nothing else can, and
his name is Karl Omar
Lawrence.
He began writing at
the age of 11 when a sixth
grade teacher allowed him
to openly express his own
thoughts in journal entries
during school.
Years later, he’s selfpublished
two volumes of
poetry titled ‘The Radical
Poetry of Karl Omar Lawrence.’
The most recent volume
will be available on Amazon.
com come this April.
“To me, being radical
or revolutionary doesn’t
mean extreme or crazy,
but rather fully committed
to something, being
thorough,” the author
said. “Words to me present
a power like no other,” he
continued on.
The fi rst volume Karl
published as a teenager focused
on shaping his characters
qualities via the
pen that he felt he hadn’t
yet possessed. “Now these
years later I do believe I
possess those qualities, I
do see myself as I saw my
characters those years
ago,” he mentioned as
well.
“At the time, I was taking
the road less travelled
as that was treacherous in
school there’s no bubble
for ‘revolutionary’ on the
scantron, I’ve had ups and
downs, but it’s brought me
here,” Karl said.
Now in volume two of
his radical poetry, Karl’s
focus shifted to a more mature
perspective, using the
Bronx he had grown up in
as fodder for his writing as
well as how to better his
home borough.
To learn and read more
from Karl Omar Lawrence
email him at karl@
richradical.com or connect
via Instagram by following
k_withak.
The back cover of Volume II. Karl Omar Lawrence
Karl with his fi rst published book. Courtesy of Karl Omar Lawrence
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