New Norwood Gardens
apartments ribbon cutting
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
Norwood Gardens,
an 11-story affordable
mixed-use 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 threebedrooms
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.
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
“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.
BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY April 21, 2019 12
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
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