Mayor Zohran Mamdani broke ground Tuesday on River Commons, a $255 million, 17-story development in Morrisania that will add 328 affordable apartments and a new healthcare clinic to the South Bronx, according to the Bronx Times.
The building will rise on the campus of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania. Of the 328 total units, 229 affordable apartments will serve households earning between 30% and 70% of the area median income. The remaining 98 apartments are permanent supportive housing reserved for NYC Health + Hospitals patients currently experiencing homelessness, funded through the hospital system’s Housing for Health initiative.
“River Commons will deliver 328 homes to the South Bronx, with nearly 70% reserved for low-income New Yorkers and 98 supportive apartments for homeless H+H patients,” Mayor Mamdani said. “By bringing affordable housing, health care and community services together in one place, we’re investing in New Yorkers who deserve a chance to build a secure future.”
The development includes a new 43,000-square-foot Gotham Health clinic that will expand primary care access in Morrisania, plus a 15,000-square-foot parking garage. Apartments range from studios to three-bedrooms. Residents will have access to a fitness center, children’s playroom, community room, coworking space, a 15th-floor terrace, and 24-hour security.
Dina Levy, commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, called it a first-of-its-kind project. “Residents of the South Bronx have long faced high barriers to quality healthcare and affordable housing,” Levy said. “River Commons is a remedy, and this first-of-its-kind development is a model for what’s possible when we think boldly about the intersection of housing and health. For more than 300 families, this marks the beginning of a new life.”
BronxWorks and affordable housing developer Type A Projects will serve as long-term owners of the building. BronxWorks will also run on-site social, wellness, and employment services for residents. “River Commons will deliver critical, high-quality affordable housing for Bronx families and individuals while offering BronxWorks wraparound services helping residents thrive,” BronxWorks CEO Eileen Torres said.
The project was funded largely through HPD’s Extremely Low and Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) program, which funds new construction multi-family rental housing for low-income households.
River Commons is one of several housing initiatives by NYC Health + Hospitals for people experiencing homelessness and those with long-term medical needs. It follows the revival of the Just Home project on the NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi campus, which resumed after former Mayor Eric Adams halted it due to community opposition.
Six thousand square feet of ground-floor space will be shared by African Communities Together and the BronxWorks Empowerment Center, offering education, workforce development, employment services, and legal counseling. The site will also include a 7,000-square-foot public green space with a landscaped plaza and artwork by Fitgi Saint-Louis celebrating the neighborhood’s history and culture.
Featured image: Photo courtesy of Heller
