Bronx Development

[ToastyPotato]

The Melrose Central Building on the corner of Morris and 161 is undergoing renovation of it's street level corner space. It seems that it will be divided into two commercial spots. (From what I have heard, one is to be a Duane Reade, and the other is Dunkin Donuts, but that was hearsay.)

Additionally, I've been hearing about the Food Court being closed inside of the Concourse Plaza. What is the plan there?

[TheInterloafer]

First, the Melrose Central Building added their first retail tenant, a Checkers fast food joint (which is actually really good). So that was evidently successful enough that they've decided to expand the retail.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Concourse Plaza food court is struggling now. On the one hand, they have a lot of new clients from the new office building that just went up above it, but, stupidly, that building also cut off pedestrian access from the residential buildings to the west and south. So they have less foot traffic from that market segment now.

[Merry]

Development Set to Sprout in West Farms

By GABBY WARSHAWER

After years of preparation, developers expect to break ground by this summer on the largest private residential project in the Bronx in decades, a 10-building complex that will eventually include around 1,300 apartments.


Kevin Hagen for The Wall Street Journal
A rendering of buildings planned on Boone Avenue in West Farms

The apartment buildings will rise in the Crotona Park East and West Farms section of the South Bronx, mostly in an area that is bordered by the Sheridan Expressway. It will be built on blocks that are now dominated by warehouses, the majority of which are no longer in use.



The development has broad support among city elected officials and agencies. Some community members have raised questions about whether it will bring an unwelcome element of gentrification by displacing residents who currently live there, but there was only one vote in the City Council against the rezoning that cleared the way for the project.

To the chagrin of the city's graffiti aficionados, it will also involve demolishing a few blocks of buildings on Boone Avenue that are emblazoned with colorful graffiti and sometimes referred to as "the Bronx Wall of Fame."

Signature Urban Properties is developing the first phase of the project along with Monadnock Construction, both based in New York.


Kevin Hagen for The Wall Street Journal
A park near the development under renovation.

One of Signature's managing principals and founders is Gifford Miller, who was defeated in the 2005 Democratic mayoral primary and left electoral politics at the end of his term as City Council speaker later that year.

Signature began working on the project, Compass Residences, in 2007. Mr. Miller said he believes the development will "strengthen the surrounding residential community by transforming a barren industrial area."

Local politicians expect the project to bring life to a desolate area in need of revitalization.

"I am excited that this new development will soon break ground," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said in a statement. "I cannot wait to see West Farms transformed into a thriving, dynamic, mixed-income residential community with affordable housing and retail space."

Mr. Diaz and City Council Member Joel Rivera contributed a total of $2.5 million in discretionary funding for the first phase of the project. The first two buildings will be built under Department of Housing Preservation and Development programs, and all of the units will be rented to people making less than the area median income.

"We are 100% committed to this project being 100% affordable to the community at large," said Mr. Miller.


Kevin Hagen for The Wall Street Journal
Graffiti along the section of Boone Avenue between 172nd and 173rd streets.

The first, $70 million phase of the project will consist of two buildings with 237 rental units. As the project moves ahead and additional financing is in place, the developers intend to begin work on additional phases every couple of years, hoping to complete the 10 buildings in about six years. In total, the project is expected to cost roughly $350 million.

The area was rezoned in 2011 from only allowing industrial uses so Signature's development could be constructed. The Compass Residences buildings will rise as high as 15 stories, while most surrounding blocks have low- to mid-rise housing.



Signature hopes that future phases of the project will include home-ownership options. In addition to housing, the development will have two large, landscaped open spaces and a children's playground, and there is a possibility that a public elementary school will be incorporated into the complex. There will also be retail spaces in the first phase's buildings, likely food service and a pharmacy.

Meanwhile, the city is currently studying ways to ease complaints about the 1.25-mile expressway.

Signature hopes that pedestrian crossings to the other side of the highway will be improved, allowing greater access to Starlight Park. The public park is in the process of being renovated and will soon reopen.

Some are wary of aspects of the development, including members of the South Bronx community group Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice.

"We support development and there are many things about Signature's plans that are good, but we don't know that we will be promised affordability" for the apartment units, said Youth Ministries Executive Director David Shuffler. Mr. Miller says that Signature "will be working within the city's existing affordable housing programs to ensure long-term affordability."

Mr. Shuffler also said that developments such as Signature's could "change the fabric of an existing community" with gentrification that forces out residents now living in the area. He noted that the warehouses with graffiti that will be demolished are "iconic."

Eric Felisbret, author of "Graffiti New York," a history of local graffiti, said that the industrial buildings in the project's footprint that will be torn down have been a brick canvas for graffiti artists since 2006. The buildings are likely the biggest and best-known site for graffiti in the Bronx and have attracted international attention among graffiti artists, he said.

Signature managing principal Robert Frost said the firm hopes that a section of the development will have space for organized street art.

Mr. Felisbret said that was heartening, even though he would be sad to no longer see the graffiti in its current incarnation.

"A lot of graffiti artists are older and would probably use a space [provided] there since they don't want to paint illegally, but it would probably put a limit on spontaneous creativity," according to Mr. Felisbret.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...NewsCollection

[ToastyPotato]

What is going on in the Concourse Plaza? Half of the stores suddenly closed at once.

[TheInterloafer]

There seems to be a lot going on there. Here's a little piece of it, but I doubt this is all:

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/2013...ers-welcome-it

[Derek2k3]

I see Danois Architects have drawn up plans for two 30-story buildings in the Concourse Village complex behind that dumpy mall. The Bronx deserves to have a legit downtown considering it has a population nearly the size of Philadelphia.

http://www.danoisarchitects.com/

[TheInterloafer]

^ WOW!!! What a find! The towers look great, and would be a phenomenal addition to Concourse Village.

[Myra Hill]

Back in the fall of 2008, the owners of the Concourse Plaza strip mall on E. 161st Street posted some banners touting the arrival of a new five-story office "tower" on the property. As of May 2009 it was still an empty lot. Then in October 2009 it was in the early stages of construction (third photo). Here, at long last, is the moment we've all been waiting for. . . . [Drumroll] . . . the final product:



The building, at 820 Concourse Village West (Sheridan Avenue), has 69,000 square feet of office space on five stories, the top of which is set back from the street. It has curtain wall glass of green and white horizontal bands facing the street and on the opposite side toward the interior of the strip mall. The green/white banding is reminiscent of its big older brother at 198 E. 161st Street, Concourse Plaza Office Tower I, which has well defined green/white horizontal bands, as barely visible in this photo. The newer building's north and south facades also have sections of masonry. One tenant is the Social Security Administration. I'm not sure who else is in there as of now. This photo is taken from the southwest, at 158th Street and Concourse Village West. All in all I would say it is a satisfactory, serviceable effort.

I was around the area last October for jury duty. The building looked amazing, Blink Fitness is also the new tenant. Way to go!

[Myra Hill]

First, the Melrose Central Building added their first retail tenant, a Checkers fast food joint (which is actually really good). So that was evidently successful enough that they've decided to expand the retail.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Concourse Plaza food court is struggling now. On the one hand, they have a lot of new clients from the new office building that just went up above it, but, stupidly, that building also cut off pedestrian access from the residential buildings to the west and south. So they have less foot traffic from that market segment now.

There need to be a Five Guys there. And a Crumbs.

[Myra Hill]

Toasty, to your point about sizes of retail space in new buildings, here are two examples from recently opened buildings. Both are NYCHDC-financed affordable housing/mixed-use buildings that opened c. 2006-2007 with large open retail spaces on the ground floor. The first is Peter Cintron Apartments on Melrose Avenue between 157th & 158th Streets.



Here, the retail spaces have been subdivided into small spaces and all are occupied. We have Dhaka discount (3 windows), a video store (1 window), a beauty salon (1 window), the building lobby/entrance (3 windows), a barber shop (1 window), and a deli (3 windows).

The next building is a few blocks away. 675 Morris Avenue at 153rd Street.



Here, the retail space has remained undivided and vacant. It is unclear if the landlord is willing to subdivide the space. The landlord may be holding out for a supermarket or a pharmacy chain. Maybe he/she is willing to subdivide but there are no takers. The only clear thing is that the space is vacant.

There are a lot of characteristics in play in both locations, such as foot traffic and asking rents per square foot. I have no idea what they are in each spot. I am not sure what the take-away of this exercise is, other than that retail tenants seem to be asking for small spaces, and successful Bronx landlords are those that are willing to create them. Vacant spaces invite vandalism, so one hopes that the space at Morris Avenue will be filled soon.

Why do new buildings in the Bronx look so plain? With plain windows? The new developments in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Nee Rochelle, Roosevelt Island look so stunning with curtain wall windows.

[Myra Hill]

Looks stunning. I would like to see more glass apartments in the Bronx like I see in Manhattan including Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens.

[ToastyPotato]

I see Danois Architects have drawn up plans for two 30-story buildings in the Concourse Village complex behind that dumpy mall. The Bronx deserves to have a legit downtown considering it has a population nearly the size of Philadelphia.

http://www.danoisarchitects.com/

This is cool I guess, but it is kind of a shame how basically a MASSIVE block of Morris Ave will still basically remain completely devoid of any street side business.

Wait, what is going to happen to all that parking??

[EastMillinocket]

[TheInterloafer]

There is a construction fence up around the triangular parking lot at the foot of Gerard Avenue, where it meets Exterior Street between 140th and 144th Streets. Does anyone know what's going on there?

[EastMillinocket]

I think they're building a new self-storage facility there.

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2012/08/...ronx-facility/