The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Azimuth Development Group, Best Development, South East Bronx Community Organization Development, Inc. (SEBCO) and partners celebrated the opening of Intervale Senior Residences, a newly constructed senior housing building located at 1115 Intervale Avenue in Bronx.
The development, which contains approximately 44,270 square feet of gross building area, will house 47 rental apartments available to low-income tenants 55 years of age or older, plus an additional superintendent’s unit. Also in attendance at the ribbon cutting were Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurelia Greene; Senior Policy Advisor for Economic Development and Employment Cheryl Simmons-Oliver, representing Congressman Jose Serrano; Assemblyman Marcos Crespo; and City Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo.
Intervale Senior Residences was developed as part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP). The NHMP is a multi-billion dollar initiative to finance 165,000 units of affordable housing for half a million New Yorkers by the close of fiscal year 2014. For every dollar invested by the City, the Plan has leveraged $3.41 in private funding for a total commitment of more than $19.4 billion to fund the creation or preservation of over 142,422 units of affordable housing across the five boroughs, with more than 44,993 units financed in Bronx.
“Now more than ever New Yorkers need the support of City officials and our partners. It is important that we join together to find a way to provide safe and affordable homes for New Yorkers,” said HPD Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua. “The opening of Intervale Residences is a testament to the commitment of our partners. We need to keep New Yorkers in safe affordable housing that meets their basic needs. I’m proud of our involvement in this development and applaud all of our partners who made it possible. Let us continue to work together to support our neighbors in need.”
“I would like to thank all of our partners and elected officials who have continued to work hard to meet the needs of our seniors,” said Simon Bacchus, Senior Vice President of Development at HDC. “Intervale Senior Residences will not only be a safe place for our residents to call home, but will enrich their lives and strengthen this community during these difficult times.” “During the early planning stages of this development, we looked at the need for senior housing in Bronx and we saw tremendous demand. In these challenging times, it is imperative that we provide quality housing to keep seniors in place,” said Guido Subotovsky, President of Azimuth Development Group LLC. “We are proud to be a part of this exciting new development.”
“This project is a testament to the quality of construction that our team strives to implement,” said Jeremy Hoshia, Project Manager, Joy Construction Corp. “We take great pride in providing a building that will serve the community for years to come.”
Intervale Senior Residences is an eight-story mid-rise residential building that is divided into 13 studios, 34 one-bedroom apartments, and 1 two-bedroom apartment reserved for a superintendent. All units are handicap-accessible and equipped with call buttons in case of an emergency. The building was designed to maximize convenience for tenants by minimizing the distance between elevators and individual apartments. In addition, there is an on-site 2,200-square-foot resident community center with a large open gathering room, private office, full kitchen and two bathrooms, as well as a landscaped rear garden for residents to enjoy. Residents who are at least 60 years old will also have access to the SEBCO Senior Program that will provide transportation to their senior center at 887 Southern Boulevard for recreation and lunch services.
Ten of the units are available to tenants earning no more than 38% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or $22,920 for an individual. Thirty-four of the units are available to tenants earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or $34,380 for an individual. The remaining three units are available to tenants earning no more than 45% AMI or $28,650 for an individual. Income levels are determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The apartments were marketed in accordance with the HPD lottery process which was supervised by HDC. For more information regarding the lottery process, current housing lotteries, how to apply to an open lottery, and if you would like to receive an e-mail when HPD has updated its website concerning available apartment and home listings for City-subsidized housing in the five boroughs, please visit the Apartment Seekers and Homebuyers pages here.
The total development cost for Intervale Senior Residence is $11,305,985. HDC, through its Low-income Affordable Marketplace Program (LAMP), provided a senior loan funded with $5.66 million in tax-exempt bonds, allowing the project to benefit from equity generated from 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits. HDC also provided an additional loan in the amount of $3,120,000. Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, Inc. will act as the tax credit syndicator. JP Morgan Chase provided a stand-by letter of credit. HPD, through its Low Income Rental Program, provided $262,170 in City Capital funds and approximately $1.62 million in HOME funds. City Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo provided City Capital Reso A funds in the amount of $1 million. The developers are Guido Subotovsky of Azimuth Development, Ron Schulman of Best Development and SEBCO Development, Inc. SEBCO is also the non-profit social service provider and proposed managing agent. Aufgang + Subotovsky acted as the project architect.
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About the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
HPD is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and viable neighborhoods for New Yorkers through education, outreach, loan and development programs and enforcement of housing quality standards. It is responsible for implementing Mayor Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan to finance the construction or preservation of 165,000 units of affordable housing by the close of the 2014 fiscal year. Since the plan’s inception, more than 142,422 affordable homes have been financed. For more information, visit here.
About the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC)
The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) provides a variety of financing programs for the creation and preservation of multi-family affordable housing throughout New York City. In partnership with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, HDC works to implement Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan to finance the creation or preservation of 165,000 affordable housing units by the end of the 2014 fiscal year. Since the plan launched in 2004, HDC financed nearly 47,521 homes for low- , moderate- and middle-income New Yorkers. The New York City Housing Development Corporation is rated AA by S&P and Aa2 by Moody’s. For more information, please visit here.
About Azimuth Development Group, LLC
Azimuth Development Group was founded in 2009 by Guido Subotovsky. The firm has since launched several developments consisting of affordable, mixed use and market rate housing in New York City and Westchester County. Azimuth continues to partner with both the public and private sector to develop quality housing throughout the City of New York.
About Best Development Group, LLC
Best Development Group LLC provides financial consulting and development advisory services to owners and developers of affordable housing. Best Development can also joint venture with developers to build affordable housing.
Best Development’s consulting services specialize in feasibility studies, rezonings, tax exempt bond financing, low income tax credit applications, bank construction loans, and permanent financing applications. Best Development also focuses on mixed income rental housing applications under “80/20” and similar housing programs. Best Development is a transaction-based company. ww.bestdevelopmentgroup.com
About SEBCO
SEBCO’s social services programs were first established in 1979 to serve its growing residential population. SEBCO firmly believes that strong social service programs not only improve our resident’s quality of life but also help to stabilize the surrounding community. Since 1990, this department has developed three major divisions: Community Life Services, Senior Services and Homeless Services. For more information, please visit here.
