HDC Recognized at 2020 NALHFA Awards for Excellence for Serviam Heights and The Essex Developments

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Essex Crossing 5
The Essex

New York, NY - On Friday, December 18th, the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) was recognized at National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies’ (NALHFA) 2020 Awards for Excellence for its outstanding contributions to The Essex and Serviam Heights affordable housing developments.

The Essex, which was recognized in the Multi-Family Excellence category, is a 195-unit newly constructed mixed-income development located in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. Developed as part of the larger Essex Crossing project, The Essex was jointly developed by L+M Development Partners, BFC Partners, and Taconic Investment Partners under HDC’s Mixed-Income program, in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). Settlement Housing Fund is the non-profit Housing Development Fund Corporation on the project.

In addition to the rental units, the Essex includes a 14-screen movie theater, the newly renovated Essex Street Market and the Marketline that includes over 50 food vendors. Once complete, the overall Essex Crossing development plan will add 1,085 residential units, including 937 rental units for families and senior and create 148 homeownership units, reinvigorate the old Essex Street Market, 375,000 square feet of Class A office space, over 100,000 square feet of community facility space, a new home for the International Center for Photography, and over 300,000 square feet of retail space.   The Essex Crossing development team was selected in 2013 based on their response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

Serviam Heights, a 197-unit affordable senior housing development in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx, was selected to receive the HOME Excellence Award. The development of Serviam Heights involved the repurposing and renovation of an underutilized four-story convent, as well as the construction of a new nine-story building, helping to address the dire need for stable and affordable housing for New York’s growing senior population. The project was financed under HDC and HPD’s ELLA, and HPD’s SARA and HOME programs and developed by the nonprofit Fordham-Bedford Housing Corporation.

In addition to safe and affordable homes, Serviam Heights offers 195 very-low income senior households, including 30 formerly homeless senior households, a range of services to help the seniors engage with the community and to enjoy an active lifestyle as they age in place. Social services staff from Fordham Bedford Community Services (FBCS), a subsidiary of the project’s developer, work to create and maintain a vigorous social calendar for residents that includes weekly recreational opportunities, educational sessions, cultural activities, and field trips.

More details about The Essex and Serviam Heights developments and full slate of winners of NAHLFA’s Excellence Awards can be found here.