Hudson Companies, BRP and Mayor Break Ground on 420 Affordable Units in the Bronx

Hudson Companies and BRP Companies, in a joint announcement with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, laid out plans Friday for the development of two new buildings and 420 affordable units for the second and final phase of the La Central development at 626 Bergen Avenue in the Bronx.

Sixty-three of the development’s units — which range from studios to four-bedrooms— will be set aside for the formerly homeless, and residents of these will be able to make use of various forms of living support from the organization Breaking Ground.

Marlee Busching-Truscott, managing director of development at Hudson Companies, said that there will also be “community facilities, a courtyard complete with a play area for children, and a new public community garden.”

Andy Cohen, managing director of BRP Companies, noted that when he began work on the project, his son hadn’t yet been born and his daughter was a newborn. Today, they are in fifth and seventh grades.

“It really takes the entire community, a lot of perseverance, and a lot of commitment to get a project of this size and scale done,” said Cohen.

Mayor Adams noted that this project, part of his “City of Yes” housing plan, helps fulfill one of his administration’s most essential ambitions.

“We wanted to be known as an administration that set unprecedented records when it comes down to housing development, and we did just that in year one and year two,” said Adams. “And I believe we’re going to do, in year three, the most units of housing in individual years in the history of the city.”

This phase, which is expected to be completed in 2028, will include 13,000 square feet of community facility space, 7,000 square feet of new public gardens, and 1,500 square feet for retail. Phase II is expected to cost $343 million, with the city contributing over $137 million through the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), according to a release from the city. 

Once completed, the La Central development, which is in the Melrose section of the Bronx, is expected to deliver over 1,000 affordable units, and will also include a YMCA and a production studio. 

Mayor Adams is on something of a roll where housing is concerned. 

Just yesterday, he and the Rev. A. R. Bernard announced the addition of over 450 units of affordable housing in the East New York area of Brooklyn in the coming years, with 15 percent of the units set aside for the formerly homeless. 

Larry Getlen can be reached at lgetlen@commercialobserver.com