NYC Files Plans for 282-Unit Affordable Housing Project in Harlem

New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) wants to bring more affordable housing to East Harlem.

Rona Reodica, assistant commissioner of building and land development at HPD, filed plans on Monday to turn the five-story East Harlem Multi-Service Center building at 413 East 120th Street into a 21-story, roughly 270,000-square-foot residential building with 282 units, according to a filing with the New York City Department of Buildings.

The city selected developers Ascendant Neighborhood Development and The Community Builders (TCB) in 2021 to build the residential property — known as The Beacon — at the back of the existing multi-service center, “which will be rehabilitated and expanded,” according to the project’s website.

In addition to the 282 affordable apartments — 30 percent of which will be set aside for formerly homeless tenants — Ascendant and TCB will build space for after-school programming, a new atrium, greenery and a new walking path as part of the Beacon project.

“HPD’s mission is to ensure that every New Yorker has a safe, affordable place to call home, and on city-owned sites across the five boroughs, HPD is advancing plans to build new affordable housing for those who need it most,” Matt Rauschenbach, press secretary for HPD, said in a statement to Commercial Observer.

“This project will bring over 280 new homes to the East Harlem community and give over 280 New York City families the opportunity to build a life where their family can thrive in a home they can afford,” Rauschenbach added.

Spokespeople for Ascendant and Paul A. Castrucci Architects, the architect listed on the project, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The current nonprofit tenants at the city-owned multi-service center — which include housing management and workforce development organization El Barrio’s Operation Fightback and human services organization Acacia Network — will be given the option to return to their spaces after the property is renovated, according to the website.

Once completed, The Beacon is set to feature around 5,000 square feet of indoor amenities, including a playroom, a fitness center, a reading room, laundry facilities and bike storage, according to Castrucci’s website.

The project will also feature around 6,000 square feet of outdoor amenities, including a private courtyard, roof terrace and yard for community events.

“The Community Builders are incredibly proud of The Beacon,” Bart Mitchell, president and CEO of TCB, said in a statement to CO. “We’re grateful for the recognition that The Beacon is a project on the forefront of efficiency and resiliency technologies as well as community-focused design.”

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.