http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd NYC.gov RSS en Copyright 2009 City of New York Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:03:38 EST http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-11-19-09.shtml New York, NY - New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero announced today the selection of the developers who will construct mixed-use affordable housing on the last large city-owned tracts of land in the Melrose Commons North Urban Renewal Area (URA), the same neighborhood that became notorious for massive private-sector disinvestment and arson during the 1970s. The developers were chosen through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP). Phipps Houses Group was selected to build approximately 216 units of lower-income housing for Site A, Blue Sea Development and WHEDCo were chosen to build approximately 290 mixed-income units on Site B, and the team of CPC Resources, The Briarwood Organization and The Bridge will develop RFP Site C with a total of appropriately 257 units of affordable housing. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-11-19-09.shtml Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:46:00 EST http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-11-09-09.shtml New York, NY - New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero today announced the recipients of the agency’s second round of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP). $28.7 million in federal TCAP funds will be distributed to ten (10) developments in New York City to help finance the construction or rehabilitation of approximately 604 units of affordable housing in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Earlier this year, New York City became the first City in the nation to begin construction of new affordable housing using TCAP funds. Building affordable housing in neighborhoods across New York City is a central component of the Bloomberg Administration’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-11-09-09.shtml Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-11-02-09.shtml NEW YORK, NY, October 30th, 2009 – Today NYC Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Vincent Riso from the Briarwood Organization were joined by Daniel Martin from the Housing Partnership Development Corporation, Marian Zucker, Executive Vice President of the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation Fund (AHC) to celebrate the grand opening of The Solara, also known as Grant Avenue Co-op Apartments. The creation of affordable housing in neighborhoods across New York City is part of the City's Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today; and implement a vision for long-term economic growth resulting in affordable, attractive neighborhoods. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-11-02-09.shtml Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:13:00 EST http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-29-09.shtml Harlem, NY - New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr joined, City Councilwoman Inez E. Dickens, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Richman Group Development Corporation President Kristen Miller, and Maria Barry of Bank of America Merrill Lynch to celebrate the ground breaking for The Balton and Douglass Park. The two new apartment buildings will bring a total of 226 mixed-income units to an almost full block site on West 127th and 128th streets in Central Harlem, and will create an estimated 1,050 construction related jobs. The projects are among the first in the country to start construction utilizing the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) funds, which were allocated to New York State under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Balton and Douglass Park projects are being developed on formerly city-owned land through the competitively bid Cornerstone Program, an HPD multi-family new construction initiative. Building affordable housing in neighborhoods across New York City is a central component of the Bloomberg Administration’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods. Also attending the ground breaking were State Senator Bill Perkins and State Assemblyman Keith Wright. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-29-09.shtml Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:19:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-27-09.shtml Bronx, New York - New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero, New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined Les Bluestone and Avery Seavey of Blue Sea Development Co. for a ribbon cutting ceremony today in the South Bronx to unveil the newly completed Eltona. The development is a five-story, 71,640-square-foot building with 63 rental apartments for families whose incomes are below 60 percent of the area median income ($46,080 for a family of four). This smoke-free, state-of-the-art development incorporates innovative and eco-friendly components such as rooftop energy generating wind turbines. Residents of the Eltona will be participating in research conducted by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine to track the health of families suffering from asthma who live in a “green building.” Also attending the ribbon cutting today were Eltona residents and representatives of New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA), Wildcat Service Corporation and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-27-09.shtml Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:50:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-24-09.shtml Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, State Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm A. Smith, Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero and United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 Executive Vice President Anthony Speelman broke ground today for a major new supermarket at the Arverne by the Sea development complex on the Rockaway Peninsula. The $23 million, 55,000-square-foot Stop & Shop supermarket will be located on Rockaway Beach Boulevard between Beach 73rd and Beach 69th Streets. It will be part of the City’s Arverne by the Sea development, which will include 2,300 units of affordable and market-rate housing, parkland, a new school, and 270,000-square-feet of commercial retail space. The supermarket will create 200 construction jobs over the 16 months it will take to build, and, once complete, it will employ 100 full-time and part-time workers. As part of the City’s 2008 “Going to Market” study, Arverne was found to have a high need for more supermarkets. The announcement took place at the Arverne by the Sea development on Spinnaker Drive. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-24-09.shtml Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:52:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-01-09.shtml New York, NY - New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero today reminded residential building owners of their legal obligation to provide tenants with hot water year-round and heat when the outdoor temperature warrants it. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-10-01-09.shtml Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:31:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-29-09.shtml Bronx, NY - New York City Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero joined Bronx Pro Real Estate Management President Peter Magistro, today to celebrate the opening of 1085 Washington Avenue Apartments, a new 90-unit affordable housing development that features numerous elements that help the building and its residents contribute to a greener, more sustainable New York City. One of these elements is a 1,850-square-foot green roof top garden. Other distinguished in attendance included Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.’s Vice President and New York City Office Director Abby Jo Sigal, Banco Popular Regional Executive, Michele F. Imbasciani, and DreamYard’s Co-Director Jason Duchin. DreamYard is the anchor tenant of 1085 Washington and the largest arts education provider in the Bronx reaching 8,500 K-12th grade students annually. Today’s celebration also marks the opening of their Art Center. Creating affordable housing that utilizes green and environmentally friendly initiatives in communities across New York City is part of the City's Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-29-09.shtml Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:26:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-26-09.shtml Brooklyn, NY – New York City Department of Housing Preservation (HPD) and Development First Deputy Commissioner Douglas Apple joined Habitat-NYC Executive Director Josh Lockwood today at the ribbon-cutting for the Atlantic Avenue Residences located in the Ocean Hill section of Brownsville, Brooklyn. The project is comprised of three four-story walk-up condominium apartment buildings with a total of 41 condominiums affordable to low-income families. Thanks to the environmentally friendly construction, homeowners in the Atlantic Avenue complex will save an estimated 30 percent in utility bills and will enjoy the health benefits of green building. Joining the festivities were some of the almost 10,000 volunteers who worked together to build these homes, funders who provided financial support, faith and community leaders, and elected officials who made the new homes possible. Other distinguished guests included Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblyman William Boyland, Jr., Brooklyn Community Board 16 District Manager Viola Greene-Walker, Luke Falk of the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), Marilyn Gelber of the Independence Community Foundation and Chairman and CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits Harvey Chaplin. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-26-09.shtml Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:16:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-10-09.shtml New York, NY – New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero delivered remarks this morning at The New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) Networking Breakfast, regarding HPD’s progress on Mayor Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan and the future course of the plan. The event which was held at the Yale Club in Manhattan was Commissioner Cestero’s first NYSAFAH meeting since returning to HPD as Commissioner earlier this year. The Bloomberg Administration’s New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP), an ambitious $7.5 billion initiative to create and preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing for half a million New Yorkers. Michael Skrebutenas, Deputy Secretary for Economic Development of New York State, was also a guest speaker at the event. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-10-09.shtml Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-03-09.shtml Brooklyn, NY - New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Senior Vice President for Development Joan Tally joined Martin Dunn, President of Dunn Development Corp. and Pat Boone, President of NY ACORN, and Hazel DaSent, NY ACORN Housing Company, for a ribbon cutting today at 1825 Atlantic Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn to unveil the newly completed Atlantic Avenue Apartments. The Atlantic Avenue Apartments is a 7-story elevator building providing 150 units of housing. At least a dozen of those units will be reserved for adults with developmental disabilities. Other distinguished guests also in attendance for today’s ribbon cutting included New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal Commissioner (DHCR) Deborah Van Amerongen, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, State Assembly Member Annette Robinson, Council Member Darlene Mealy, and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Director of Energy Programs, Michael Colgrove . The creation of affordable housing in neighborhoods across New York City is part of the City's Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-09-03-09.shtml Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:53:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-25-09.shtml New York City Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Raphael E. Cestero announced today that amid a nationwide economic downturn and an uncertain housing market, the City has financed more than 12,500 units of affordable housing for middle-class and low-income New Yorkers over the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2009. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-25-09.shtml Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:33:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-18-09.shtml Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Governor David A. Paterson today announced that New York City is first City in the nation to begin construction of new affordable housing using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP). Four housing developments – three in Harlem and one in East New York – will comprise 739 units of affordable housing and their construction will provide more than 2,800 construction jobs. The Tax Credit Assistance Program aims to increase the supply of newly constructed or recently renovated affordable housing units that otherwise would not have come to market due to current economic conditions. The $60 million in stimulus funding spent on the first four developments accounts for more than 70 percent of New York City’s Tax Credit Assistance Program allocation. Building affordable housing in neighborhoods across New York City is a central component of the Bloomberg Administration’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-18-09.shtml Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:33:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-07-09.shtml Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn today praised Fannie Mae's decision to cancel the online auction of the Ocelot Capital Group's properties in the South Bronx. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development had urged Fannie Mae to cancel the online auction to prevent another speculative purchase of the properties. Ocelot purchased 521 units in 19 buildings between 2006 and 2007 and subsequently defaulted on its mortgage, prompting foreclosure proceedings. The buildings have fallen into disrepair, exposing residents to poor living conditions during Ocelot's ownership. Fannie Mae and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development will now collaborate on identifying a new, responsible owner that will maintain and rehabilitate the buildings as quickly as possible. The City will also pursue legislative, financial, and enforcement initiatives to address similar cases, where neighborhoods are facing possible destabilization and reduced quality of life due to troubled investments in multifamily housing. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-07-09.shtml Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:38:00 EDT http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-06-09II.shtml August 6, The Bronx – New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael Cestero, together with Comunilife Inc. President & CEO Dr. Rosa M. Gil and Blue Sea Development Company principals Les Bluestone and Avery Seavey today announced the start of construction of the Prospect Macy Development. The development will consist of a 63-unit affordable cooperative building and a 61-unit supportive housing building, the “Comunilife Prospect Supportive Residence.” Designated through HPD’s Cornerstone Program – a multifamily new construction initiative designed to facilitate the creation of mixed income housing on City-owned land – the buildings will be located on adjoining lots at Prospect Avenue and Macy Place in the Longwood section of the South Bronx. The creation of affordable housing in neighborhoods across New York City is part of the City's Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods. Commissioner Cestero, Mr. Bluestone and Dr. Gil were joined by NYS Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr; Department for the Aging Commissioner Liliam Barrios-Paoli; Council Member Carmen E. Arroyo; Enterprise Vice President Abby Jo Sigal and Bronx Community Board 2 Chairman Roberto Garcia. http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/pr2009/pr-08-06-09II.shtml Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:58:00 EDT