AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOMINEE

Parkchester Gardens

Parkchester Gardens embodies a commitment to community and well-being. Located in the Bronx at the eastern edge of Parkchester, a mid-twentieth century planned community of 171 “towers in the park” housing approximately 25,000 middle-income residents comprised of both rental and condominium-ownership, Parkchester Gardens is a new eight-story affordable rental development that offers 220 studio and 1-bedroom apartments for seniors, 30% of which are dedicated to formerly homeless seniors.

City/State:
New York, NY
Date of Completion:
01/2024
Project Size (Sq. ft)
157,350 SF building on 39,000 SF site
Owner:
PPC PURDY MM LLC, a New York limited liability company / PPC PURDY GP LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
Operator:
SelfHelp Community Services, Wavecrest Management
Architect:
Dattner Architects
Interior Design Firm:
Dattner Architects
Builder/Contractor:
Andron Construction Corporation

Parkchester Gardens includes approximately 6,000 sf of social services and welfare accessory amenity spaces as part of the NYC Affordable Independent Residences for Seniors (AIRS) zoning program. The project includes a social services and counseling suite with six private offices and a conference room, available to all tenants. Common amenities include a large community multi-purpose room with space for low-impact physical activities, a lounge and community pantry, and a gathering, living-room-like area—all of which can be combined into a single space for large, building-wide events, or partitioned for various, smaller simultaneous activities and programs. A fitness room offers exercise and weight training equipment, and a computer room affords technical training classes.

Additional amenities include laundry rooms on every floor and bike storage in the cellar. As part of the project’s active design initiative, the development incorporates tiered outdoor terraces to encourage multiple simultaneous physical activities, such as Tai Chi, outdoor cooking, and gardening.

After passing through a covered and protective portico and entering the building’s light-filled lobby, residents see the colorful stone mosaic-clad elevator bank directly ahead for ease of orientation.  The lobby provides a small seating area, a desk attendant, and an adjacent mail room. Further enhancements to orientation on this “tee” shaped building are large windows at the end of each residential corridor and special wall-covering and flooring at the residential elevator lobbies.

A variety of outdoor spaces connect to the expansive existing Parkchester Condominium walking pathways. The main interior stair tower is near the elevator banks to make its use convenient for residents, and strategic lighting and bright colors further help promote activity and exercise. The second, remote stair tower features natural lighting as well as bright colors and a convenient location from the community multi-purpose room for use before and after group activities.

Various outdoor recreation and activity spaces are also provided, including planters for residents gardening and fixed game tables along Purdy Street, open to passers-by that provide a connection to and engagement with the greater Parkchester community.