Bronx Commons Homes Lease Up, Progress Continues on Music Hall

The South Bronx nonprofit Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) and BFC Partners announced that they have fully leased the 305 affordable housing units at its award-winning Bronx Commons mixed-use development, which opened—and started accepting new tenants—in February 2020 at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

Located in the South Bronx’s Melrose Commons neighborhood, Bronx Commons is a 12-story, 100 percent affordable building with studio, one-, two-, and three- bedroom apartments serving formerly homeless families and individuals, including victims and survivors of domestic violence, as well as low- and moderate-income households earning between 30 percent and 110 percent of area median income.

“The COVID pandemic and economic crisis have deepened the already-critical need for quality, affordable housing in the South Bronx. At Bronx Commons, we are meeting that need for hundreds of low-income families and individuals who were at risk of displacement, helping them to stay in their community and thrive,” said Davon Russell, President of WHEDco.

“Fully leasing up this project is a major milestone, especially during a pandemic, and shows what an indispensable addition it is to the community,” said Donald Capoccia, Principal of BFC Partners. “Our hope is that the Bronx Commons becomes a model for affordable mixed-use developments in the City and serves as a haven for residents who have been most affected by the pandemic.”

In December 2020, Bronx Commons was selected from among 55 submissions as the winner of the New York Housing Conference’s 2020 Community Impact Competition, which recognizes affordable housing developments that epitomize high standards in design, health, environmental sustainability, and affordability, and that have positively impacted their communities during COVID-19.

Bronx Commons’ on-site amenities supporting community wellness include a fitness center, bike parking, a green roof, a rooftop garden, and the largest solar panel array on any multifamily building in the Bronx. In 2021, with emergency response support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s (SNF) global COVID-19 relief initiative, WHEDco will bring free Wi-Fi to all Bronx Commons residents as part of a commitment to provide free broadband internet access to all tenants at its three affordable housing developments in the South Bronx, fostering residents’ ability to learn and work remotely, and access essential health and financial resources that support their well-being.

While all of Bronx Commons’ apartments are now leased, the final stages of construction on the development’s cultural, educational, and commercial components continue. In 2021, WHEDco will open the 14,000 square-foot Bronx Music Hall at the site, featuring a flexible performance space with approximately 250 seats, rehearsal and exhibition areas, digital archives, a café, and two outdoor plazas for performances and recreation. The Bronx Music Hall will be the permanent home of WHEDco’s Bronx Music Heritage Center, which promotes the cultural legacy of the Bronx, supports Bronx artists to perform in their own borough, and provides free and low-cost cultural programs for the local community.

“Bronx Commons and the Bronx Music Hall are unexpectedly timely in this pandemic," said Nancy Biberman, WHEDco Founder & President Emerita. "We are all focused on our families and communities, imagining happier and healthier lives. The Music Hall and its outdoor performance plaza will be welcome communal space for people to speak, sing, play music, and nourish souls.”

Bronx Commons will also feature a 150-seat, New York City Department of Education-operated 3-K program, street-facing commercial space for small businesses and community programming, and the Melrose Community Access Support and Training (CAST) Center, a 2,200 square-foot hub for small business, family support services, and community engagement.

Bronx Commons is located at 443 East 162nd Street in the Melrose Commons neighborhood of the South Bronx, occupying half a city block on the west side of Elton Avenue, between East 162nd and East 163rd Street.