Magnusson Transforms Parking Lots into Affordable Housing

By Joshua Ayers, Senior Editor

Image Credit: Magnusson Architecture and Planning

New York—Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) commenced on the construction of Soundview Family Housing last week in the Soundview neighborhood of Bronx, N.Y.

The project, which is the first phase of a multiple-building development, aims to satiate the high demand for affordable housing in the neighborhood and is being developed as part of an initiative put forth by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) that makes efforts to transform underutilized real estate into affordable housing sites. The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) worked with L+M Development Partners and Lemle & Wolff to develop the project, utilizing a subsidy provided by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD).

“With the development of Soundview Family Housing, we are taking an important step in not only providing Bronx families with quality, stable housing, but also employing underutilized NYCHA resources to meet the City’s growing need for affordable housing,” says Rafael E. Cestero, president and CEO of CPC Resources Inc. and the Community Preservation Corporation. “Sound housing is the first step in stabilizing low-income families and creating a community, and CPC Resources is committed to bringing high-quality housing to those in need.”

Image Credit: Magnusson Architecture and Planning

Once completed, the development will comprise several mid- and low-rise buildings that include a 120-unit family building, an 86-unit seniors building and 16 two-family townhouses that will emerge in place of two parking lots near one of the largest parks in the Bronx, Soundview Park. Building heights will transition between NYCHA Soundview Houses towers and low-rise homes in the area and access to the community will be made easier with the completion of Bronx River Avenue—a road that is currently mapped, but not completed.

“MAP has been designing housing and other community improvements in the Bronx and the greater New York City area for almost 30 years,” says Christine Hunter, MAP principal and AIA, LEED AP. “We are pleased to help the development team respond to the demand for affordable family housing in the Soundview neighborhood. MAP is also committed to designing quality housing for senior citizens in New York City, which is critical to the city’s health as its population ages.”

Construction on the seniors building is expected to begin in January 2014.