CONSTRUCTION BEGINS FOR 279-UNIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT

NEW YORK CITY — Construction has begun for The Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. Apartments, a 279-unit affordable housing community located at 3952 Third Ave. in the Bathgate neighborhood of the South Bronx, New York City. Designed by Meltzer/Mandl Architects, the project will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom rental units, as well as 6,100 square feet of ground-level retail space, administrative offices and 34 on-site parking spaces. Of the 279 units, 20 percent will be reserved for applicants earning 40 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), with the remainder reserved for applicants earning 60 percent or less of the AMI. The community will include two large outdoor recreation areas with adjoining community rooms and kitchenettes. The lobby will be carved out of a large stone feature presently on the site, with most of the remaining building constructed above the feature. Completion is scheduled for 2010. The project is being sponsored by Phipps Houses.