From left, Alice Anigacz, Senior Development Project Manager, The Community Builders, Inc, Hasan Bahar, Design and Construction Manager, The Community Builders, Inc; Wilson Kimball, President & CEO of the Yonkers Housing Authority and City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy
After 15 years in the making, the demolition of the final building of the former Cottage Gardens Housing Complex took place on March 20 to make room for Willow at the Ridgeway, a new community featuring a new 8-story, all-electric, 100% affordable building with 92 units for seniors.
Attending the demolition were officials from the City of Yonkers, Yonkers Housing Authority and The Community Builders. The project is being developed by Mulford Corporation, The Community Builders and the Yonkers Housing Authority.
“The demolition of Cottage Place Gardens is a historic milestone for our city as we begin yet another chapter in the ongoing transformation of our city’s affordable housing. There are so many people to thank for making this wonderful project a reality. We look forward to a groundbreaking in the months ahead,” said Mayor Mike Spano
“This was an emotional day as I watched the demolition of the final remaining buildings of Cottage Place Gardens, affectionately known as “CPG.” I am a proud former resident of Cottage, where I moved with my family in 1985. This property helped to mold me into the woman I am today. When I began working for MHACY in 2007, my first assignment was Cottage Place Gardens in the same building where I once lived. Today, as I shed a tear, I reminisced about friendships and memories that I will cherish forever. Although this is a somber, dreary day, I look forward to the completion of this project. I am confident that families will have the same sense of family and community I experienced at Cottage Place Gardens,” said City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy.
“Tearing down the last of Cottage Gardens marks an end of an era that provided Yonkers Housing Authority tenants with less than their neighbors in terms of quality, craftsmanship and accommodation. Today Yonkers Housing Authority meets the market in all areas in its housing,” said Wilson Kimball, President & CEO, Yonkers Housing Authority.
“The Community Builders together with the Yonkers Housing Authority and the Mulford Corporation is committed to bringing opportunity to many future generations at Willow at the Ridgeway. We are thankful for the support of the community and the residents, and all the stakeholders, including the City, County, State, and financing partners that are working with us to continue the revitalization of this part of Yonkers,” said Jesse Batus, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development for The Community Builders.
Willow at the Ridgegway, which is located at 23 Bishop W.J. Walls Place, is replacing two vacant public housing buildings. All apartments will be designed for an aging population and reserved for seniors referred to by the Yonkers Housing Authority Section 8 waitlist.
The unit mix includes 85 1BR units and 7 2BR units, with average unit sizes of 550 and 800 sq ft, respectively. Thirty-one units are reserved for households at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 29 units are reserved for households at or below 50% AMI, and 32 units are reserved for households at or below 60% AMI.
Amenities in the apartments will include free resident internet, air-conditioning, electric ranges, and Energy STAR appliances. The building will provide common laundry rooms on each floor, a community room, fitness center, and a resident terrace on the 7th floor with seating and a solar canopy.
Willow at the Ridfgeway is designed to promote aging-in-place for seniors. Tenants will have access to on-site property management, maintenance and resident services and programming. Yonkers Housing Authority, TCB, and Mulford will also cultivate
relationships with local partners, such as the Yonkers Office of Aging, to offer additional services through direct referrals. Lastly, the building is transit-orientated, located near multiple bus lines and a train station serving Metro-North and Amtrak lines.
Willow at the Ridgeway is designed to achieve Passive House Institute US certification, delivering an extremely energy efficient building that also maximizes the health and thermal comfort of its senior residents. By extension, the building will also achieve EPA ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction certification as well as compliance with both DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes and EPA Indoor airPLUS standards.
The building will be all-electric, except for a natural gas-powered emergency generator. A rooftop solar PV array will generate renewable energy to offset the building’s common electricity needs. Willow at the Ridgeway will also be designed to achieve Enterprise Green Communities certification upon the building’s completion.
Funding for the project is being provided by NYS Housing Finance Agency; NYS Homes and Community Renewal; State of New York Mortgage Agency; NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; NYS Empire State Development; RBC Community Investments, LLC; The Bank of New York Mellon; Westchester County; City of Yonkers, Yonkers Housing Authority and Community Capital New York.
The Mulford Corporation: The Mulford Corporation (“Mulford”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that was formed to develop, manage and facilitate affordable housing in Yonkers, New York. Since its establishment Mulford has either developed or co-developed over 2,200 units of low-income housing and has actively participated in the operation of over nineteen (19) low-income properties. In addition to its development related activities, Mulford works with local organizations to provide education, arts, and supportive services to the community.
The Community Builders: The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit housing organizations, with offices located in Boston, Chicago, Columbus, New York, and Washington D.C. Since 1964, TCB has assembled over $4 billion in project financing from a wide variety of public and private sources to develop 33,000+ apartments and 430,000 sq ft of neighborhood-serving commercial space. With 14,000+ apartments in our ownership and management portfolio today, TCB is committed to the long-term success of our developments and residents. For more information visit www.tcbinc.org
Yonkers Housing Authority: Yonkers Housing Authority is the largest provider of affordable housing in the City of Yonkers and the fourth largest public housing authority in New York State. YHA has an unparalleled commitment to redeveloping, managing and administering its housing stock to provide low-income families, the elderly and disabled individuals with access to good, sustainable housing that improves the quality of the residents’ lives, fosters their economic success, and allows them to serve as integral members of communities in which they live. For more information visit www.mhacy.org
