Eyeing a notorious Bronx location with a questionable environmental history for potential new residential developments
In the heart of the Foxhurst neighbourhood in the Bronx, a former industrial site at 893-895 East 167th St. is set to undergo a significant transformation. The nonprofit housing group, Phipps Houses, has proposed a 500-unit affordable housing complex named Rosa del Monte.
The proposed development comes amid a shortage of affordable housing in the city. The complex will cater to various income brackets, with 99 units affordable for people at 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 99 units for those at 80% of AMI, and 50 units for those at 100% of AMI. Moreover, the project includes 75 units for formerly homeless New Yorkers and 174 units affordable for people at 50% of the average median income for the area, which is $72,900 for a family of three.
However, the status of the cleanup at the site remains uncertain. Kelly Biscuso, a vice president of real estate development at Phipps Houses, did not immediately respond to questions regarding the matter. The brownfield cleanup application filed by Phipps in 2023 indicates the site's prior use for manufacturing purposes, including automotive repair, carpet cleaning, clothing manufacturing, and toilet seat refinishing. The site has a checkered environmental history, with the presence of petroleum, pesticides, metals in the soil, metals in the groundwater, and various contaminants of concern.
The site's recorded history dates back to the 1890s, when it was partially developed with a number of "unidentified structures and dwellings." In the following years, a variety of businesses, such as establishments that assembled toys, refinished toilet seats, manufactured clothes, a tin shop, and a lens grinding business, operated at the site. In the late 1970s, an auto repair shop began operating at the location. In the following years, a number of buildings were demolished or vacated at the site.
The Longwood neighbourhood, where the proposed development is located, has been economically struggling since the 1960s and 1970s. The unemployment rate in the area was 14.4%, while the city's overall was 6.1% at the time of submission in 2023. Approximately 38% of the residents within the Longwood neighbourhood's census tract live below the poverty line, more than twice the state's poverty rate. The neighbourhood, like the rest of the South Bronx, is plagued by gang activity, drug use, prostitution, and homelessness.
The proposal falls within the district of Bronx Councilmember Rafael Salamanca Jr., whose office did not comment on the proposal. The Longwood neighbourhood is notoriously underserved by public transportation.
As of now, no immediate response has been received from Phipps Houses regarding the proposed housing development. The community awaits further updates on the cleanup process and the progress of the development project.
