After 10 years, the second and final phase of construction at the La Central residence in Melrose kicked off with a June 20 celebration complete with commemorative hard hats and shovels, food and live music.
The last of the five buildings is now breaking ground and will have 420 studio- to four-bedroom apartments for households earning 30 to 80% AMI, as well as 63 supportive units set aside for formerly homeless New Yorkers.
In addition, the building will feature 1,500 square feet of retail space, a community center, community garden and rooftop observatory with a telescope controlled remotely by the Bronx High School of Science.
The last building will bring the entire La Central project up to 1,000 total homes. Three other buildings have already been open for several years, and a fourth is now under construction as the fifth and final residence breaks ground. In addition to apartments, the project has already created a new YMCA and production studio space for BronxNet.
At the ceremony, Mayor Eric Adams told the crowd that although the project started long before he became mayor, he was happy to carry the baton forward. Stable homes, he said, are the foundation of our society, allowing people to become more educated and less likely to get involved in crime.
From college plans to wedding plans, “That kitchen table is where dreams are made,” said Adams.
Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr., who represents the neighborhood, said that his son was just an infant when the project was first approved and is now almost 11 years old. For the South Bronx native council member, the project was highly meaningful, as he used to walk past the La Central site on the way to school and see “just rubble, mattresses, homeless individuals and encampments,” he said.
The largest residence at La Central will soon become a stable foundation for many to build, or rebuild, their lives. “Today we break ground, tomorrow we build dreams,” said Salamanca Jr.
Adolfo Carrión Jr., former housing commissioner and now deputy mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce, agreed the Bronx is “rising up like a phoenix” compared to his youth in the 70s and 80s. “We’re building a place that is about futures, about hope,” he said.
Borough President Vanessa Gibson applauded the project for its range of apartment sizes and income levels, which she said will serve “real families.” La Central represents a “bold and forward-thinking investment in the future of our borough,” said Gibson.
The final phase of La Central is expected to be completed by 2028 at a cost of $343 million in public and private funds.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
