Community Board 7 has plans to discuss the proposed 11-story building in Bedford Park at its next Land Use, Zoning and Housing Committee meeting on Sept. 4.

Fresh renderings of the apartment residence coming to Bedford Park Boulevard were recently released. Images of the future site of 33 Bedford Park Blvd. show a narrow 11-story residential and commercial building, with balconies on every floor and a roof deck.

The mixed-use property will look somewhat out of place on the boulevard, with adjacent buildings averaging a more maximum five-stories in height.

The irregularity of the planned building’s height isn’t lost on Jean Hill, the newly-minted chair of Community Board 7, which covers Bedford Park and Norwood.

Referring to the height of the building, Hill told the Norwood News, “That part seems out of character.”

“The surrounding buildings probably go up to about eight-[stories], so now you’re going up higher than the adjacent buildings,” Hill said.

Hill also questioned the building’s plan to take advantage of the city’s zero-lot line designation, which allows new buildings to abut already existing buildings, leaving just a few inches between the buildings while rendering the window useless.

“If it’s gonna be that tall, it’ll take the sun away,” Bedford Park resident Jose Madera said. Madera lives on Villa Avenue, adjacent to the western facade of the projected site. Nestled between a laundromat and a barber shop on Bedford Park Blvd., a vacant lot overrun with tall grass and graffiti will soon house the lofty building.

“How’s that gonna fit?” said another Bedford Park resident, who only went by Kelly. “There’s no space here for something like that.”

According to permit filings, the vacant lot is currently about 2,400 square-feet, with each apartment sized at 800 square feet. There will be 19 residential units, but no word yet on whether they will be rentals or condos. 

For Kelly, it doesn’t matter what type of residences will be in the new building, she doesn’t believe they’re meant for Bedford Park’s current residents.

“All the folks that live here are not gonna be able to afford that,” Kelly said. “They said the Bronx is the new Manhattan,” she added. “There’s no way this is for people of color. I doubt they’ll be able to afford it.”

The property, blocks from Lehman College and near public transportation, will include amenities like built-in air conditioners in each apartment, a laundry room, a bike room, and storage space.

Kelly’s friend and fellow Bedford Park resident Nory joked, “Starbucks! That’s what’s coming next.” When asked what she’d prefer to see instead of the towering building, Nory suggested a community garden.

“It would be nice to have a garden here,” Nory said. “If there was a community garden here, it would help break the unhealthy cycle of eating with young people in the area.”

A person with a phone number listed as the permit contact was unreachable.