By DAVID CRUZ

Fears of new supportive housing along Webster Avenue have been quelled following the preliminary release of rent listings, signifying concrete progress for a burgeoning corridor.

The Norwood News obtained copies of a rent list for 2979, 2985, and 2999 Webster Ave., the first type of housing built following extensive rezoning in 2009. Copies of the list have yet been presented for approval to Housing Preservation and Development, the oversight agency for affordable housing, according to a spokeswoman.

In this case, the lists indicate that developers, The Stagg Group, a family owned development firm, will indeed build mixed-use apartments that cater to would-be working class tenants and those just above the mark.

By revealing the list to stakeholders, Mr. Stagg puts himself in a position to deliver on these apartments. For close to a year, community leaders suspected Stagg would sneak in supportive housing units, a type of housing that offers social services for formerly mentally ill, homeless, or drug abusers.

The project serves as a benchmark for the neighborhood, since it’s the first project built following rezoning in 2009, which requires new buildings along the corridor to have a commercial component. The building is deemed a 421a site, which requires the developer to set aside one-fifth of its apartments for affordable housing in order to qualify for city tax breaks.

The lists were initially released during a private meeting in June organized by Councilman Ritchie Torres. He, along with Councilman Andy Cohen, Community Board 7 District Manager Dustin Engelken, Chairwoman Adaline Walker-Santiago, and CB7 Housing and Land Use Chairwoman Jean Hill met with The Stagg Group’s president, Mark Stagg.

“I think we pretty much let them know that we’re not going to accept supportive housing,” said Walker-Santiago.

Rent Roll
The list details housing for both market rate and affordable housing tenants, offering a glimpse into the number of apartments and type of economic demographics Stagg wants. A total of 122 apartment units take up the properties–97 for market-rate units and 25 for affordable housing units. Residents will be required to apply for housing through a lottery system.

Among the amenities market-rate renters will receive include air conditioning, hardwood floors and an open kitchen. The maximum market rate monthly rent for a 2-bedroom apartment will run $1,700 for a family of four. Studios and 1-bedroom apartments run $1,250 and $1,500 respectively, with the same amenities.

For affordable housing renters, prospective tenants are subject to a lottery, rules imposed by HPD. Qualifications are largely based on income. For instance, a family of four earning a combined income between $38,400 to $61,440 qualifies for a 2-bedroom apartment at $1,434. This includes air conditioning, heat and hot water and electric stove. Salary requirements are not set in stone, as indicated on the list reading “income guidelines are subject to change.”

Commercial Component
The question of what type of first floor storefront should be included became a major topic. It’s a requirement for developers, following the 2009 rezoning. While ideas of a Subway sandwich shop, Carvel and a Cinnabon were bounced around, several stakeholders pushed aggressively for a bank, given its shortage in the neighborhood. The latest news comes amid a long term plan to spruce up the barren corridor, with city agencies working alongside neighborhood institutions such as Fordham University, The New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx Zoo and Montefiore Medical Center to prop up the community.

Marketing Plan
To ensure that Stagg follows through in attracting market rate and affordable rent paying tenants, the Board recommended Stagg create a marketing plan that draws in new clientele. Stagg agreed, according to Walker-Santiago, promising to allocate $10,000 for a marketing plan. Walker-Santiago thinks that’s not enough.

“Definitely the marketing plan is crucial to us,” said Walker-Santiago. “That it’s out there and we’re going to do everything we can to put it out there when they have it ready.

Walker-Santiago suggested the marketing plan should target employees of The New York Botanical Garden and Montefiore Medical Center. They would likely respond well to the notice, given the relatively modest salaries per institution. While Montefiore lies roughly a mile from the new Webster Avenue buildings, The New York Botanical Garden is just a block away.

The marketing plan is still pending. The strategy is certainly a harbinger, as far as Walker-Santiago is concerned. “I think marketing has to be more extensive to get all the populations we’re looking at,” she said.

The city’s Housing Preservation and Development agency is currently reviewing the plan.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.