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Kingsbridge Armory developer planning 213-unit Bronx housing project

January 14, 2025
Crain’s New York
Eddie Small

The developer just tapped to renovate the Kingsbridge Armory is keeping busy with another major project in the Bronx.

Joy Construction is planning an 11-story affordable and supportive housing project at 1545 Jerome Ave. that is slated to contain 213 residential units, according to plans recently filed with the Department of Buildings. The development will span about 160,000 square feet and stand 113 feet tall, and it will include community and retail space as well.

The site is currently home to a 1-story parking facility. Joy Construction is purchasing it with the supportive housing nonprofit Services for the UnderServed, which will ultimately own and operate the property, according to Joy Construction Principal Eli Weiss. Blue Sky Development Partners, a supportive and affordable housing firm run by former Project Renewal real estate director Sam Wells, is part of the team as well, but Joy Construction’s frequent real estate partner Maddd Equities is not involved, Weiss said.

The total cost of the project will be about $130 million, and work should start within the next 12 months, Weiss said.

Arlo Chase, senior vice president of real estate at Services for the UnderServed, said the project would bring “desperately needed” homes to the city and include “wraparound supportive services” for the residents.

The site is located within the stretch of Jerome Avenue that the city rezoned in 2018, estimating it could bring about 4,600 new units of housing to the area. The road is well known for being home to several auto shops and runs beneath an aboveground transit line.

The city announced earlier this month that it had selected Joy Construction and Maddd Equities, run by Jorge Madruga, to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory, a long-vacant Bronx building that has seen several other renovation attempts fall short. Their roughly $600 million plan includes bringing an event venue, an educational facility and sports fields to the armory, along with about 450 affordable housing units nearby.

The companies’ other Bronx projects include a 320-unit affordable housing development with a Food Bazaar supermarket at 1959 Jerome Ave. and a 750-unit affordable and supportive housing development called River Crest near Yankee Stadium, which they recently completed.

Services for the UnderServed recently purchased a nearby site at 1770 Jerome Ave., where the nonprofit is planning an affordable housing project for older adults leaving shelters and low-income seniors. The organization has a 177-unit supportive housing project across the street from 1770 Jerome Ave. as well, along with a 170-unit project in Morrisania. It runs more than 4,000 housing units throughout the city overall.

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