Starhill Phase II Groundbreaking Recap
In photo (from left): Angel Caballero, Bronx Community Board 5 Chair; Senator Robert Jackson; Jane Silverman, Executive Director of Community Development Banking, JP Morgan Chase; Vanessa L. Gibson, Bronx Borough President; Perry Perlmutter, S:US President & CEO; Arlo Chase, S:US SVP of Real Estate; Samantha Magistro, CEO, Bronx Pro Group; Adolfo Carrión Jr., Commissioner, NYC Housing Preservation & Development; Pierina Sanchez, District 14 Council Member; Peter Magistro, President & Founder, Bronx Pro Group; Edith Hsu-Chen, Executive Director, NYC Department of City Planning; Paul Philips, Bronx Borough Director, NYC Department of City Planning; Karuna Mehta, Senior Community Investment Officer, CSH; John A. McKesson, S:US Board Chair.
On July 16, 2024, Services for the UnderServed (S:US) and the Bronx Pro Group celebrated another milestone for the Starhill redevelopment project with the groundbreaking of Phase II. Since 2016, our team has conducted an extensive community planning process in collaboration with countless municipal and government partners to renew Starhill. This project marks S:US’ second affordable housing initiative under the new Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan.
We hosted several esteemed guests for the Phase II groundbreaking celebration, which included elected officials, construction partners, funders, community members, and S:US Board members and staff. Click here to read event press release. Click here to view event photos.
Arlo Chase, S:US Senior Vice President of Real Estate, launched the event with a poignant message addressing the importance of building our communities by sharing, “Today we are here to celebrate hope, new beginnings, and recovery. And I think it is so meaningful. We want to live amongst each other and together.”
Arlo Chase, S:US Senior Vice President of Real Estate, kicked off the groundbreaking ceremony.
Starhill Phase II will offer 244 affordable apartments with 30% being supportive units for formerly unhoused individuals and families living with mental health and substance use disorders. Designed by Marvel Architects and built by Home Builders 1 LP, Starhill will provide on-site supportive services such as case management, counseling, job readiness training, and financial literacy workshops. Additional amenities will include a fitness room, laundry facilities, a children’s playroom, a computer room, a rear yard, urban farms, and a terrace recreation area, with 24/7 security at the entrance, and a publicly accessible green space. With these readily available supports, residents will have the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
“The Starhill Project shows what is possible when we all work together to help New Yorkers find homes. Starhill will be a place where people will be able to heal and stabilize their lives,” said Perry Perlmutter, S:US President & CEO. “S:US is excited to embark on Phase II of construction. I look forward to welcoming the residents at Starhill.”
Perry Perlmutter, S:US President & CEO, welcomes attendees.
Reminiscing on the progress of Starhill, Bronx Pro Group CEO, Samantha Magistro, shared, “It’s challenging to talk at a Phase II when so much was shared at Phase I. If the closing of Phase I was a triumph, the closing of Phase II was frankly a relief. It was a long road to get here. It’s not about our achievements but what is to come for Morris Heights. We are celebrating the last critical step towards completing our vision for Starhill that we share with S:US.”
Samantha Magistro, Bronx Pro Group CEO, talks about the progress of Starhill.
In a grand gesture to help support the Starhill Phase II construction, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, presented a generous gift of $1 million in Resolution A funds. “This project is truly going to transform our community. It is a beacon of hope and a real symbol for what we can achieve when we work together. As we celebrate this groundbreaking, know that I am deeply committed to this work. We want to build this borough to be the very best for our children, for our families, for our older adults, for our veterans. We can do it.”
Vanessa L. Gibson, Bronx Borough President, presented a generous gift of $1 million in Resolution A funds.
As the ceremonial groundbreaking concluded, tours began through the completed sections of Starhill Phase I for partners, funders, and attendees to observe what will be available this upcoming year. A typical unit is a two-bedroom, with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, as well as integrated A/C and WI-FI.
The $300 million redevelopment for Starhill aims to address the urgent need for affordable and supportive housing while also revitalizing the Morris Heights community. The completed residential campus will provide 570 units, including 296 affordable and 274 supportive housing units in addition to 11,500 square feet of publicly accessible space. Phase I is set to begin leasing in early 2025, with Phase II’s completion anticipated by December 2026 and full occupancy by summer 2027.