The competitive process to select new plans for the site follows months of community engagement in the South Bronx led by HPD’s Office of Neighborhood Strategies. Through a public workshop, community board meetings, tabling events, and a public questionnaire, HPD staff produced the Stebbins Avenue Community Visioning Report summarizing the community’s input. The report is attached to the Stebbins Avenue Request for Proposals (RFP) and development teams are strongly encouraged to consult the report in preparing their submissions. RFP submissions will be evaluated based on the quality and feasibility of the proposals in addition to how well they respond to the community vision.   

Nearly 200 members of the public responded to the questionnaire, answering questions about housing in the area, what type of housing should be included at the new site, and potential ground floor usage for broader community needs. While participants shared many different visions for the site, certain themes emerged as priorities.   

Respondents identified high housing costs as the leading issue in the area and felt that young adults face the most barriers in finding housing. They expressed great interest in deeply affordable housing, with young adults, households with children, and homeless families and individuals emerging as the top three groups identified as struggling the most to find and keep housing.   

Three out of four respondents said they would prefer to see community amenities over residential uses on the ground floor, particularly a space that promotes growth for both young and older community members. “Too often housing is used for people to have a place to live which is important,” one respondent wrote, “but community [space] makes people stay more connected.”   

Many commented on the need for programming and space for neighbors to gather, with a clear preference for a childcare/daycare center, a community and cultural space, or workforce/job training center at the top of the list:   

• “A workforce development center would be beneficial to the individuals of the community currently experiencing homelessness,” wrote one respondent.  
   
• “Unfortunately, this community doesn’t have much to offer our children or senior citizens, so with this building going up, our community could bring a lot of change for the better,” said another respondent. 
   
• “We have a large, beautiful park in the area but other than the occasional basketball or tennis tournament, there isn’t enough cultural or extracurricular entertainment for folks to enjoy,” said another respondent. “Maybe with having a service oriented non-profit or some other group in the area, more things like this can be organized and executed.” 

After a proposal is selected, HPD and the development team will continue to provide regular updates to Bronx Community Board 3 as the selected plan makes its way through the city’s public approvals process. Once the plan receives final approval through the New York City Council, it will move forward to financing and construction. Near the end of construction, many of the new homes will be available to income qualifying households through the city’s Housing Connect lotteries portal in addition to those set aside for households exiting the city’s shelter system. New Yorkers may continue to stay up to date and engaged with the process by following the progress of the site on the HPD website and on social media @NYCHousing across platforms.  

“With the ever-growing need for affordable housing in our City growing at a rapid pace, I am happy to hear about HPD’s continued designs on redeveloping a vacant lot in the Crotona Park East neighborhood in my District,” said New York City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. “Bringing in truly affordable housing and community spaces to the South Bronx will help push a drive for economic stimulation and investment into our community that has historically been overlooked.” 

“Bronx Community Board Three would like to extend its sincere gratitude to HPD for providing the residents and stakeholders of the community district with a valuable opportunity to discuss and consider their vision for the community,” said Bronx Community Board Three District Manager Etta Ritter. “The Community Board is optimistic that their valuable input will be taken into consideration and that the Stebbins Avenue development will complement the existing housing stock in this community district.”  

The deadline for submissions to the RFP is May 3rd. For more information on the 1388-1400 Stebbins Avenue RFP, visit the HPD website.    

###
 

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods - because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love. We maintain building and resident safety and health, create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability, and engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity. HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness, Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To learn more about what we do, visit nyc.gov/hpd and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.