Spofford Campus Project – 17DME001X

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and The Peninsula JV, LLC, (the “Project Sponsor”), are proposing a series of land use actions to facilitate the redevelopment of the City-owned site currently occupied by the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, or the “project site” with new affordable housing, commercial and local retail uses, community facility uses, light industrial uses, and public open space (the “proposed project”).

The project site consists of Block 2738, Lot 1; and Block 2763, Lot 29 and portions of Lots 1 and 2. The project site is bounded by Spofford Avenue to the south, Tiffany Street to the west, Corpus Cristi Monastery, Julio Carballo Fields and the Hunts Point Recreation Center to the north, and Manida Street to the east. Since the detention center’s closure in 2011, the project site has remained vacant with the exception of a Head Start (Pre-Kindergarten) facility operated by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).

The proposed project would include facilitate the construction of a five building mixed-use development and would result in up to 823,700 gross square feet (gsf) of total development. For conservative analysis purposes, it is anticipated that the Proposed Project would be comprised of up to 777 affordable dwelling units (DUs) (up to 671,800 gsf), up to 75,700 gsf of commercial and local retail uses, up to 40,000 gsf of community facility uses, and up to 29,800 gsf of light industrial uses. The Proposed Project would also include up to approximately 206 below-grade parking spaces and a total of approximately 1.2 acres (53,441 sf) of public open space. Construction of the Proposed Project is expected to begin in mid-2018 with all components complete and fully operational by mid-2024.

NYCEDC, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and the Project Sponsor are proposing the following series of land use actions to facilitate the proposed project:

• Disposition of City-owned property via long-term ground lease;
• Zoning map amendment (Zoning Sectional Map 6c) to change the zoning on a portion of the project site from an R6 residential zoning district to an M1-2/R7-2 Special Mixed-Use District (MX-17);
• A zoning authorization to allow modification of the required width of curb cuts (ZR 25-631(e)) pursuant to ZR 25-631(f)(2);
• A zoning text amendment to ZR 123-90 to establish a Special Mixed-Use District (MX-17) on a portion of the project site;
• A zoning text amendment to ZR 74-745(b) to enable the City Planning Commission (CPC) to issue a special permit to waive loading berth requirements for zoning lots in Large-Scale General Developments (LSGDs) in Special Mixed Use Districts of Bronx Community District 2;
• A zoning text amendment to ZR 23-90 (Appendix F) to map a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) area throughout the project site; and
• LSGD Special Permits pursuant to ZR 74-74 to allow the location of buildings without regard to applicable height and setback, distance between building, yard regulations, and loading berth requirements.

NYCEDC, on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development (ODMHED), will serve as the co-applicant with the Project Sponsor for the zoning map and text amendments, as well as the zoning authorization. NYCEDC will also serve, on behalf of ODMHED, as co-applicants with both the Project Sponsor and DCAS for the LSGD Special Permits. In addition to serving as co-applicant for the LSGD Special Permits, DCAS will serve as the applicant for the disposition action.  Although not known at this time, the proposed project may also involve the use of public financing for the development of permanently affordable housing by New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) or the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC). Depending on the public funding source for the affordable housing, and the timing of the decision, additional review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) may be required. It should also be noted that, though not subject to CEQR, all new development would occur on land that would remain City-owned and would require approval from the NYC Public Design Commission (PDC).

On May 23, 2017, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, as lead agency for the CEQR environmental review, issued an Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS) and a Positive Declaration for the project indicating that there was potential for adverse environmental impacts due to the project and directed that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be prepared. At the same time, a Draft Scope of Work for a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was issued for public comment. A public scoping hearing was scheduled for Monday, June 26, 2017 and held at 6:30 P.M. at P.S. 48 Joseph R. Drake, located at 1290 Spofford Avenue, Bronx, NY 10474. The comment period on the Draft Scope of Work remained opened until July 10, 2017. On October 20, 2017, ODMHED issued the Final Scope of Work for the preparation of the DEIS.

The Notice of Completion for the DEIS was issued on October 20, 2017, which marked the beginning of the public comment period on this document. A public hearing was held on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at 10:00 A.M., in Spector Hall, at 22 Reade Street, Manhattan. Written comments were accepted until 5:00 P.M., Tuesday, January 16, 2018.

On February 2, 2018, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development issued the Notice of Completion for the Final Environmental Impact Statement, marking the completion of the project’s CEQR environmental review.

Environmental Review Materials

The environmental review documents can be downloaded from CEQR Access.