On a once-overlooked stretch of Creston Avenue, Bedford Green House is emerging as a model of supportive, sustainable, and affordable living. Spearheaded by nonprofit Project Renewal, this $120 million venture will offer more than 300 homes, alongside services and green innovations, to Bronx families, seniors, and individuals transitioning out of homelessness. Sitting adjacent to 198th Street, the six-story building wraps around a three-story boulder that developers chose to preserve rather than remove, making the site as much a geological curiosity as a beacon of social progress.
Innovative Amenities
From day one, Bedford Green House was conceived not simply as a roof over residents’ heads but as a holistic community center. Here’s a glimpse at some of the standout features that will support health, learning, and connection:
- Rooftop Aquaponics Greenhouse: Vertical fish-and-vegetable gardens managed by residents and a horticultural therapist.
- Living Green Façade & Interior ‘Green Wall’: Vines cascade down the exterior while a lush plant wall greets visitors in the lobby.
- Children’s Learning Hub: On-site library, tutoring center, and colorful playground equipment.
- On-Site Clinic & Social Services: Regular medical care, counseling, and case management from dedicated staff.
- Culinary Arts & Horticultural Therapy: Demonstration kitchen classes led by professional chefs, paired with garden-to-table programming.
Together, these elements create an environment where physical well-being, creative expression, and academic support reinforce one another, turning a housing complex into a true neighborhood asset.
Rooftop Aquaponics: Farming in the Sky
Atop the building, a 1,500 sq ft greenhouse will employ aquaponics, a closed-loop system in which fish waste fertilizes plants that in turn purify the water. By stacking planting beds vertically, yield per square foot far exceeds traditional row gardening. Residents can harvest leafy greens, herbs, and fish like tilapia, then transform their produce into healthy meals in the demonstration kitchen below. This living laboratory not only addresses food access but also provides vocational training and therapeutic engagement.
Listening to Locals
Unlike past developments criticized for ignoring neighborhood voices, Project Renewal’s team held multiple workshops and door-to-door consultations. When parents expressed the need for safe play areas, developers designed a front-yard mini-park complete with swings, slides, climbing structures, and even musical play panels. This level of responsiveness has earned praise from local leaders: Senator Gustavo Rivera and Bronx Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan alike, who see Bedford Green House as a new standard for inclusive planning.
The Boulder at the Heart
The massive bedrock outcrop predates human settlement by hundreds of millions of years, and it almost derailed the project, since blasting it away was cost-prohibitive. Instead, architects chose to “stair-step” the structure around the stone, integrating it into the building’s base. From the third floor upward, apartments appear to grow organically from the rock itself, a visual metaphor for resilience and rootedness. Preservation of this natural landmark also honors the Bronx’s glacial history, visible in faint striations left by ancient ice flows.
Units, Timeline & Affordability
Bedford Green House will open in two phases, each offering permanent supportive and low-income apartments:
- Phase I (Late 2019): 118 units: mix of studios and one-bedrooms, with rents starting at $951.
- Phase II (2020): 116 additional apartments, including two-bedroom units at $1,224 per month.
- Application Process: Multilingual outreach via Housing Preservation & Development channels, paper forms, and an online portal.
- Homeless Referrals: Coordinated through NYC Department of Homeless Services.
- Income Requirements: Targeted to households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI).
By blending deeply affordable rents with robust support services, the project aims to stabilize families and reduce shelter stays, key steps toward breaking cycles of homelessness.
Partnerships & Funding
Delivering Bedford Green House has required expertise from across the housing, construction, and nonprofit sectors. Key collaborators include:
- Development & Design: Project Renewal, Jonathan Rose Companies, Edelman Sultan Knox Wood Architects.
- Construction & Engineering: Hollister Construction Services, Robert Silman Associates, Mueser Rutledge (geotech).
- Green Systems & Consulting: A&A Epiphany (aquaponics), Steven Winter Associates (LEED), Billie Cohen, Ltd. (landscape).
- Financial Support: HUD, NY State OTDA, NYC HPD & HDC, Bank of America, TD Bank, Deutsche Bank Foundation.
Thanks to low-income housing tax credits, volume cap bonds, and city subsidies, public and private dollars combined to make this vision a reality, with strict LEED Gold standards guiding environmental performance.
A Blueprint for the Future
As Bedford Green House nears completion, it stands as a testament to what can happen when social mission, green technology, and community voice intersect. Jody Rudin, Interim CEO of Project Renewal, calls it “a powerful example of ending homelessness and promoting healthy living all at once.” For the Bronx, this innovative development is more than just housing: it’s a living, breathing hub designed to uplift individuals and transform the neighborhood one garden harvest, one tutoring session, and one family at a time.