Hill Top Apartments:
the 1727 Amsterdam Avenue redevelopment project
What will be happening at 1727 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan?
The current building at 1727 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 145th and 146th Streets) will be demolished to make room for new permanent, supportive and affordable housing known as Hill Top Apartments and a new location for the Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center.
The new project is not a homeless shelter or transitional housing. Every housing tenant will receive a rent-stabilized lease and keys to their own apartment.
What is the new project, Hill Top Apartments?
Hill Top Apartments will create approximately 200 apartments plus one apartment for a live-in superintendent, including 68% studios, 16% one-bedrooms, 13% two-bedrooms and 3% three-bedrooms with their own kitchens and bathrooms.
The main housing entrance will be mid-block on Amsterdam Avenue. The Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center will have its own entrances on Amsterdam Avenue at 146th Street and continue to offer its services to the community. At its tallest point, the new building will be 9 stories tall.
What is the timeline for this development?
We estimate that it will be approximately four years from now before the first tenant takes up residence and the Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center relocates to the new building.
This project will require a public process, described below, as well as the financing and construction necessary for a project of this scope. A filing for new building construction has been approved by the NYC Department of Buildings.
How will Hill Top Apartments tenants be selected?
NYC Health + Hospitals will identify approximately 120 tenants (60%) for supportive housing from patients eligible for consideration based on their clinical and other needs.The remaining 80 apartments (40%) will serve low-income New Yorkers and will be rented through NYC Housing Preservation & Development’s (HPD’s) Housing Connect lottery system. Residents of Manhattan Community Board 9 will receive preference for 40 of these units. Roughly 25% of all of the apartments will be set aside for seniors. BRC is committed to hosting affordable housing workshops in the neighborhood to provide housing application assistance, well in advance of the housing lottery.
What services will Hill Top Apartments provide to the tenants?
Supportive housing is affordable housing with supportive services, including connection to mental and physical health care, substance abuse programs and other social services. It is proven to address the needs of New Yorkers struggling with mental illness, homelessness, and substance use – reducing the frequent use of the public hospital system and improving their health outcomes.
The building will offer comprehensive on-site services for all tenants, including a reception desk staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Staff and building amenities will focus on tenants’ stability and health to meet their individualized goals such as employment and education.
Who will serve as the developer?
HPD selected Bowery Residents’ Committee, Inc. (BRC) from a pre-qualified list of non-profit developers who own and operate high-quality supportive housing to serve as the housing developer and social service provider for Hill Top Apartments. BRC is an established housing developer and manager, having developed numerous sites and hundreds of units throughout NYC over the last three decades. BRC has been providing high-quality social services for 50 years and will bring a team of case managers and other trained staff to provide intensive social services to Hill Top tenants on-site. BRC will also provide 24/7 on-site security, property management, and maintenance. BRC plans to conduct local outreach to connect Community Board 9 and other neighborhood residents to job opportunities at Hill Top Apartments.
How will the community continue to learn about Hill Top Apartments?
BRC and the City are eager to engage with local community members. BRC, in partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals, will continue to provide briefings and tours of BRC’s existing housing for local elected officials; Community Board 9 members; local organizations; and concerned community members. Hill Top Apartments will require a ground lease between BRC and NYC Health + Hospitals, which follows a public process. NYC Health + Hospitals will hold a required public hearing to discuss the project, after which NYC Health + Hospitals Board of Directors will need to approve the ground lease in one of its public meetings. The City Council will then need to approve the ground lease through its Landmarks, Public Sitings, and Dispositions subcommittee; Land Use Committee; and Stated Council meeting.
Will the Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center continue to provide its services to the community at the Hill Top Apartments?
Yes! With the support of the Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, City Council Member Shaun Abreu, State Senator Cordell Cleare and State Assembly Member Al Taylor, NYC Health + Hospitals and BRC have been working closely with leadership of the Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center to support their temporary relocation during the demolition and construction at 1727 Amsterdam Avenue. BRC is proud to offer purpose-built space in the new building for the Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center to return via a long-term lease.
How will Hill Top Apartments be financed?
Hill Top development costs is expected to be financed using financing tools from HPD and the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and the supportive housing apartments will benefit from a rental subsidy. The project was recently awarded $10 million from NY State HHAP, and $1.05 million from City Council Speaker Adams and Manhattan Borough President Levine. No tenant in the building will pay more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities -- standard for HPD-financed projects. Every tenant will receive a rent-stabilized lease. The Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center will pay rent that is affordable and sustainable for their long-term operations.
Why is NYC Health + Hospitals involved in housing?
It is the mission of NYC Health + Hospitals to deliver high-quality health services with compassion, dignity, and respect to all of its patients. It also recognizes that stable, affordable housing is critical to the health and well-being of every New Yorker, and is proud to contribute to this goal. NYC Health + Hospitals has a proven track record of leasing its land for the development of affordable and supportive housing to address the housing instability challenges so common among NYC Health + Hospitals patients.
Current Unit Distribution
Updated as of 2/06/2023
*The building will also include one unit for a live-in superintendent.
** 25 of the supportive units will be designated for age 55+.
*** 22 of the 40% AMI units will be designated for age 62+: studios and 1-bedrooms.
STUDIO
Supportive**
120
40% AMI***
12
60% AMI
5
TOTAL: 137
1 BEDROOM*
Supportive**
0
40% AMI***
14
60% AMI
17
TOTAL: 31
2 BEDROOM
Supportive**
0
40% AMI***
3
60% AMI
22
TOTAL: 25
3 BEDROOM
Supportive**
0
40% AMI***
1
60% AMI
5
TOTAL: 6
TOTAL 199
A PERCENTAGE OF UNITS IS SET ASIDE FOR
Mobility-impaired applicants (5%)
Vision- or hearing-impaired applicants (2%)
PREFERENCE FOR A PERCENTAGE OF
UNITS GOES TO
Residents of Manhattan Community Board 9 (50%)
Municipal employees (5%)