Closer to Home: HPD Releases Request for Developer Proposals, Bringing Hundreds of Affordable Homes and Open Space to Inaccessible Inwood Waterfront

October 9, 2024

RFP Release Advances Project to Transform Underutilized Parking Lot into 100% Affordable Housing and a STEM Center

HPD Releases Community Visioning Report After Consulting with More Than 400 Members of the Community

NEW YORK - This afternoon, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) to transform a vacant City-owned parking lot along the waterfront in Northern Manhattan's Inwood neighborhood into affordable housing, a public open space, and a STEM center. The project is expected to build over 500 affordable apartments, creating homes for thousands of New Yorkers.

The site at 4095 9th Avenue between 219th Street and 220th Street in Inwood is currently an unused parking lot over one acre in size along a segment of the Harlem River waterfront that is inaccessible to the public. The development site was assembled through a land swap between the City and Charter Communications, enabled by the Inwood NYC Action Plan and Inwood Rezoning. Previously, the city owned an irregular and undevelopable site without street access.

"The way out of our city's housing crisis is to build more housing everywhere - including right along the Harlem River waterfront in Inwood," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "From initiatives like our '24 in 24' plan for advancing affordable housing on public land across the city to our 'City of Yes for Housing Opportunity' proposal to build a little more housing in every neighborhood, every day, our administration is moving closer to achieving our moonshot goal of creating over 500,000 homes by 2032. Public investments like the ones we are making in Inwood, once again, deliver on our vision to make our city safer, more affordable, and more livable for working-class New Yorkers."

"New Yorkers deserve a robust response to the affordable housing crisis," said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. "The release of the Inwood 9^th Avenue RFP will be an important piece in the city's 24 in '24 plan of transforming city-owned public land into affordable housing. It also further proves that this administration is using every tool in the toolbox to reach its "moonshot" goal of 500,000 units."

"With the release of the Inwood Waterfront RFP we're taking important steps to bring more affordable housing to northern Manhattan," said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. "Informed by extensive community feedback, we're excited to begin the search for a partner to deliver much needed housing and amenities. This RFP is a great step forward in advancing our housing goals and the broader 24 in 24 initiative to deliver affordable housing on public sites."

"The Inwood 9th Avenue Request for Proposals to develop affordable housing on a prime City-owned Harlem River waterfront site promises to be transformative for Upper Manhattan. We've invited the development community to deliver sustainable and creative ideas to put this underused City property to productive use," said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr. "I am excited at the prospect of building hundreds of affordable homes here, with a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Center, and open space and waterfront access in this beautiful area of the city."

"The Inwood NYC Action Plan is in action, and we can't wait for this once underutilized city property to be transformed into hundreds of affordable units and an innovative space for the community," said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. "NYCEDC is thrilled to see how the Inwood 2018 rezoning is being optimized to increase economic opportunity, build affordable housing, and strengthen the neighborhood."

"I'm excited to announce the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Inwood 9th Avenue site, a key step in our efforts to bring affordable housing and community amenities to Inwood. The RFP seeks developers to address community priorities, including over 500 units of affordable housing, a STEM-focused community facility, and public waterfront space. Community input has been vital and will remain central as the project moves forward. My office is ensuring that commitments from the Inwood rezoning are met, and I encourage residents to stay engaged to shape a development that meets Inwood's unique needs," said Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa.

Inwood Knows what InwoodNeeds:HPD's Community Visioning Report

No one knows the Inwood community and what it needs more than the residents. The process of creating new affordable housing on this publicly owned land began with a robust community engagement process that culminated with the creation of a Community Visioning Report which is attached to this RFP.

"A Community Visioning Report is a key part of our development process, shaping the RFP and the project that will eventually be built. We're not just constructing buildings, we are creating homes and community spaces that have the power to shape the future of Inwood," said Michael Sandler, Associate Commissioner for Neighborhood Strategies, who oversees the development of public land at HPD.

For the Inwood 9th Avenue site, developers must submit proposals that respond to community priorities.

The community visioning process included an in-person workshop attended by over 100 community members, local tabling events at the Inwood and Washington Heights Libraries, and meetings with the community board and stakeholders. HPD also partnered with Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa to distribute information directly within the neighborhood and collected feedback via a public questionnaire, both online and in print at each event. HPD staff was also available to engage non-English-speaking participants, ensuring that all voices were heard in shaping the future of Inwood.

Over 400 members of the public responded to the questionnaire, and while participants shared many different visions for the site, certain themes emerged as priorities. Respondents expressed a need for deeply affordable housing, a STEM focused community facility that offers programming for youth but is also flexible and meets the needs of all community members, and for a waterfront open space that offers community members a refuge from the city, as a place for relaxation and contemplation.

Based on the community engagement, HPD produced the Inwood 9^th Avenue Community Visioning Report summarizing the community's input. The report is attached to the Inwood 9^th Avenue 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's vision.   

"Today marks a significant moment for Inwood, one we hope ushers in a new era of responsible and inclusive development with the HPD's Request for Proposals for the 9th Avenue site. This initiative marks the beginning of an era where development is not just about buildings, but about building community strength and cohesion. I commend our engaged residents-tenants, activists, and all community members-who have tirelessly worked to hold their elected representatives accountable to ensure this project reflects the soul of our neighborhood, safeguarding its unique character and the well-being of its people. We envision a future where our community's voice leads the way, crafting spaces that truly belong to everyone. Our collaboration with HPD is a commitment to development that embodies inclusivity, resilience, and genuine opportunity. Together, we can set a new standard, ensuring Inwood remains a place of opportunity and a stronghold against displacement," said Senator Robert Jackson.

"I commend the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on today's announcement to create over 1,600 new affordable housing for residents of Washington Heights and Inwood," said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). "As we continue to develop neighborhoods throughout our city, we must ensure families are not displaced and that all New Yorkers, regardless of income, have access to affordable, reliable, and safe housing."

"The Request for Proposal announced today is an exciting step and milestone for Inwood and those in the community who contributed to the Inwood NYC Action Plan. Building out the supply of affordable housing is an integral part of the solution to the current housing crisis. The development of 500 affordable units and inclusion of amenities like the waterfront greenspace and STEM facility are emblematic of the kinds of solutions we need to improve affordability and quality of life and to expand opportunities for New Yorkers. My thanks to the Adams administration, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, NYC Economic Development Corporation, and NYC Housing Authority for their commitment to affordable housing for New Yorkers," said Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos.

History of Community Engagement in Inwood

Starting in the spring of 2015, the city engaged residents, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders in the Inwood neighborhood to help create the Inwood NYC Action Plan. The Action Plan put forth a set of strategies to increase economic opportunity, produce and preserve affordable housing, protect tenants, connect Inwood to the Harlem River, and preserve and strengthen Inwood's neighborhood character. The plan served as a guiding framework for a rezoning led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in partnership with various city agencies and was approved by the City Council in 2018.

As outlined in the Inwood Rezoning Points of Agreement, the plan for the site includes the construction of over 500 units of 100% affordable housing, build-out of a publicly accessible waterfront open space, a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focused community facility and opportunity for commercial use.

24 in 24 Initiative

The Inwood 9^th Avenue site is part of the 24 in 24 initiative, a New York City push to advance affordable housing projects on multiple public sites across the city, as announced by Mayor Adams in his State of the City address in January. Through 24 in 24, the administration plans to advance 24 affordable housing projects on public sites in 2024 that will ultimately create or preserve over 12,000 units of housing through partnerships across HPDNYCEDC and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity

The Inwood 9^th Avenue RFP works hand-in-hand with the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity to create new opportunities for affordable housing in Inwood and across New York City. The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposes to modernize the city's zoning regulations to create opportunity to build more affordable housing and allow a little more housing in every neighborhood. The proposals put forth through the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity will enable projects, like Inwood 9^th Avenue, to maximize the amount of affordable housing that is brought to communities across New York City and streamline zoning rules, bringing down the overall cost of creating new housing.

Inwood 9^thAvenue RFP Details

This RFP is open to all interested developers, beginning on October 9 until January 8. For specific details on requirements, evaluation criteria and how to participate, candidates should refer to the Inwood 9th Avenue RFP.

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) the nation's largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. For full details visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.   

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