About 247 Cherry Street

JDS Development Group and SHoP Architects are building up to 660 mixed-income rental units in a new 79-story residential building at 247 Cherry Street near the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges on Manhattan's eastern waterfront. Twenty-five percent of the project—approximately 165 apartments—will be permanently designated as affordable units and integrated throughout the new building.

Designed by SHoP Architects, the new residential building at 247 Cherry Street will also deliver major improvements to the existing apartment building owned and managed by Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and Settlement Housing Fund at 80 Rutgers Slip.

Public Meetings and the Environmental Review Process

Three new residential developments in Two Bridges are currently preparing for a joint Environmental Review. Our project at 247 Cherry Street, along with two other residential buildings proposed separately by other developers at 275 South Street and at 259 Clinton Street, will be included in this joint review. Led by the City of New York's Department of City Planning, this public process is designed to examine the contributions and impacts of these new housing developments on an individual and collective basis. The review process includes technical assessments, public presentations and community discussion on topics ranging from schools and public transportation to parking, retail, outdoor spaces, neighborhood security and construction. In advance of the formal EIS review, the three developers worked with elected officials and community leaders to host three community meetings aimed at helping local residents learn more about the EIS process and discuss neighborhood priorities. These pre-EIS community meetings were held over several months following the format and schedule that was agreed during the initial public meeting on December 15, 2016. The Second pre-EIS Community Meeting was held on January 18, 2017 at PS 184 and a third meeting was conducted on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at the Manny Cantor Center.

Questions about these meetings and the joint environmental review process can be submitted by email to twobridgeseis@gmail.com, by phone to (646) 504-1482 or online at www.twobridgeseis.com.

The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) has scheduled a public scoping meeting for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on May 25, 2017 at the Manhattan Municipal Building (1 Centre Street, Mezzanine Level). The public meeting will consist of two sessions. the first session will begin at 2:00 p.m. with the second session following at 6:00 p.m. Written comments will be accepted by DCP until the close of business on May 11, 2017

Click here to download the DCP Public Meeting Notice
For more information: http://www.twobridgeseis.com

Stay Informed & Join the Conversation

This project site is dedicated to providing up-to-date information on 247 Cherry Street. It provides a forum for community members to submit ideas, share opinions, and stay informed on the project itself while also learning about ongoing meetings for residents, community groups and organizations across the Two Bridges Neighborhood.

Please note on Translation: Many of the English-speaking participants on this site have asked about translation of materials into other languages spoken in Two Bridges. All of our meetings in the community include translated materials and on-site translators for Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish speakers. We are committed to posting public information on the project to this site in Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish and working with our technology partners at CoUrbanize to fully integrate translated content. An automatic translation feature is currently available from the bottom of each page on this site.

Bringing Affordable Retail to the Two Bridges Neighborhood

As part of a community-wide effort to bring affordable grocery and service options to the Two Bridges Neighborhood, new street-level retail space will be built along both Cherry Street and Rutgers Slip. JDS and SHoP are working with local residents and community groups to identify and recruit affordable grocery, pharmacy, banking, and service-related tenants to these and other nearby commercial spaces.

A Model for Affordable Housing

The 247 Cherry Street project unlocks unused development rights to build permanent affordable housing and much-needed retail space without relying on public subsidy. By paying a fair-market rate for development rights, the project helps to fund two long-standing community organizations—Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and Settlement Housing Fund—ensuring they are able to continue creating and supporting affordable housing in New York City. This innovative partnership can serve as a model for meeting the need for high-quality affordable and mixed-income housing.

Site Upgrades & Improvements to 80 Rutgers Slip

Construction of the new mixed-income residential rental building at 247 Cherry Street will create the opportunity to make significant improvements to the existing building at 80 Rutgers Slip. While 80 Rutgers Slip will continue to be owned and managed by Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and Settlement Housing Fund, the construction process makes it possible to upgrade the existing building and deliver new services and conveniences for tenants.

These include:

Improvements to stormproof the building and prevent flooding
Significant upgrades to fire protection systems
Installation of backup power generation to ensure residents at 80 Rutgers Slip have electricity in case of storms or other emergencies
Installation of laundry facilities for residents on every floor of 80 Rutgers Slip
Portions of the existing 10-story building will be integrated into the new building, including 10 new affordable residential units
Construction of a new 4,600 square-foot community center and terrace for residents of 80 Rutgers Slip that will replace a temporary street-level multi-purpose room
Complete renovation and upgrades to the lobby

Building with the Community

New York City cannot meet the growing demand for affordable housing without responsibly increasing density and supporting communities as they seek innovative ways to foster resilient growth. Just as each generation before has shaped and reshaped the streets and neighborhoods of Manhattan, neighborhoods along the Lower East Side riverfront are destined to continue evolving. At issue is not when or if they will see new growth, but how communities will work together to ensure these neighborhoods remain sources of affordable, high-quality homes for years to come.