Reopening the Edenwald Community, Senior, and Child Care Centers
On October 22, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg, NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt, development partners, and residents cut the ribbon on the reopening of the community, child care, and senior centers at Edenwald Houses in the Bronx. The reopening marks a major milestone in the comprehensive renovation of Edenwald Houses, NYCHA’s largest development in the Bronx and third-largest in the city.
The renovations, completed by Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) partners Camber Property Group, Henge Development, and SAA | EVI, include upgrades to heating and cooling, electrical and mechanical systems, as well as new flooring, walls, windows and carpentry. The senior center, which had been closed for more than 20 years, has been restored, reopened, and named in honor of longtime Edenwald Tenant Association President Walter J. McNeill.
“The reopening of these important community spaces for Edenwald residents has been a long time coming, and is just a small piece of the work we are doing every day to invest in NYCHA communities and build a more affordable city. Through projects like the modernization of Edenwald Houses, we can deliver high-quality, renovated homes to NYCHA residents in the Bronx and across New York City,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “Congratulations to the residents and the project teams who have made this day a reality!”
“NYCHA communities deserve welcoming spaces where residents of all ages can connect, grow, and thrive,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “The reopening of the Edenwald Senior Center — named in honor of longtime Tenant Association President Walter J. McNeill in recognition of his dedication to this community — and the revitalization of the Community Center represent an important part of the broader investment in Edenwald Houses through the PACT program, ensuring that residents benefit not only from modernized homes and buildings, but also from the community resources that enrich their daily lives. We are proud to deliver these renewed spaces in partnership with Mayor Mamdani, our development partners, and the dedicated residents who call Edenwald Houses home.”
“After 25 years of fighting to bring our senior center back, I am grateful to celebrate the ribbon-cutting at Edenwald’s community and senior centers,” said Walter J. McNeill, Edenwald Tenant Association President. “As the largest NYCHA development in the Bronx, Edenwald deserves a place where our seniors can gather, stay connected, and be cared for, and seeing them regain that space is the proudest moment of my 33 years as tenant association president. I thank Camber, the PACT partners, management, the general contractor, and our elected officials — especially Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who contributed so much to the senior center — for making this transformation possible.”
The renovated senior center will feature a commercial kitchen, event space, and computer lab along with expanded social services, including meals and transportation support from Regional Aid for Interim Needs (R.A.I.N.), a Bronx-based nonprofit. The community center, operated by Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, will provide youth programming, a new storefront, and improved accessibility. The Susan Wagner Day Care received a modernized outdoor play area, new flooring and plumbing, accessibility upgrades, and full lead paint abatement.
These center reopenings are part of comprehensive renovations at Edenwald Houses, which serves nearly 5,000 residents across 2,035 apartments. Shaped by resident input and made possible through the PACT program, the broader modernization includes lead paint removal and mold remediation, mechanical system upgrades, heating and cooling improvements, enhanced security, new apartment interiors, free development-wide WiFi, extensive landscaping, and outdoor amenities, among other investments outlined in the Edenwald Community Plan.
NYCHA and a resident review committee selected the PACT partner team in 2021. Financing closed and construction began in 2023.
Through PACT, NYCHA can access additional and more flexible federal funding to support comprehensive repairs and modernization while improving property management. The program has brought 170 NYCHA developments into predevelopment, construction, or completed renovations, representing nearly $17 billion in capital repairs. NYCHA retains ownership of developments in the PACT program, and residents retain their rights, including permanent affordability and succession rights.
“The $8.1 million renovations to the Edenwald Community and Senior Centers are an important component of the larger $783 million PACT modernization of the development, extending investment beyond residents’ apartments to the community spaces that bring people together,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President and Chief Real Estate Officer Heather Beck. “Through our partnership with Edenwald residents, we were able to prioritize the repairs to these community spaces and bring the Senior Center back online after decades of obsolescence. We thank the Mamdani administration; our PACT partners at Camber Property Group, Henge Development, and SAA | EVI; and most importantly, the Edenwald Tenant Association and community, for their ongoing trust and partnership in making this vision a reality.”
Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office