$209M PACT Project to Renovate Seward Park Extension Closes
On November 5, NYCHA closed on the financing for a $209 million Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) project that will bring comprehensive renovations to over 650 residents living in two 23-story residential buildings at Seward Park Extension on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The buildings have now converted to Project-Based Section 8 through the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, unlocking funding that will allow the PACT partners – Essence Development and MDG Design + Construction – to address the capital needs of the development and begin fully rehabilitating apartments, shared spaces, grounds, and building infrastructure to improve residents’ quality of life. The community center at Seward Park Extension — where Grand Street Settlement will continue to operate — will also receive significant upgrades, while additional wraparound services and supportive programming will be offered to residents through a new partnership with Catholic Charities, who will operate out of a newly constructed social services and resident programming office. The PACT program maintains residents’ rights and preserves affordable rents for all households.
“Congratulations to Seward Park Extension residents, NYCHA, and our PACT partners on reaching this milestone,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg. “Thanks to strong resident support and input and the greater funding made available through the PACT program, hundreds of homes will soon see comprehensive renovations to their buildings and apartments, as well as accessibility improvements, community space, and controllable in-unit heating and cooling through the Clean Heat for All program.”
“The $209 million investment at Seward Park Extension represents a significant commitment to improving residents’ quality of life and ensuring those who call the development home receive the resources they deserve,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Through PACT conversion, residents will benefit from modernized apartments, more reliable building infrastructure, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and enhanced community spaces and support services. This project is another example of how the PACT program continues to unlock much-needed investment in public housing communities across the city, allowing us to address longstanding capital needs while preserving affordability and protecting residents’ rights.”
“This financial closing marks a tremendous milestone for the PACT program, which has now invested over $11 billion in comprehensive capital funding across 121 developments in the city,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President and Chief Real Estate Officer Heather Beck. “We’re excited that residents of Seward Park Extension will experience firsthand the critical improvements to their physical spaces as well as their quality of life that PACT continues to deliver. I extend a big thank you to our partners and the incredible residents who continue to work with us on every step of this process, and we’re looking forward to this new phase as we begin construction.”
“Seward Park Extension has been a staple in the Lower East Side neighborhood for over 50 years, and we joined the PACT program to upgrade our apartments, provide much-needed security, and improve our grounds and social services to continue our legacy for generations after us,” said Seward Park Extension Resident Association President Deborah Givens.
“Thanks to this PACT transaction, the residents of NYCHA’s Seward Park Extension will soon benefit from a range of home renovations and campus-wide capital improvements, along with on-site social services,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “HDC is proud to join our partners in ensuring New York City’s public housing stock is secured for generations to come.”
Following the financial closing, Wavecrest Management will handle the day-to-day property management at Seward Park Extension, including responding to maintenance and repair requests, regularly cleaning common areas and grounds, managing trash and recycling collection, and providing regular extermination services. Residents will benefit from a comprehensive security plan that includes secure, access-controlled lobbies with phone and video intercom systems; expanded, monitored camera coverage throughout the campus and inside both buildings; and new LED lighting. The plan will also introduce on-site security personnel at both buildings and secure the exterior building courtyards with key-fob access.
Selected in coordination with resident leadership, the PACT partner team has worked closely with residents and NYCHA to design every aspect of the development’s renovation. After years of community meetings, plans for the large-scale renovation and ongoing property management have been finalized, and the team has closed on the necessary financing to begin construction, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2029. Additional details on the planned investments and improvements are outlined in the Community Plan document for Seward Park Extension, which was developed through a collaboration between the partner team, residents, and NYCHA. A copy of the Community Plan will be distributed to every household at the start of construction.
Every apartment at Seward Park Extension will receive comprehensive upgrades, including brand-new kitchens and bathrooms with modern cabinets and vanities, flooring, kitchen backsplashes, quartz countertops, energy-efficient appliances, new plumbing fixtures, and in-unit combination washer-dryers. The PACT partner team is working with the groundbreaking Clean Heat for All program — a partnership between NYCHA, the New York Power Authority (NYPA), and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) — to deliver efficient and low-carbon heating and cooling to residents with Midea cold climate packaged window heat pump units. As a result, residents will have more consistent, efficient, and affordable heating and cooling. Units will be provided in every living space, delivering energy-efficient heating and cooling year-round. This partnership and scope bring NYCHA closer to its 2030 Sustainability Goal of installing heat pumps in 20,000 apartments.
Building-wide upgrades will include a complete plumbing overhaul to replace all sanitary and domestic water risers and piping to address frequent leaks; free Wi-Fi; new entryways; modernized mechanical systems; and lobby upgrades. The façades will receive new windows designed to match the historic configuration and extensive brick and sealant repairs, while the balconies need only minor brick work and new doors that meet historic requirements. ADA lifts will also be added, and parts of the existing lobbies will be converted into circulation space with additional accessible mailboxes. The remaining ground-floor spaces will house a social services office in Building A and a management office in Building B, along with a redesigned resident association office. Rather than a shared laundry room, residents will receive in-unit washers.
The community center will receive key upgrades, including new windows and flooring, energy-efficient LED lighting, electrical and plumbing improvements, a new storefront entrance, ADA-accessible bathrooms, free Wi-Fi throughout the building, and a backup power generator to support heating, cooling, and refrigeration during power outages.
The outdoor improvements balance preservation of the sites’ distinctive historic landscapes with upgrades for safety and accessibility. New playground equipment, fitness areas, LED lighting, signage, landscaping, seating, a community mural, and resurfaced parking lots will be added, while signature features like the four sunken concentric circles at each site, masonry benches, and brick retaining walls will be retained and kept visible wherever possible. At each site, a quadrant will be preserved in full, including its sunken character and historic play elements, with only new slip-resistant surfacing added for safety. Remaining sunken quadrants will be raised to sidewalk grade to provide ADA access and receive new play and fitness equipment for new programmed areas and modular furniture designed to evoke its lost perimeter hardscaping.
Seward Park Extension was developed in the early 1970s as part of a period of public housing development on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Designed by William F. Pederson & Associates, the development’s towers are notable examples of Brutalist architecture and serve as a historically significant example of NYCHA’s scatter-site housing program, which sought to place public housing within middle-income and non-minority neighborhoods to address patterns of residential segregation and promote greater integration through new approaches to public housing. The towers pair plain outward-facing elevations with interior facades of curved walls and projecting balconies that create a sense of movement, while landscape architects Darling & Webel designed the surrounding sites with curving retaining walls, multi-level seating, play areas, and tall brick perimeter walls. In recognition of its architectural and historical significance, Seward Park Extension will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the project scope maintains Seward Park Extension’s historic sunken courtyards while enhancing accessibility.
Essence Development is a New York City-based real estate investment and development firm that specializes in affordable housing and mixed-use developments. The company takes a social-impact approach to real estate, emphasizing sustainable, energy-efficient buildings and integrating resources such as healthcare, nutrition, education, and workforce development to support residents and strengthen communities.
MDG Design + Construction is a New York City-based affordable housing development and construction firm, founded in 1988 and specializing in the rehabilitation of existing residential buildings and the development of new affordable housing. The company has extensive experience working with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, property owners, and community partners to preserve housing affordability, modernize buildings, and improve residents’ quality of life.
Wavecrest Management is a family-owned and operated management company — specializing in affordable housing — overseeing over 30,000 units in residential buildings of all sizes across New York City and Nassau and Westchester counties. With over 40 years of industry experience, Wavecrest Management is committed to preserving both the financial and physical viability of residential housing, and also ensuring residents have direct access to programs and services that increase community engagement and quality of life.
The PACT program transitions NYCHA developments from traditional Section 9 assistance to Project-Based Section 8, unlocking funding for resident-selected PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs or build new, modern homes while enhancing property management. Overall, 170 NYCHA developments (representing over 45,700 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. This represents nearly $17 billion in capital repairs for the Authority. The Authority is working to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive investments and upgrades, as well as enhanced property management and social services, to more than 142,000 residents.
