Last week, construction broke ground on 105 West 108th Street, a forthcoming 13-story affordable housing building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Designed by Dattner Architects and developed by The West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, the project will yield 84 permanent senior housing units for adults 62 years and older, with 40 units reserved for adults 55 and over who have experienced homelessness and are living with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder. The upcoming structure is part of phase two of the WSFSSH campus, and is being built on an interior lot by the corner of West 108th Street and Columbus Avenue.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held, with the WSFSSH joined by New York City Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg, New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, State Senator Cordell Cleare, and a representative from Assembly Member Micah Lasher’s Office, and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
The above and below renderings show the design of the future senior residence with a light-colored exterior facade and a grid of narrow and wide windows that are vertically grouped every two floors above the second level. A setback is located on level 11 to make room for an outdoor terrace, while a bulkhead caps the flat parapet. Additional lot line windows are visible along the eastern and western sides of the superstructure.
The below Google Maps street view image shows the former dilapidated city-owned parking garage that was fully demolished for the project.
The WSFSSH complex consists of the existing 143-145 West 108th Street, aka Valley Lodge, a homeless shelter for older adults,with permanent supportive housing for low-income families and formerly homeless seniors, and a federally qualified health center operated by the Institute for Family Health.
Significant supporters and funders in advancing phase two of the master plan include the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Department of Homeless Services, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, Enterprise Community Partners, Bellwether Enterprise, JPMorgan Chase, and Capital One Community Investments, along with the HPD–NYSERDA Future Housing Initiative and discretionary funding from Council Member Shaun Abreu and Comptroller Levine in his capacity as Manhattan Borough President…