Manhattan developers and elected officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 17, 2024 for The Lirio, a new affordable housing development in Hell's Kitchen.
Photo by Julian Shah
Affordable housing will be at the center of The Lirio, a new mixed-use development coming soon to Hell's Kitchen.
On July 17, elected officials joined Housing Works and Hudson Companies to celebrate the groundbreaking of The Lirio at 364 West 54th St. Named after the city's oldest living organism, the tulip tree, The Lirio is a collaboration between Housing Works and Hudson Companies, with support from New York City's Department of Housing Preservation (HPD) and the MTA.
In April, Hudson Companies and Housing Works closed on a $119 million financing round with backing from Webster Bank, Merchants Capital, and Red Stone Equity Partners, as well as city funding and contributions from City Councilman Eric Bottcher (D-Manhattan) and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levin. Construction is expected to be completed by 2026.
The CetraRuddy-designed development will include retail space along 9th Avenue, 30,000 square feet of offices for the MTA, and most importantly, 100% affordable apartments: 44 of the 112 coveted permanent affordable housing units are designated for families earning between 30% and 120% of the area median income.
67 units are set aside for formerly homeless people, including 59 units set aside for long-term HIV/AIDS survivors who were formerly homeless.
According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Hell's Kitchen has the highest concentration of HIV/AIDS people in the city, having the fifth highest number of new HIV infections in New York City in 2019 and the second highest number of new HIV infections in Manhattan that same year.
Housing Works provides on-site case management and specialty programs, and residents at The Lirio can also receive HIV-specific primary and behavioral care at Housing Work's Federally Qualified Health Center on West 48th Street.
Additionally, the new building is targeting Passive House standards, the world’s leading benchmark for energy-efficient construction, and LEED Gold certification, meaning the building is sustainably designed and operated.
Hudson Companies President David Kramer called the groundbreaking a “pivotal moment” that will address a variety of needs in the community.
“Construction has officially begun and we look forward to welcoming new residents soon and building on the rich history of the surrounding area. We are incredibly grateful to our partners in making this happen today, including the MTA, HPD, Webster Bank, Merchants Capital, Red Stone Equity Partners, City Council Member Eric Bottcher and Borough President Mark Levin,” said Cramer.
Andrew Comey, Housing Works' senior vice president of housing and executive director of Bailey House, said Housing Works is excited to develop a new building in the heart of New York City and provide safe, beautiful, affordable and amenity-rich housing for rent-burdened families and individuals.
“We hope Lirio serves as a model for what can be accomplished when housing developers, city government, agencies and communities like Hell's Kitchen work together to provide solutions to these challenges,” Comey said.
City Councilman Eric Bottcher said he is “thrilled” to see construction begin on The Lirio and bring 112 units of affordable housing to Hell's Kitchen.
“This transformative project will not only address the area's housing needs, but will also provide local retail and services to some of New Yorkers' most vulnerable,” Bottcher said.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said Lirio's groundbreaking comes at an opportune time as the city seeks to lower rents and build more housing across the city to overcome the housing crisis.
“Today, we celebrate the start of construction on 112 units of much-needed permanent affordable housing, neighborhood retail and MTA office space, and I want to thank The Hudson Company, Housing Works, Community Board 4 and the MTA for their tireless work in making this building a reality,” Levin said.
