Former East Harlem college dorm and migrant shelter to become 433 affordable homes
Streetview of 1760 Third Avenue, Map data © 2024 Google
A former college dormitory in East Harlem that also served as temporary shelter for migrants will become an affordable housing development. Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced construction kicked off at 1760 Third Avenue, a 19-story building that once operated as student housing for CUNY and later housed hundreds of asylum seekers. Developed by Breaking Ground and designed by Dattener Architects, the project includes renovating and converting the building into 433 supportive and affordable homes, including 261 units reserved for individuals with mental illness. This marks the first supportive housing project funded under Hochul’s landmark $1 billion mental health initiative.
The $264 million project will repurpose the former dormitory, which previously housed Hunter and Baruch College students, into affordable housing. In June 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to open a humanitarian relief center at 1760 Third Avenue for 500 families with children seeking asylum.
The city closed the shelter this past fall. Breaking Ground had been in talks to purchase the property since 2022, but delayed the acquisition when the city proposed turning the site into a temporary migrant shelter.
The new building will be open to households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income and will provide on-site supportive services by Breaking Ground.
The project will also include a portion of units for young adults aging out of foster care or who have experienced homelessness. On-site services include case management, medical and mental health care, benefits and entitlement counseling, and employment connections.
“This $264 million development is a testament to the power of innovation in addressing New York’s housing crisis. By transforming this former college dorm into affordable and supportive homes, we can provide security, stability, and a way forward for more than 430 individuals, families, and young people in need,” HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said.
Renovations to the building will add sustainable features, such as energy-efficient rooftop air conditioners and hydronic heating system pumps that use water instead of air to transfer heat. The building will also utilize water-conserving plumbing, efficient lighting, vegetative roofs, and Energy Star refrigerators to promote cleaner living.
Outdoor spaces along Third Avenue will also be transformed to create public-facing areas with landscaping, seating, and community-focused spaces. The landscaped area has been designed to “redefine” the street edge and link disparate existing exterior elements within the “heavy building setback” according to Dattner Architects.
The design also integrates the green space along the public right of way to enhance entry circulation and wayfinding. This design creates a “transitionary zone” between the street and the residential entrance while providing an exterior amenity space for residents to enjoy passive recreation.
Constructed in 1870 as the Florence Nightingale Nursing Center, the building—designed in the Brutalist style by William N. Breger Associates—was renovated in 2008 to serve as a college dormitory.
According to the architects, the building’s bold Brutalist exterior required a thoughtful and respectful approach to designing its new public and amenities spaces.
“The new interiors recall the Brutalist style, while infusing it with a more contemporary and sustainable take; we explored design cues using strong geometric forms, carved ‘portal’ spaces and volumes, clean lines, modular elements, and patterns focusing on repetition and texture,” the firm described on their website.
The project received $75 million in funding from the state’s Division of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), along with a $24.6 million first mortgage through a 501(c)(3) bond from its Housing Finance Agency.
Over the past five years, HCR has financed nearly 6,000 affordable homes in Manhattan. The redevelopment of 1760 Third Avenue is part of this ongoing effort and aligns with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan, which aims to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes across the state.
The State Office of Mental Health contributed $21 million through Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $1 billion mental health initiative, which allocated funding to create 3,500 specialized housing units. So far the initiative has led to the creation of nearly 1,300 new units, including supportive housing and apartment treatment units, with an additional 2,150 capital housing units currently in production.
The project also secured $10 million through the state’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, along with a $2 million discretionary capital grant from Councilmember Diana Ayala for Fiscal Year 2024.
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