The Ridge Street Apartments, a senior housing development behind St. Mary’s Church, is starting to make progress toward its full 16-story height.
The project at 145 Broome St. was undertaken by the Grand Street Guild and Catholic Homes of New York. It will include 190 studio and one-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors. Back in the 1970s, Grand Street Guild (a non-profit established by the New York Archdiocese) built three 26-story towers on parcels around St. Mary’s. More recently, the organization developed 165 Broome St., an affordable housing complex a block to the east of the current construction site.
In a press release put out by the city a year ago, completion of the project was envisioned by the beginning of 2028. Signage on the construction fencing, however, anticipates a fall of 2027 completion timeframe.
The project is part of the City of New York’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) program. The development team says 30% of the apartments will be available for formerly homeless seniors age 55 and older. The total development budget was expected to be $176 million. On-site social services will be provided by Catholic Charities Community Services.
This past spring, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designated St. Mary’s Church as an individual landmark. But the designation did not include an adjoining parcel where the church’s vacant rectory building and a parking lot are located. So it’s possible more development around the church could come to fruition sometime in the future.
