BFJ Planning studied the rezoning action for the Carmen Villegas Apartments Environmental Assessment Statement prepared in accordance with the New York City Environmental Review (CEQR) procedures. Following, BFJ Planning prepared an Environmental Assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act. BFJ was retained by the development team, a partnership between Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation, Xylem Projects, and Urban Builders Collaborative. The project also included a request for funding through the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and project-based vouchers through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Carmen Villegas will be a new 28-story, affordable senior building, containing 211 units in East Harlem. The project sets aside 30% of the units for formerly homeless seniors with incomes at or below 30% area median income (AMI), 70% of units for Independent Residence for Seniors (AIRS) at income levels at or below 80% AMI, and one superintendent unit. Under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH), 25‐30% of total units will be affordable at an average of 60‐80% AMI. The building will contain community facility space on the first and second floors, an open corridor providing space for outdoor programming, and a landscaped terrace on the sixth floor that is envisioned to connect to the existing Casita Park senior building next door, providing outdoor space to all tenants.

The building will be built to Enterprise Green Communities standards and will incorporate sustainable features in pursuit of Passive House principles, such as increased insulation, airtight construction to maintain interior temperature and air‐quality while minimizing electrical loads, and solar panels. The building will also incorporate flood resiliency measures, such as elevating critical mechanical systems and the lobby vestibule with ramping above the sea level rise‐adjusted design flood elevation and incorporating a subgrade stormwater retention tank. The building’s heating, cooling and domestic hot water would all be electric using a ground source (geothermal) heat pump system.