Supportive and Affordable Housing for the Hell's Kitchen Community
About the Lirio
The Lirio will provide 112 units of much needed permanently affordable housing in Hell’s Kitchen, at the corner of 54th Street and 9th Avenue. This will include 67 units of housing for formerly homeless individuals — of which 59 units will be supportive housing units targeted for long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS — and 44 units of affordable housing for families. The Lirio will also include an approx. 30,000 SF MTA office space as well as over approx. 9,000 SF of retail space on 9th Avenue. The Lirio is designed by CetraRuddy and will target Passive House standards.
For decades, Hell’s Kitchen has been a community where neighbors have stood up and fought for each other’s rights and committed civic leaders have made a real and lasting difference. It is also a neighborhood with mounting pressures, including the threat of escalating rents. In addition, Hell’s Kitchen continues to disproportionately struggle with the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic: it is the neighborhood with the highest concentration of residents living with HIV and AIDS in New York City. Supportive housing, like The Lirio, is one of the critical tools needed to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic by helping individuals maintain their medical regimes. The Lirio provides a special opportunity to help bolster the resilience of Hell’s Kitchen and the long term survivor population through supportive and affordable housing.
Inspired by the oldest living tree in New York City, the “Queens Giant” tulip tree (or “Liriodendron”), we call the proposed development “The Lirio” because despite living through a radically changed landscape, the Liriodendron continues to thrive. The great tree, with its deep roots, embodies the spirit of a community that persists against great odds and the spirit of the long-term survivors our proposed building seeks to honor and support with permanent housing.
The Lirio is designed by award-winning, international architecture firm, CetraRuddy. Consisting of masonry and punched windows, The Lirio is designed to complement the surrounding Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.
Our Objectives
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Respond to the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic by building stable and secure permanent housing targeted for long term survivors in a neighborhood with the highest concentration of residents living with HIV/AIDS in New York City.
AFFORDABILITY
Build quality, affordable housing in a neighborhood facing mounting pressures of rent escalation.
NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITY
Activate the ground floor commercial space to provide a neighborhood amenity.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Build to the highest level of energy efficiency by targeting Passive House standards.
THOUGHTFUL DESIGN
Build a thoughtfully designed, contextual apartment building which complements the existing neighborhood fabric.
FAQ
According to the most recent data, people 50 years and older make up the highest concentration of people living with HIV in New York City. Hell’s Kitchen not only has the highest concentration of existing members of the community living with HIV/AIDS, but it was also the fifth highest neighborhood for new HIV infections in New York City in 2019, and the second highest neighborhood for new HIV infections in Manhattan the same year.
An increased supply of supportive housing is one of the critical tools needed to end the AIDS epidemic. Stable and affordable housing has been found to be the keystone to helping people with HIV stay on their medical regimes and get to “zero detectability”, which improves the individual’s health and also makes the virus untransmittable. For those who are homeless, in unstable housing situations, or who are simultaneously struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues a consistent medical regimen is nearly impossible to achieve.
The Lirio is an opportunity to respond to Hell’s Kitchen’s disproportionate struggle with HIV/AIDS by providing permanent, supportive housing in the community where many long-term survivors already live.
The Lirio will include approximately 30,000 SF of office space adjacent Rail Control Center (RCC), which is the nerve center of the subway system. Some employees will be relocated from the RCC to The Lirio to rebalance space to accommodate new technologies and additional assigned staff.
Events
14 June 2022
30 September 2021
Manhattan Community Board 4 Land Use Committee Meeting
6:30 – 9:30PM
12 January 2022
Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen Land Use Committee (CHKLU)
6:30 – 9:30PM
Call-In Number: (646) 518-9805
Webinar ID: 961 7200 0913
17 February 2022
Manhattan Community Board 4 Housing, Health & Human Services Meeting
6:30pm -9:30pm
2 March 2022
27 April 2022
City Planning Commission Public Meeting
10am
The Team
The Hudson Companies Inc. and Housing Works were designated to develop The Lirio in 2019.
Hudson
Hudson is a full-service real estate development firm, with a hands-on approach. Founded in 1986, Hudson develops housing for everyone, from the formerly homeless to those in reach of luxury homeownership. From townhouse to high rise, we have touched all housing typologies. Hudson has also developed a quarter million square feet of commercial space, which includes over 100 neighborhood stores. Across its portfolio, Hudson is committed to environmental sustainability. Hudson has set and broken multiple sustainability thresholds, including the development of the largest Passive Housing building in the world (The House at Cornell Tech, Roosevelt Island, 2017).
Housing Works
Housing Works was founded in 1990 to provide permanent supportive housing for those living with HIV/AIDS. They currently operate 700+ units of housing for formerly homeless individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, serious mental illness, substance use disorders and Veterans. They also own and manage 12 congregate PSH facilities across the city and 6 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. Housing Works operates a successful thrift store enterprise which supports their mission.