A six-story Bronx building at 1605 Nelson Avenue that once housed an 81-unit homeless shelter could be rebuilt with a new seventh floor and roughly 148 affordable apartments. Bronx Community Board 5 holds a public hearing on the plan Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is asking for approval to dispose of the city-owned property so a developer can carry out what the notice calls a “substantial rehabilitation.”
What the plan does
The building is six stories today. The proposal adds a seventh floor.
When it’s done, the notice says, the building would hold approximately 148 affordable units plus one apartment for a superintendent. That is nearly double the 81 shelter units it held before.
The application, HPD 270002 PPX, is moving through ELURP, HPD’s expedited land-use review track for city-owned sites. The project file is posted on the city’s Zoning Application Portal under project 2027X0226.
What the notice does not say
The notice does not name a developer or nonprofit partner. It gives no income levels or rent ranges for the “affordable” units, and no unit-size mix.
It also says nothing about a construction timeline, project cost or public subsidy. Nor does it say when the shelter closed or where its residents went.
Those are fair questions for the hearing, which takes place before the board’s general meeting.
📅 Wednesday, November 18, 2026
🕐 5:00 p.m. (before the General Board Meeting)
📍 Davidson Community Center, 2038 Davidson Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453
📞 To testify or request accessibility accommodations: 718-364-2030
📧 Written testimony: bx05@cb.nyc.gov
⏰ Written testimony due Monday, November 16, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
Tip about a hearing or contract in your neighborhood? howard@nycinfocus.com
Details as filed. Verify times and locations before attending.
