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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 24, 2023
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov | (212) 306-3322

Residents Select PACT Partner Team to Perform $246 Million in Capital Repairs for Nearly 1,500 Residents at Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue

The two developments contain 684 apartment units across four buildings

NYCHA and resident leaders selected Mega Group Development and Brisa Builders to complete comprehensive repairs at the developments

NEW YORK - The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) today announced that capital repairs totaling $246 million will be addressed for nearly 1,500 residents living at Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue through the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, significantly improving living conditions at the developments. Following months of review and engagement with residents, NYCHA and a Resident Review Committee have selected Mega Group Development and Brisa Builders to provide comprehensive repairs to 684 apartments across four buildings at the two Bronx developments. Mega Group Development and Brisa Builders Development, a Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE), will serve as co-developers. Mega Contracting Group will be the general contractor, and Cornell Pace will manage the properties after they convert to Project-Based Section 8.

The PACT partners will spend the coming months conducting apartment and building assessments and collaborating with residents to develop rehabilitation, property management, and social service plans. Construction will begin in 2024.The partner team is committed to hiring NYCHA residents under the Section 3 program once they start construction. A non-profit social service provider will be identified by residents to provide both developments with dedicated on-site services and programs.

"NYCHA tenants deserve quality homes, and these critical improvements to Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue will make that dream a reality," said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. "Thank you to NYCHA, PACT development partners Mega Group and Brisa Builders, and, most importantly, the Resident Review Committee for working together to deliver comprehensive renovations and jobs for NYCHA tenants that will transform the lives of thousands of residents.”

"This is a tremendous step forward for the residents of Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Not only will they receive comprehensive upgrades to their homes, such as new bathrooms and kitchens, but repairs and renovations that have been needed for some time will also be made, like roof repairs and improved building security. This will greatly improve the overall quality of life for residents of these developments.”

"Resident leaders have selected a PACT partner team that we know will deliver on our shared vision for the community,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia. “Priorities for residents, including improved security, repairs to building systems like plumbing and heating, and professional property management, will be part of a larger transformation that takes place at these developments through the PACT program.”

“The renovations made possible through this latest PACT partnership will greatly improve the lives and wellbeing of residents throughout the Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue developments,” said NYC Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “Congratulations to the teams at Brisa Builders and Mega Group. We look forward to working together to bring critical improvements to New York City’s public housing stock.”

“As someone who has been raised in this very community and later called to represent and serve it, nothing makes me happier than finally seeing my community get the attention and change it deserves," said Moore Houses Resident Association President Rosa Pinero.

“The Mega Group is grateful to NYCHA and the residents of Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue for their trust selecting our team to execute their vision for a truly transformative renovation. This renovation will create a safer and uplifting living condition for thousands of NYCHA residents. We have done this work for three decades and are committed to working with our long-standing partner Brisa Builders to continue this mission at Moore and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue,” said Principal of Mega Group Hercules Argyriou. “We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at NYCHA, NYCHA residents, our elected officials, and the entire community to deliver on this exciting project and finally give NYCHA residents the homes they deserve.”

“We are so very honored to have been chosen along with our partners Mega Group by the community of Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue, and the New York City Housing Authority, to work together with the residents in the redesign and revitalization of the built environment,” said Brisa Builders Development Chairperson and CEO Ericka Keller. “The resident leadership is truly a phenomenal team, and we look forward to joining their team and working together collaboratively along with the rest of the residents to improve the housing and living experiences for the community members of Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue.”

“Cornell Pace is extremely honored to be given the opportunity to serve the residents of Moore Houses and East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue. NYCHA’s PACT program is essential to revitalizing housing for so many New Yorkers and we are humbled by this opportunity,” said Cornell Pace Inc. Principal Nicholas Lindsay-Jones. “Cornell Pace has always believed that high-quality, safe affordable housing is a fundamental right, and we know that between the residents, our partners at Mega and Brisa, as well as NYCHA we can deliver that.”

The selected PACT partners will provide residents at the two developments with comprehensive apartment upgrades, including new bathrooms and kitchens, appliances, flooring, interior doors, windows, and kitchen cabinets, as well as fresh paint throughout each apartment. Common area upgrades will include modernized lobbies, elevator upgrades, new laundry rooms, security camera installation, and a secure package and mail room, among other tenant amenities.

Each of the four buildings will see a host of renovations and repairs, including façade work, interior insulation, roof repair or replacement, enhanced building security, and new, high-performance windows. Building heating, cooling, and domestic hot water systems will be modernized, and ventilation will be upgraded throughout the buildings to improve indoor air quality. Other upgrades will include the renovation of two senior centers and reactivation of outdoor spaces with new gardening and seating areas, as well as improved lighting.

The PACT partner team was selected in part for their extensive experience with affordable housing, including Mega Contracting Group’s work with NYCHA on Randolph Houses and OCV Architects’ work on the renovation and design of thousands of affordable units in New York City, including the Ocean Bay PACT project.

Mega Group is a full-service development, construction management, and general contracting firm with 30 years of building experience in neighborhoods across New York City and the greater metropolitan region. Mega’s mission is to build and preserve high-quality housing for all regardless of where someone lives or how much they earn. As a vertically -integrated builder and developer, Mega offers a one-stop-shop of develop-design-build services that results in high-quality results. Mega has built or renovated more than 9,000+ apartment homes, and their work can be seen across the region in projects ranging from NYCHA renovations and high-rise apartment buildings, to commercial buildings, landmark rehabilitation projects, schools, and public infrastructure. Mega will also serve as the project’s general contractor and will oversee and complete all construction activities.

Brisa Builders Development LLC was founded by the late Thomas B. Keller and Lilly Woodyard Keller; the couple together developed and constructed federally funded senior housing referred to as the HUD 202 program with faith-based sponsors. Brisa Builders Development LLC has continued this robust background in partnering with faith-based organizations to develop affordable housing, with notable projects such as the development of Ebenezer Plaza in Brownsville, Bishop Philius and Helene Nicolas Senior Residences in East Flatbush, and Grace’s Place in Far Rockaway, bringing more than 1,150 units of affordable housing to New York City.

Cornell Pace Inc. (CPI) is a property management firm with over 30 years of experience operating affordable housing in New York City. CPI will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the properties and will manage waste collection, grounds keeping, common area cleaning and maintenance, rent collection, internal reporting, leasing, and overall maintenance for the properties. CPI has a long and proven history of managing large portfolios of affordable housing and NYCHA developments. With just over 7,000 units under management in New York City and surrounding counties, the company employs sophisticated management practices to realize efficient cost control, high- quality maintenance, and resident satisfaction.

The PACT program transitions developments from traditional public housing assistance to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program — unlocking funding for designated PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs. Overall, 138 NYCHA developments (representing over 37,000 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. The Authority is on track to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive apartment repairs and building upgrades, as well as enhanced property management and social services, to more than 142,000 residents. The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), New York City’s municipal Housing Finance Agency, is the key financing partner for PACT. In addition to providing or arranging the financing, HDC provides ongoing asset management and compliance support for PACT transactions.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to 1 in 17 New Yorkers, providing affordable housing to 528,105 authorized residents through public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs as well as Section 8 housing. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. In addition, NYCHA connects residents to critical programs and services from external and internal partners, with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social services. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.