Edenwald Houses senior center reopens in the Bronx after 25 years

Mayor Zohran Mamdani reopened the long-shuttered senior center at Edenwald Houses, NYCHA's largest Bronx development, along with a renovated community center and child care center serving nearly 5,000 residents.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday cut the ribbon on the reopened community, senior and child care centers at Edenwald Houses, the largest New York City Housing Authority development in the Bronx. Residents had fought for about 25 years to bring back their senior center.

The entrance of the Edenwald Houses Community Center in the Bronx

"Now, we are delivering," Mamdani said, calling the project part of the city's "broader commitment to invest in public housing." He was joined by Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg and NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt.

Senior center named for tenant leader

The senior center was named in honor of Walter J. McNeill, the longtime president of the Edenwald Tenant Association. "Seeing them regain that space is the proudest moment of my 33 years as Tenant Association president," McNeill said.

The restored senior center includes a commercial kitchen, event space, a computer lab and expanded social services, with meals and transportation provided by the nonprofit R.A.I.N. The community center, run by Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, will offer youth programs, while the Susan Wagner Day Care received a new outdoor play area, accessibility upgrades and full lead paint abatement.

Mamdani and officials tour Edenwald Houses

Part of a $783 million overhaul

Renovating the community and senior centers cost $8.1 million, part of a $783 million modernization of the 2,035-apartment development carried out under NYCHA's PACT program by Camber Property Group, Henge Development and SAA | EVI. The work includes lead paint removal, mold remediation, heating and cooling upgrades, enhanced security, new apartment interiors and free development-wide Wi-Fi.

"NYCHA communities deserve welcoming spaces where residents of all ages can connect, grow, and thrive," Bova-Hiatt said. Mamdani said the city would continue to fight for the investment that all NYCHA residents need.

Edenwald Houses senior center reopens in the Bronx after 25 years