Essex Crossing heralds a new beginning for the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area and represents a true partnership between public and private interests. L+M, BFC Development Partners and Taconic Investment Partners along with Grand St. Settlement were awarded the sites after a competitive RFP process in 2013.  Construction is complete on seven of the nine parcels.  The entire project is projected to be over 1.9 million square feet with the last two parcels expected to be completed by 2024.

The project, which is located at the intersection of Delancey Street and Essex Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, will include 1,079 units of residential rental and for-sale housing, of which over 50% will be permanently affordable to a wide range of incomes, including over 192 units set aside for seniors. Essex Crossing will also include a preference for residents that were displaced from the development over 50 years ago. When complete, the $1.5 billion project will include over 700,000 square feet of commercial space, 350,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of community and cultural facility space, and 100,000 square feet of exterior and interior green space, including a new public park. Completed projects include Frances Goldin Senior Apartments, One Essex Crossing, The Artisan, The Essex, The Rollins, 140 Essex and 242 Broome.

Key commercial users include NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Center, Trader Joe’s, Target, the Gutter Bowling, Regal Cinemas, a new and expanded Essex Street Market and The Market Line. The Market Line will be one of the largest markets in the world. Designed with soaring ceilings and elevated gardens, The Market Line will be home to more than 100 micro-retail vendors celebrating the rich diversity and unique energy of New York City. When complete, The Market Line will span three city blocks connecting three sites.

Key community facility uses include a new senior center run by Grand St. Settlement, Henry Street Settlement’s Workforce Development Center, and an early childhood education center operated by the Chinese-American Planning Council. In addition, Essex Crossing is home to the newly integrated International Center of Photography, bringing together its exhibition and educational facilities under one roof for the first time in twenty years.