New apartments planned for Henry Hudson Parkway

By MIAWLING LAM

Three houses will be demolished and could be replaced
with a seven-story apartment building

Three local residential houses will be completely demolished to make way for a new seven-story apartment residence, the Riverdale Review can reveal.
Excavation crews are slated to begin razing the row of two-story homes, located at 2727-2737 Henry Hudson Parkway, on Thursday, October 25.
According to filings with the New York City Department of Buildings, a developer plans to build a new 56-unit residential building with 45 enclosed parking spaces on site.
The project, an as-of-right development, does not require community-board approval.
The plan is still going through other approvals processes, but if given the green light, it will be the first multi-unit apartment residence to begin construction in Riverdale since the economy bottomed out.
Demolition crews began erecting a safety fence on the Henry Hudson Parkway side last Thursday, with one worker confirming the redevelopment plans.
“Once we have all the fencing up, we’ll start bringing the machinery in and start getting the work done,” he said, adding that a temporary fence will also be built at the rear of the site.
The employee said the demolition “shouldn’t take that long,” but declined to provide a more specific timeframe or estimated completion date.
Published reports indicate that HH Realty purchased the 0.47-acre lot for $2.875 million in an all-cash deal in April 2012.
As of press time, Shay Zach of Itzhaki Properties, the broker who represented both the buyer and seller, did not return a call for comment.





Riverdale resident Margaret Doddy, who has lived at 2736 Independence Avenue for 30 years, said she had mixed feelings about the planned development.

She praised the developers for reaching out to residents and keeping them informed but said she was disappointed that several towering trees would be removed.
“I’m heartbroken that all these beautiful trees are going,” she said. “I am going to miss seeing the trees from my window, and so are a lot of my neighbors.”
When the Riverdale Review contacted Afshari PC, the Long Island-based architectural firm that filed the application, a spokesman declined to elaborate on the plans.
“I cannot provide you with any more information until the plan is approved,” he said. However, he confirmed that the demolition work has been approved and would proceed as planned.
To allay fears of local residents, signs posted at the construction site suggest that workers with Metro Industrial Wrecking and Environmental Contractors would minimize the spread of debris.
“All materials will be wetted down prior to disturbance and during the demolition process,” one of the signs posted on the temporary fencing reads. “Demolition debris will be periodically wetted down to prevent matter to become airborne.”
Community Board 8 land use chairman Charles Moerdler said rumors have been swirling for years about the planned development of the site.
“At one point, they had a sign posted that the three houses were for sale for an approved development,” he said.
“The matter did come to CB8 when the then-owner tried to demolish without permits and DOB shut that effort down.”
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said although he hated seeing private homes knocked down in favor of high-density dwellings, he welcomed news of the project.
“It’s a vote of confidence in the economy and a vote of confidence in our neighborhood,” he said.