Confirmed: Yolanda’s Restaurant to Become Market-Rate Apartments; Rendering Revealed

Just days after Melrose was declared one of NYC’s hottest neighborhoods for 2019, a developer has confirmed that they’re bringing market-rate rentals to the area where Yolanda’s Restaurant currently stands on 149th Street.

After we did some further research, it appears that the bulk of the building will be constructed at 148th Street on what is currently a parking lot also owned by the owners of Yolanda’s Restaurant and the building will have an address on the other side of the block at 149th Street.

Rendering of 290 E 149th Street

The owners of Yolanda’s have been very tight-lipped and have not disclosed whether or not they are in the process of selling the properties or simply partnering with Omnibuild, the developer on public records and as reported by The Real Deal.

A few more details have also been revealed besides the fact that the 124 units will be market-rate, there will be roughly 21,000 square feet of retail, greens paces, some units will have terraces, a couple of lounges for tenants, and 20,000 square feet of outdoor space also for tenant use.

The development will go from 149th Street to 148th Street with the bulk of the construction along 148th Street which is currently occupied by a parking lot owned by the owners of Yolanda’s Restaurant.

The property is located half a block from Lincoln Hospital and sits between 149th Street and Grand Concourse on the 2/4/5 lines and 3rd Avenue/149th Street on the 2/5 line both two blocks away and a five minute walk.

If the owners of Yolanda’s still control the property there is a chance that they may return to the new building but none of this has been confirmed or even mentioned.

No set date as to when the buildings will be demolished to make way for the 8-story market-rate development.

So while the restaurant isn’t being displaced because of a greedy landlord, it’s still gentrification when they want to bring market-rate housing into an area where there is a far greater need for truly affordable housing.

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.