Massive South Bronx Development Reaches Milestone

Rising at The Hub in Melrose, the massive La Central mixed-use development has reached a new milestone as two of its buildings have topped out.

Scheduled to be completed July 2020, the two buildings will provide 496 units of “affordable” housing and will be the home of a new 50,000 square foot YMCA and also another television studio for BronxNet.

Meanwhile, the first building at La Central is scheduled to open next month with 160 residential units.

There are still two more buildings which have yet two break ground including a 25 story residential tower which will feature an astronomy lab on the rooftop.

626 Bergen (left) is the first of 5 buildings at La Central to be completed and occupancy is scheduled to begin next month.

Once complete, the entire development will provide 992 residential units of housing making it the largest residential development in Melrose to date in recent in decades and will also set aside a percentage of unit as permanently affordable under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) rezoning.

La Central has already altered the face of The Hub especially as you come down the 2 and 5 train downtown.

Construction of the entire development is still years away with a scheduled date of 2023.

How will this impact The Hub which is already rapidly changing with even a Starbucks coming in?

  • Rendering of La Central
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.