River Park Towers facts for kids
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River Park Towers or the Harlem River Park Towers are two 38-story, and two 44-story residential buildings in the Bronx, New York City. Completed in 1975, they became the tallest buildings in the borough, ahead of Tracey Towers and the multiple high-rises encompassing Co-op City. Currently, no other building in the Bronx has exceeded this height. Designed by Davis, Brody & Associates, both buildings were built with the intention to provide affordable, yet somewhat modern housing to the working class.
Construction
In 1955, the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program was signed into law. This program encouraged subsidized housing and many such projects sprung up throughout the city and state. With companies created to specialize is such projects, loans of around 90% to 95% of each project cost was given. In addition, state bonds with low interest rates allowed rents to be effectively be cut, while being adding modern amenities to the buildings built. This allowed the River Park Towers, two modern skyscrapers to be constructed while supporting middle-income tenants.
The area purchased (yet at a very low price) was industrial, with the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line, the Major Deegan Expressway, and the Harlem River for transportation. The land is not far from other high-rises, albeit far taller in height than its companions. The towers are located in Morris Heights, a residential neighborhood in the Bronx, at 10, 20, 30, and 40 Richman Plaza. The Towers were sponsored by the New York State Urban Development Corporation, a public agency created by the act of the same name in 1968. Due to this sponsorship, work could commence here. The towers were completed in 1975.
"Death towers"
The COVID-19 pandemic struck hard in working-class neighborhoods in the Bronx, and it especially affected dense low-income housing. Many River Park residents work in occupations such as home health aides, grocery clerks, delivery men, pharmacists, and first respondents, often without the protection of health insurance, paid sick time, or unions. As these occupations were often considered "essential workers," it meant many residents were exposed to COVID-19. By May 2020 it was estimated that "as many as 100 residents" of River Park Towers had contracted with the virus, earning it the nickname "death towers" in the press.
