October 30, 2014

Ground Breaking: Bronx River House

In Starlight Park, Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora joined NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and other elected officials to break ground on the new Bronx River House. With an environmentally-friendly design, the new facility will provide exciting new public amenities, adding to the continuous greenway built along the Bronx River. When complete, it will be the headquarters for the Bronx River Alliance.

Designed by Kiss + Cathcart Architects, this new facility marks a turning point in reclaiming the Bronx River, an area once considered a dumping ground. The new Bronx River House will feature 7,000 square feet with a nature classroom and a multipurpose community room. Sustainability will be a priority in the building’s energy efficient and water conservation features: a ground source heat pump with radiant floor heating, photovoltaic panels on the roof, and a rainwater harvesting system.

“This innovative building will be a great addition to Starlight Park and aid the staff of the Bronx River Greenway Alliance with the restoration of the Bronx River,” said DDC Commissioner Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora. “The building will have a minimal impact on the surrounding environment with a geothermal system to heat and cool the building and was designed with a vegetative wall which will provide shade for the building in the summer to keep it cool while also allowing sunlight in during the winter to heat the building.”