Revenue From Congestion Relief Zone Will Be Used To Fund Accessibility Project; Delancey St-Essex St. Station Complex To Be Fully ADA Compliant and Accessible
Estimated 99-Unit Mixed-Income Housing Development Proceeding; Will Boost Essex Crossing Redevelopment to 1,100 Units and 550 Affordable Homes
Video of Event Available Here
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Governor Kathy Hochul, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Delancey Street Associates today announced the commencement of projects to make the Delancey St–Essex St Station complex accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and to develop mixed-income housing on the former site of the Essex Market.
“Making the Delancey St-Essex St station complex fully accessible with an affordable housing development at Essex Crossing is possible with the revenue from congestion pricing — a program that will put the proceeds toward New Yorkers’ needs,” Governor Hochul said. “We are committed to creating a more accessible and more affordable New York with improvement plans that are focused on bettering opportunities and the transit customer experience for riders.”
Delancey Street Associates will construct a 99 unit mixed-income housing complex and provide an easement to the MTA to allow the construction of an elevator connecting the northeast corner of Delancey and Essex Streets to the Delancey–Essex station complex. The MTA announced that it is commencing design on that elevator and a comprehensive set of accessibility upgrades needed to make the station complex fully ADA-accessible. This will include three elevators to ensure that all connections and transfers within the station can be made step-free.
These accessibility improvements will be supported by proceeds from the Congestion Relief Zone. The project is included in the MTA’s 2020-24 Capital Plan. Delancey St–Essex St Station serves 68,000 riders per day.
With the project proceeding, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and Delancey Street Associates will enter into a binding agreement and advance the new station entrance design. Delancey Street Associates expects to start construction in 2026 on 99 mixed income units of housing.
Delancey Street Associates’ proposed building will rise at the site of the former Essex Street Market building, also known as Essex Crossing’s Site 9. Essex Crossing is the result of a successful collaboration between the local community, the City – through NYCEDC and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development — Manhattan Community Board 3, and Delancey Street Associates. The project, which originally received ULURP approval in 2012, has delivered a new home for Essex Street Market, 175,000 square feet of retail space, 64,000 square feet of community space, and with Site 9, will deliver approximately 1,100 units of housing overall, 50 percent of which will be affordable.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “The MTA is making subway stations accessible at five times the pace of previous administrations. Every New Yorker — seniors, young families with strollers, people with disabilities — need to be able to get to jobs, school, shopping and everything else the City has to offer, so I’m thrilled NYCEDC and Delancey Street Associates were able to figure out a deal so we can move forward on this long overdue project.”
MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, “This announcement demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering better, more accessible transit. This subway complex will soon be an accessible hub for the Lower East Side and everyone who benefits from this redevelopment.”
MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo said, “Delancey-Essex is at the heart of the Lower East Side, and ensuring the complex is accessible will open up new trips for thousands of people, including seniors, caregivers with strollers and people with disabilities. It is great to see projects moving forward with funding from Congestion Relief, and fantastic that it will be paired with affordable housing units right at the station.”
New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball said, “The Delancey-Essex subway station's accessibility upgrades will spur forward the Essex Crossing project, which continues to transform the area into a dynamic, mixed-use hub for economic opportunity and growth. After more than a decade since the project's initial approval, today's announcement by the MTA — in partnership with NYCEDC and Delancey Street Associates — is a testament to this Administration's commitment to delivering on past promises, addressing our city's housing challenges, and meeting the needs of New Yorkers.”
Representative Dan Goldman said, "I'm thrilled that the MTA is moving forward with the long-awaited work to create a fully accessible station at Delancey St.-Essex St. Accessible public transit is essential to New York City's infrastructure and must be made available to all New Yorkers. My colleagues and I have pushed this project forward and we finally are seeing the progress that prioritizes vital accessibility improvements."
State Senator Brian Kavanagh said, "We have worked long and hard to secure the funding for this essential project and to ensure that all parties remained committed to the process of figuring out how to get the necessary construction done in such a crowded space. I’m thrilled to join in announcing this major victory for our seniors, residents with disabilities, families with strollers, all who rely on this critical transit hub, and every New Yorker who cares about equitable access to our public transit system. I thank the MTA, NYCEDC, Delancey Street Associates, my colleagues in elected office, and the many local leaders and advocates who fought relentlessly to make both accessible transit and accessible affordable housing a reality here. The Lower East Side deserves nothing less."
Assemblymember Grace Lee said, “Building elevators isn’t just about infrastructure, it’s about dignity, independence, and equitable access to resources. I’m grateful that after years of advocacy from elected officials and community members we are finally seeing progress as the MTA moves forward with the accessibility of the station at Delancey St-Essex St.”
Council Member Carlina Rivera said, “We must work with urgency to upgrade our subway infrastructure, and congestion pricing gives us the dedicated funding we need to make critical investments happen. Work to make the Delancey St-Essex St Station fully accessible will greatly benefit all residents, but especially older adults, parents with strollers, and New Yorkers with disabilities. By improving our transit system, we are ensuring a safer, healthier, and more connected city for everyone.”
Council Member Christopher Marte said, "I have long advocated for improvements to the Delancey St - Essex St Station, and I’m thrilled to see this important project finally moving forward. This station is a vital hub that connects four subway lines and is one of the few accessible stations in the area. Making it fully accessible is not only crucial for the mobility of our community, but especially for the senior population in Lower Manhattan who rely on public transportation to stay connected. I’m proud to see this project advancing and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our neighborhood."