A new 17-story mixed-use tower is on the drawing board for 489 East 152nd Street in Melrose, the Bronx, with permits filed to bring roughly 195 apartments and a sizable chunk of commercial space to the block between Third Avenue and Bergen Avenue.
Project details
The proposed building would climb about 155 feet and span roughly 176,102 square feet. Plans call for about 92,201 square feet of residential space, 83,537 square feet for commercial use and 364 square feet reserved for a community facility. The filing outlines 195 residences with an average unit size of around 472 square feet, a concrete-based structure with a cellar and 23 enclosed parking spaces. The applications list architect Nikolai Katz as architect of record and Joel Steinmetz of Lead It Builders LLC as the owner, as reported by New York YIMBY.
Where it sits
The lot is tucked between Third Avenue and Bergen Avenue, a short walk from the Third Avenue–149 Street subway station, served by the 2 and 5 trains. That level of transit access, paired with proximity to the Hub's busy commercial corridors, has kept developers circling this stretch of East 152nd Street, according to Wikipedia.
The team behind the filing
The permits name Joel Steinmetz of Lead It Builders LLC as owner and Nikolai Katz Architect as the project's architect of record. Steinmetz and Lead It Builders have appeared on other Bronx filings this year, including a 13-story proposal at 3065 Barker Avenue, suggesting the developer is quietly assembling a local pipeline of mid-rise projects, as noted by New York YIMBY.
Why it matters
The permit application lands at a moment when public investment is also flowing into the area. NYCHA closed on $349 million in PACT financing in May to renovate Moore Houses and East 152nd Street–Courtlandt Avenue, including electrification and major upgrades. Officials say those public projects will reshape parts of the corridor and could influence private redevelopment pressure and retail demand near the Hub, per a press release from NYCHA.
What’s next
The permits are currently at the application stage and no construction timeline has been announced yet. Neighbors and local watchers can track progress through the Department of Buildings' online tools, including the Buildings Information System and Accela Citizen Access, to monitor new filings, inspections and any demolition or construction permits tied to the site.
