Mulford Corporation and The Community Builders
for Groundbreaking of Willow at The Ridgeway
Milestone Project is Final Phase of Transformative Redevelopment of Former Cottage Place Gardens Public Housing Complex into a Mixed-Income Community
YONKERS, NY– (June 25, 2025) – In a historic milestone that was 15 years in the making, officials fromthe City of Yonkers, New York State, Westchester County, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the NYS Homes and Community Renewal today joined with the Mulford Corporation, The Community Builders (TCB) and Yonkers Housing Authority to celebrate the groundbreaking for Willow at The Ridgeway. It is the sixth and final phase of the transformative redevelopment of the former Cottage Place Gardens public housing complex into a mixed-income community of choice.
Located at 23 Bishop W.J. Walls Place, Willow at The Ridgeway will replace three vacant public housing buildings with a new 8-story, all-electric, 100% affordable building with 92 units for seniors. The unit mix includes 85 one-bedroom units and seven two-bedroom units, with average unit sizes of 550 and 800 square feet, respectively. Thirty-one units are reserved for households at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 29 units are reserved for households at or below 50% AMI, and 32 units are reserved for households at or below 60% AMI. All apartments will be designed for an aging population and reserved for seniors referred from the Yonkers Housing Authority Section 8 waitlist.
“Today’s historic groundbreaking continues the ongoing and remarkable transformation of our city’s affordable housing. Willow at The Ridgeway will provide our city’s seniors with housing that is both attractively designed as well as
energy efficient with outstanding amenities. Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to make this day a reality,” said Mayor Mike Spano.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Westchester County was proud to support Willow at The Ridgeway, a transformational project that represents the best of what can happen when government, housing leaders and community partners work together. This project was all about creating opportunity and ensuring our seniors can age with dignity in safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable homes.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “Through critical funding and support secured in part by the State Legislature, Willow at The Ridgeway is turning once-vacant sites into modern, affordable, energy efficient homes for seniors. This development will provide Yonkers’ seniors with the affordable housing they need to age in place with dignity, in the community they know and love. It is also a model for how we can continue to create affordable housing for our communities—through sustained partnership, public investment, and a shared commitment to meeting the needs of New Yorkers.”
Assemblymember Gary Pretlow said, “Breaking ground on Willow at The Ridgeway marks not just the final phase of a decade-long transformation, it marks a renewed promise to our seniors and our city. This all-electric, sustainable development reflects Yonkers’ future: inclusive, innovative, and rooted in community.”
“We are very pleased with the financial support this incredible project has received at every level of government. Willow at The Ridgeway will let our senior population age in place in an environment that is affordable and transit-oriented,” said Wilson Kimball, President & CEO of the Yonkers Housing Authority.
Jesse Batus, Senior Vice President of Development for New York and New Jersey at The Community Builders, Inc., said, “Willow at The Ridgeway reflects what’s possible when strong public partners collaborate with mission driven non-profit organizations like TCB to commit to bold, long-term investment in communities. For over a decade, we’ve been honored to work alongside the City of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, our investors and lenders, and our development partners at the Mulford Corporation and the Yonkers Housing Authority. Together, we’ve created not just high-quality, affordable homes for seniors, but a resilient, mixed-income neighborhood that will serve 500 Yonkers households for generations to come.”
Yonkers Housing Authority, TCB, and Mulford will also cultivate relationships with local partners, such as the Yonkers Office of Aging, to offer additional services
through direct referrals. Lastly, the building is transit-orientated, located near multiple bus lines and a train station serving Metro-North and Amtrak lines.
With sustainable features, the project is designed to achieve Passive House Institute US certification upon completion, delivering an extremely energy-efficient building that also maximizes the health and thermal comfort of its senior residents. By extension, the building will also achieve EPA ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction certification as well as compliance with both DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes and EPA Indoor airPLUS standards.
The building will be all-electric, except for a natural gas-powered emergency generator. A rooftop solar PV array will generate renewable energy to offset the building’s common electricity needs. Willow at The Ridgeway will also be designed to achieve Enterprise Green Communities certification upon the building’s completion. Amenities in the apartments will include free internet, air-conditioning, electric ranges, and Energy STAR appliances. The building will provide common laundry rooms on each floor, a community room, gym, and a resident terrace on the 7th floor with seating and a solar canopy.
Funding for the project is being provided by NYS Housing Finance Agency; NYS Homes and Community Renewal; State of New York Mortgage Agency; NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; NYS Empire State Development; RBC Community Investments, LLC; The Bank of New York Mellon; Westchester
County; City of Yonkers: Yonkers Housing Authority and Community Capital New York.
The Mulford Corporation: The Mulford Corporation (“Mulford”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that was formed to develop, manage and facilitate affordable housing in Yonkers, New York. Since its establishment Mulford has either developed or co-developed over 2,200 units of low income housing and has actively participated in the operation of over nineteen (19) low income properties. In addition to its development related activities, Mulford works with local organizations to provide education, arts, and supportive services to the community.
The Community Builders: The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit housing organizations, with offices located in Boston, Chicago, Columbus, New York, and Washington D.C. Since 1964, TCB has assembled over $4 billion in project financing from a wide variety of public and private sources to develop 33,000+ apartments and 430,000 sq ft of neighborhood-serving commercial space. With 14,000+ apartments in our ownership and management portfolio today, TCB is committed to the long-term success of our developments and residents. For more information visit www.tcbinc.org
Yonkers Housing Authority: Yonkers Housing Authority is the largest provider of affordable housing in the City of Yonkers and the fourth largest public housing authority in New York State. YHA has an unparalleled commitment to redeveloping, managing and administering its housing stock to provide low-income families, the elderly and disabled individuals with access to good, sustainable housing that improves the quality of the residents’ lives, fosters their economic success, and allows them to serve as integral members of communities in which they live. For more information visit www.mhacy.org