River Park Towers
New York, NY

1,654 UNITS • RICHARD RAVITCH, DEVELOPER

Completed in 1975, River Park Towers consist of four buildings (two sets of conjoined 38-42 story towers) that became — and remain — the tallest buildings in the Bronx. Located on a formerly industrial strip of land between the Major Deegan Expressway and the Harlem River, the project provides 1,654 residential units, out of which 20% were designated for elderly residents and 28% were reserved for low-income residents under the Section 8 Program (aka Housing and Community Development Act of 1974) and the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program.

Sponsored by the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC), the project re-envisioned the stereotypical housing typologies of its time. A new bridge above the expressway links the complex with parking facilities, a new recreation center, a school, and a waterside park. Adorned in dark red “super bricks” custom designed by Davis Brody Bond (then Davis, Brody & Associates), the faceted, telescoping towers command spectacular views of the city — Yankee Stadium, the George Washington Bridge, and the Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridges in the distance — and create a strong urban presence in the community.