Luxury senior living project River’s Edge officially begins construction in Riverdale

River’s Edge, the luxury senior living home that is an extension of the RiverSpring Living campus, officially broke ground May 12.

That day, elected officials, board members and RiverSpring staff gathered on the campus lawn at 5901 Palisade Ave. to celebrate, with the Hudson River as their backdrop. Those who spoke — including Council member Eric Dinowitz, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres and members of RiverSpring leadership — lauded the future life plan community as the first of its kind in the city.

Also known as a continuing care retirement community, River’s Edge will serve as an independent living facility, offering the ability to transition to other parts of RiverSpring’s campus for assisted living care and skilled nursing services. It is “designed to adapt to your evolving needs,” the River’s Edge website reads.

The project is on track to be completed by December 2028, according to RiverSpring.

In March, community members had voiced concern about the incoming development, noting the potential for noisy construction and an increase in traffic as trucks carried in supplies. A Riverdale Construction Advisory Committee was established early on in 2018, made up of tenants from nearby apartment buildings and local advocacy organizations. Members negotiated terms with RiverSpring and developers.

Years later, and particularly in the last few months, worries have largely been mitigated, according to those close to the project. New York-based Consigli Construction Company, which is undertaking the project, told The Press it has active, 24/7 sound monitoring at the site and along Palisade Avenue to evaluate the noise level.

In line with New York City Department of Buildings standards, construction will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. If required outside of those hours, Consigli will consult Bronx Community Board 8 before getting an additional permit.

Rock chopping, a loud process that involves using hand or power tools to shape stone, should be done by 3:30 p.m., but an after-hours permit will be requested if anything changes, Consigli said. The team will also be doing geothermal drilling, which involves creating holes deep into the Earth’s surface to access its heat. It’s considered an eco-friendly way to provide heating and cooling to a site.

Consigli said it will maintain communication with neighbors and RiverSpring to address possible concerns. Sound blankets are an option to mitigate noise, if needed, Consigli added.

Noise is not an issue for Martin Wolpoff, who lives near the construction site at Skyview. Wolpoff is a longtime committee member for the project, and chair of the Bronx Community Board 8 Law, Rules and Ethics Committee.

“I’ve lived there 57 years,” Wolpoff explained. “We’ve heard construction around us. We’ve survived it. We’ll have to deal with the noise as it comes … I am sure the people here will do the best they can to keep the noise to a minimum.”

Sherida Paulsen, who is also a longtime committee member and board chair of the Riverdale Nature Preservancy, expressed confidence in the River’s Edge team too.

“Everybody is aware of the agreements that need to be upheld,” Paulsen said. “If any issues arise, the people who live closest are going to raise them.”

RiverSpring president and CEO David Pomeranz said in a statement to The Press that the organization is committed to transparency and communication with both neighbors and the committee. The community committee and neighbors will continue to meet and provide updates throughout the construction process, he said.

The idea for River’s Edge was sparked 15 years ago, according to Jeffrey Maurer, chair of RiverSpring’s board of trustees. At the groundbreaking event, he said the idea was bold.

“We had no money and we didn’t have a plan,” Maurer said. “But we had an idea and we persevered.”

Gibson stated the significance of the continuing care retirement community being the first in the city, saying “We love to make history in the Bronx.”

Some of the River’s Edge amenities include casual upscale dining, a spa, fitness center and indoor saltwater pool, pickle ball and tennis courts, and a pilates studio. Entry fees range from $717,443 to $3.3 million, and monthly fees from  $5,975 to $10,175. When a resident dies, either 50 percent or 90 percent of their entry fee is returned to their family depending on their plan, RiverSpring said.

The project is financed by Chicago-based investment bank Ziegler, which closed a $633 million deal in tax-exempt bonds from companies including Vanguard and Barclays for the project. The facility was designed by architecture firm Perkins Eastman and developed by Chicago-based Integrated Development II. River’s Edge will be 11 stories and 441,000 square feet, with 260 one- and two-bedroom units.