What’s being built on the former Church of the Visitation site in Kingsbridge?

Two major construction projects are reshaping a block in Kingsbridge, where a new public elementary school and an eight-story affordable housing complex are rising side by side on the former site of the Church of the Visitation.

As previously reported by The Press, the developments along Review Place and Van Cortlandt Park South will bring hundreds of new apartments and classroom seats to the neighborhood, transforming a property that once housed a Catholic church, rectory and parochial school.

Although the projects share the former church property, they are being developed separately, with the New York City School Construction Authority overseeing the school and real estate firm Tishman Speyer building the residential complex, The Press previously reported.

The new school is going up at 3850 Review Place, across from Van Cortlandt Park. According to the school construction authority, the school will serve students from prekindergarten through fifth grade, including seats for District 75 schools, which are public schools that provide specialized educational services for students with significant disabilities.

The six-story building will span roughly 100,000 square feet and accommodate roughly 700 students when it opens, as previously reported in The Press.

According to the updates shared on social media by the school construction authority, the plan includes space for a “gymatorium” — a multipurpose area combining a gymnasium and auditorium — as well as a rooftop playground and a separate playground for younger children. The building will also feature a library, art, science and music classrooms, speech and occupational and physical therapy rooms, a medical suite, and other instructional spaces.

Alongside the future school, at 160 Van Cortlandt Park South, Tishman Speyer is developing a 279,000-square-foot residential building featuring 339 apartments, ranging from studios to three-bedroom units,  The Press previously reported. According to Tishman Speyer, the project is entirely affordable housing, with 285 apartments designated for individuals and families earning between 40% and 105% of the area median income, a measure used to determine eligibility for income-restricted housing.

Tishman Speyer also previously shared that another 53 apartments will be reserved as supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals, with nonprofit organization Breaking Ground assisting in placing residents. The development also includes an apartment for a live-in superintendent.

According to previous reporting by The Press, the residential building occupies part of a 1.3-acre property formerly owned by the Archdiocese of New York. The church property had been vacant since the Visitation parish merged with nearby St. John’s in 2015. Tishman Speyer acquired its portion of the property from the archdiocese in 2022, while the school construction authority purchased the remaining land for the new elementary school.

Construction has also brought temporary changes to neighborhood traffic. According to Bronx Community Board 8, Review Place between West 239th Street and Van Cortlandt Park South is closed to through traffic on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Dec. 26.

Outside those hours, one southbound lane remains open, while parking along the west side of Review Place is expected to remain unchanged.

The school is expected to open in Fall 2027, which is also when construction is slated to be complete on the apartment complex next door.

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