UPDATE HPD Affordable Housing Lottery First Dibs to Reduce for Local Residents following Lawsuit Settlement

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The City of New York has settled a lawsuit with a group after nearly 10 years of legal fighting and will reportedly change its existing practice of giving local residents first dibs on new affordable apartments via NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development’s lottery system.

UPDATE Bedford Park: Stop Work Order Rescinded at 383 East 201st Street

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A Stop Work Order which had briefly been put in place at 383 East 201st Street in Bedford Park in December has since been rescinded, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) officials said.

UPDATE Eight Bronx Building Owners Fined for Non-Compliance with Lead Paint Regulations

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Eight Bronx building owners, including two in Norwood, one in Bedford Park, one in Kingsbridge, and one in Fordham Manor, are among ten owners who were collectively fined over $150,000 by NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) for failing to comply with lead-based paint regulations, HPD officials said on Jan. 16.

UPDATE Primaries 2024: Unity Democratic Club Announces Endorsements & Votes on Healthcare Resolution

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Unity Democratic Club, which serves members of the Democratic Party throughout the northwest Bronx, announced on Friday, Jan. 26, its official endorsements for the upcoming 2024 elections. It also voted on a specific healthcare related resolution in support of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.

Bainbridge Bakery Reopens after Devastating Fire

By DAVID GREENE

Three months after a devastating fire ripped through Norwood’s Bainbridge Avenue last October destroying a row of local stores, employees at the popular Bainbridge Bakery are back behind the counter and, once again, providing the community with their baked treats, the owners having opened a new store across the street from the original location.

UPDATE Four Fires Break Out in Bedford Park & Kingsbridge Heights within a 12-Hour Period

By DAVID GREENE, MIRIAM QUINN & SÍLE MOLONEY

At least three civilians were injured, one seriously, a firefighter suffered a minor injury, and several families are displaced ahead of the new year, after four fires broke out within a 12-hour period across Bedford Park and Kingsbridge Heights at the start of the weekend.

Antiwar Protesters Hold 2nd Rally Outside Torres’ Office

By DAVID GREENE

For the second time in less than two months, members of the Bronx Anti-War Coalition held a “Speak Out” rally outside the Bronx office of Congressman Richie Torres (NY-15) in Belmont on Friday, Dec. 15. The group called for a ceasefire to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and demanded an end to financial support of Israel’s war efforts by the United States.

Kingsbridge Heights Small Business Owners Being Pushed Out

By SÍLE MOLONEY

With a Jan. 18 deadline fast approaching for receipt of applications by the City of New York to a Request for Proposal (RFP) to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory in Kingsbridge Heights, supporters of 12 local small businesses located along nearby Jerome Avenue and East Kingsbridge Road held a rally on Thursday, Dec. 7, calling on the merchants’ landlord to renew the merchants’ leases, rather than sell to the soon-to-be selected developer or associate partner.

Op-Ed: Kingsbridge Armory Plan Must Adhere to Community’s Vision

By THORNE NUGENT

Four generations of my family were born in The Bronx. The Kingsbridge Armory on Kingsbridge Road by Jerome Avenue has been a vacant space for all of my existence and now I’m working alongside many others to change that, to make that 500,000-square-foot landmark serve the community and the entire Bronx.