By JANAKI CHADHA  

Walking along Kingsbridge Road, one is able to get a good feel of the neighborhood. A bustling corridor, Kingsbridge Road boasts a small suburban vibe tucked within Aqueduct, Grand, and Davidson avenues, neighborhoods known for its quaint homes and six-story residences.

And looming overhead is the Kingsbridge Armory, now slated to become an ice skating center with nine sheets of ice and a 5,000-seat arena.

But some residents, such as former district manager of Bronx Community Board 7 Fernando Tirado, are proposing steps to help preserve certain parts of the area and halt overdevelopment. While he acknowledged that certain sections of the neighborhood could use some level of development, Tirado commented that preservation of portions of West Kingsbridge Road, and East Kingsbridge Road should be taken into consideration. He recently submitted a formal request to CB7, which included zoning recommendations and a narrative of why preservation is required. The proposal is expected to be reviewed at the next Land Use Committee gathering on Oct. 15.

“The parts that I had advocated strongly for down-zoning were the private homes from Kingsbridge Road to about 190th Street on Davidson, Grand and Aqueduct [avenues],” said Tirado. “Those homes, they’re very beautiful homes, support a working class and middle class establishment in the community.”

Slowing Down Gentrification
Tirado has been pushing for city officials to take a look at the proposal since last year, noting that hints of gentrification and exodus of existing businesses have begun to creep into the neighborhood. “We have businesses who have already been forced out. We have areas where, you know, they can’t afford the rent anymore,” said Tirado, fearing homeowners are next to leave.

While any major transformation within the Kingsbridge retail sector surrounding the Armory has not taken place yet, smaller changes have begun to occur. The Norwood News was first to report on Kingsbridge merchants hit with nearly double the rent. The landlord has since reduced the amount at the behest of CB7. Still, the change in rent wasn’t enough to keep Forever Young, a natural products and vitamin supplement, to stay in Kingsbridge. The store has now closed, having relocated in early October, citing rising rents.

Keeping Things the Same
On Davidson Avenue, 16-year-old Andrea Augustus admitted it’s hard for her to “envision tall buildings around here.” She continued that while change can be good, she didn’t know how beneficial it would be. “People are gonna be uprooted from where they live,” said Andrea, a lifelong resident. She added that though she is not personally a fan of the selection of stores in the area, she still wouldn’t want to see them go.

Carlos Rodriguez, a homeowner on Davidson Avenue, acknowledged that new developments would likely raise the value of his home but still added that he has no plans to take any offers. “I’ve got family, I’ve got grandkids. That’s one reason I won’t sell—family.”

The redevelopment of the Armory is bound to bring different businesses and establishments to the area, and potential efforts to rezone could follow.  As city trends show, rezoning can cause home values to increase, leading to more homogenous neighborhoods and essentially gentrifying them.

Tirado feels that the focus of the area should be on urban renewal. “The difference between urban renewal and gentrification is that urban renewal includes the people who are in the area currently as part of a solution for economic development and prosperity in the future,” said Tirado. “Gentrification is pushing out existing groups, whereas urban renewal is trying to find a way to include them in the neighborhood’s restoration.”